Testimonials
I’ve worked with a lot of copyeditors over a lot of years and come to appreciate that copyediting is a science and an art. The ideal copy edit is rigorous but not prescriptive. It’s a tough balance to strike, but Heather does. She manages to be thorough but not intrusive, to not only make corrections, but to help the manuscript become a better version of itself.
—Jenny Holiday, USA Today bestselling author of Undue Influence
Heather’s impressive facility with the English language, her meticulous eye for detail and her boundless patience opened my eyes to what a really good editor can accomplish. She made my work shine.
—Lynne Bradley, author of Adapting King Lear for the Stage
Heather undertook the copy edit of my novel and from the outset, I was impressed by her professionalism and assessment of the parameters of the project. Her edits showed a clear grasp of the intended audience, and in her handling of the text, she combined thoroughness and attention to detail with a light, unobtrusive touch. Needless to say, the project was completed at the agreed deadline. Heather was an absolute pleasure to work with and I would work with her again in a heartbeat!
—Claire Horsnell, author of The Crowsbrook Demons and The Caretakers
Not only were the punctuation and spelling mistakes immaculately cleaned up, but Heather went way beyond my expectations. She tracked the novel’s timeline, pointing out places where it was off, she noticed minute details in early chapters that appeared differently in subsequent chapters, she even noticed geographic errors in my African setting. Further, she read the work deeply enough to be able to point out places where characters were acting in ways that seemed inconsistent with their personalities. These are mistakes that readers would have noticed and been distracted by. Mistakes I’m grateful won’t appear in the published book because ultimately, they’d reflect on me. In short, Heather took the manuscript and polished it beautifully. Her name won’t appear on the cover, but make no mistake, she was a critical contributor!
—Adrienne Benson, author of The Brightest Sun
Additional testimonials can be found in my LinkedIn recommendations.
Experience
Years of in-house editorial experience
At Nelson Education, I copyedited and proofread print and online content for K–12 resources, including ESL as well as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit educational publications.
At Harlequin, I proofread, copyedited and line edited manuscripts. Some of the imprints I worked on included MIRA, HQN, Kimani, Harlequin Luna, Harlequin Teen, Worldwide Mystery, Gold Eagle Publishing and Harlequin Nonfiction.
Extensive freelance experience with publishers and authors
As a freelancer, I’ve copyedited and proofread manuscripts published by imprints such as Park Row Books, Inkyard Press, Canary Street Press, Harlequin Teen, HarperCollins/Avon, MIRA, HQN, Gold Eagle Publishing, Harlequin Nonfiction, William Morrow Paperbacks, Modus Vivendi and Routledge.
Education
Certificate in Publishing, Toronto Metropolitan University
My program of study at TMU included, among others, courses in copyediting, substantive and line editing, scholarly editing, indexing, digital publishing, book design. During my studies, I was twice nominated for the Rosemary Shipton Award for Excellence in Book Editing.
MA, English Language and Literature, University of Victoria
While attending UVic, I also worked for International Student Services, where I taught ESL students in the university’s Faculty of Business how to write reports and other documents.
BA, English Literature, University of Guelph
In addition to my studies, I taught English usage and style at the university’s Learning and Writing Centre as a student writing consultant.
Ongoing Training
I regularly attend workshops and conferences to stay current with industry trends and best practices.
