KATHRYN CLAPPER is passionate about partnering with both nonfiction and fiction authors to bring their ideas and stories alive. With 14 years of experience editing more than 350 titles and textbooks for major publishers such as National Geographic, Candlewick Press, Scholastic, Prentice Hall, Pearson Longman, and Blackwell-Wiley, Kathryn knows what it takes to convert an idea into a bound book. With every manuscript, she acts as an advocate of the reader while holding true to the author’s style.
Her talents do not stop at developmental editing, however. When performing book critiques and evaluations, Kathryn provides constructive feedback on big-picture issues in both fiction and nonfiction works, including structure, organization, repetition, language use, plot, characterization, narrative pacing, style, voice, tone, and length. Her evaluations encompass both strengths and areas for improvement. As an eagle-eyed copyeditor and proofreader, she relentlessly perfects details while keeping the big picture in mind.
Kathryn is a certified English teacher with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University (anthropology) and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (teaching and curriculum). Her areas of expertise include general-interest science, neurology, literary nonfiction, memoirs, biography, scholarly works, children’s nonfiction, YA fiction, and instructional content in the humanities and social sciences.
Editing Credits:
- ManageFirst: Nutrition by National Restaurant Association (2013)
- Top Notch by Joan Saslow, Allen Ascher, & Rob Morsberger (2011)
- Engaging Writing: Essential Skills for Academic Writing by Mary Fitzpatrick (2011)
- Shakespeare Explained: Twelfth Night by Joseph Sobran (2010)
- Prentice Hall Literature, Penguin Edition (2010) (contributing editor and writer)
- Contemporary Topics: Academic Listening and Note-Taking Skills by Helen Solorzano & Laurie Frazier (2009)
- World of Reading: A Thematic Approach to Reading Comprehension by Joan Baker-Gonzalez & Elieen K. Blau (2009)
- The Origins and Development of the English Language by John Algeo (2009)
- Practical Food and Beverage Cost Control by Clement Ojugo (2009)
- Good Reasons by Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer (2008)
- For Your Information: Reading and Vocabulary Skills by Karen Blanchard & Christine Root (2006)
VAL GERARD, MA, PhD in Biology
Scientific Editing | Medical Editing | Editor of Scientific Research Papers
Dr. Gerard edits research papers, grant proposals, theses, dissertations, and materials for commercial or public use (brochures, instruction manuals, websites, etc.) in medicine, the life sciences, and other fields of science. She retired after 30 years as a scientist and professor, with a strong record of publications and successful research funding. She now uses her skills to help others achieve similar successes.
Val has worked with professionals and students on writing projects in a broad range of medical and scientific fields. Many of her clients have returned for assistance with new or ongoing projects. Val helps her clients to communicate complex information in a succinct, clear, and well organized manner; to design clear and efficient figures and tables; to identify and summarize the most important points. With her assistance, clients have been successful in obtaining multi-million dollar research grants, publishing articles in prestigious journals, completing and defending dissertations, etc. Val takes pride in the achievements of every one of her clients, and particular pride in the development and improvement of their own writing skills that will help to ensure their future success.
- Dr. Gerard’s research has appeared in 50+ publications (e.g., physiology, biochemistry). She has written, reviewed, or edited one million dollars worth of successful grant proposals.
- High rate of client success with manuscripts submitted to scientific and medical journals.
- Over thirty years of teaching experience, including scientific writing courses. Served as advisor and/or mentor to many graduate and undergraduate students.
- Past experience as associate editor, editorial board member, and/or reviewer for over two dozen scientific journals, including Science, and government funding agencies.
- Associate editor and/or reviewer for over two dozen scientific journals, including Science and government funding agencies.
- Past and current clients from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Croatia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Patagonia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, the U.K., the U.S., and Venezuela.
- Medical and science editor and writer since 2001. Editing and copyediting of manuscripts, books, grant proposals, dissertations. Topics range from oncology, cardiology, immunology, and epidemiology to ecology, oceanography, molecular genetics, biochemistry, and development of new therapies through chemical mining. Specializes in organization, interpretation, and clear presentation of complex information.
- Helps clients improve their own writing skills for future projects, including non-native English speakers.
- Provides rapid turnaround. Helps you submit your grant proposal, manuscript, book chapter, or report on time.
SANDRA JUDD is an editor, proofreader, and indexer with more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Her clients have included university presses, large, mainstream publishers, and smaller presses and professional organizations. She has edited or proofread over 300 published books, on topics that include politics, history, business, literary criticism, ethnic history, anthropology, science and medicine, industry manuals, memoirs, Christian and inspirational, parenting and relationships, humor, and fiction.
She has edited 20+ volumes in the Health Reference Series published by Omnigraphics, all published under her name as editor.
She has also edited professional journals and newsletters, business plans, scholarly articles being prepared for publication, economic plans to be distributed to the state legislature, and a number of dissertations.
She has prepared indexes for more than 30 published books.
She strives for precision in language and is devoted to making the author’s voice heard.
HOLLY MONTY, MA, MAC, ELS
Editor, writer, format expert: APA 6th Edition, Chicago Manual of Style, LaTeX (tables, figures, equations)
Medical and science editing
Ms. Monty, a Microsoft Word and LaTeX expert, has worked on books and articles published by many of the world’s leading publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, MIT Press, W. W. Norton, Sage, John Wiley, Springer, Lawrence Erlbaum, Pearson-Prentice Hall, Praeger, Greenwood, Blackwell, and other top names in academic and nonfiction publishing. To date, she has edited more than 2,000 published journal articles, more than 150 nonfiction books, and a wealth of dissertations and theses. Ms. Monty is proud to have worked with a diversity of students and academics from a broad range of our nation’s universities. Given her wealth of experience, she is adept at working within the precise terms of your university’s thesis/dissertation guidelines or with the publication guidelines of any peer-reviewed journal.
Holly graduated with honors from the prestigious Writing Seminars program of the Johns Hopkins University, ranked second in the United States, with a concentration in nonfiction writing. She also holds two master’s degrees: one a master of arts degree in linguistics from Rice University, and the other a master of arts degree in communication from Johns Hopkins (with honors). In 2010, she became certified as an editor in the life sciences with the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS). Holly is currently pursuing a PhD in technical communication and rhetoric.
An expert working with non-native speakers of English, Ms. Monty helps to transform nonfluently written medical text into stylistically and grammatically correct medical prose. She can work with any journal’s author guidelines to ensure that your submission meets expectations and requirements.
Editorial Specialties
- nursing and medicine
- physics and geophysics, including water
- psychology and social sciences
Manuscript evaluations, market assessment, global reorganization, developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, rewriting, ghostwriting
Education, science, memoirs, self-help, New-Age, spirituality, action-adventure fiction
RACHEL STONE is an experienced publishing executive and hands-on editor and proofreader who has worked at Prentice-Hall, MacMillan, and John Wiley & Sons, among others, where she developed college textbooks in a variety of disciplines. As the science director for Amsco School Publications–which publishes texts and review books for the 6-12 market–she was responsible for developmental editing of her own titles and assessing manuscripts for publication and marketing.
The list of titles that Rachel worked on at Amsco included: Amsco’s AP Biology; Amsco’s Science, Grades 6-8 (a 3-book series); Preparing for the OAA Science; Preparing for the FCAT Science, Grades 8 and 11 (two books); MCAS Science Grade 8; Life Science Work-Text, Revised Edition; and Forensic Science (IP). Along with the books, she also edited, wrote, and rewrote catalog copy and marketing information.
“Rachel was very professional to work with and had a great eye for what the book needed before it could be published. Her editing skills allow you to focus on writing content, not on becoming an editor; she takes it to the next level. Rachel’s editing was accompanied by an extremely helpful list of suggestions and recommendations for improving the book, along with a simple task list for all the detailed things a writer doesn’t always pay attention to – alerting you to partial footnotes, the need for titles and headers, suggestions for callouts, etc. Best of all, Rachel understands the writer’s voice and was able to do thorough content and proof editing while keeping the author’s voice intact. She’s great!” – Chuck Blakeman, author, Why Employees Are Always A Bad Idea