Jeanette the Writer

My passion is making your words shine through copyediting. The innate teacher in me sprinkles in a side of instruction and feedback so you can learn from the changes and suggestions in your manuscript. I’ve been fortunate enough as an editor to work on a wide array of projects, from nonfiction workbooks to memoirs to fantasy novellas. I am a copyeditor through and through. This service includes checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency, conciseness, light fact-checking, and more. In addition to long-form work, I have edited shorter blogs and marketing content to enhance and ensure consistency of brand voice and position clients as industry thought leaders.

Editor

As a professional content writer, I assist in the creation of marketing assets such as blogs, print articles, whitepapers, and case studies. The companies I’ve worked with span a comprehensive set of industries, from healthcare (NEMO Health, Orthofeet, Incredible Health) to scuba diving (Aqualung) to professional training (Dale Carnegie). My content writing (and occasional copywriting) adheres closely to necessary brand style and voice. Whether it’s one whitepaper or a whole blog series, I am always available for content writing needs.

Content Writer

Greenleaf Book Group

I work closely with Greenleaf's staff and authors to ensure timely and thorough copyediting of fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. My editing fully adheres to the Chicago Manual of Style and Greenleaf's internal style guide. I have had the pleasure of working on over 15 manuscripts now published and earning their authors rave reviews.

Freelance Copyeditor

Dale Carnegie

Working with the Marketing and Executive teams, I help Dale Carnegie craft content assets such as blogs and whitepapers. I work closely with thought leaders to make content original and persuasive. My editor’s eye has also been utilized to proofread website assets to ensure professionalism of voice and appearance.

Freelance Writer

GutCheck

In my work with GutCheck, I am able to repurpose their podcast interviews into summary-style blogs to entice readers to listen to the full episode.

AptAmigo

As a Dallas freelance writer, I’m so glad AptAmigo chose me to write their Dallas-based content. I write and edit blogs for AptAmigo to help increase site visitors by providing value and strong CTAs to potential customers. I work closely with the Blog Manager to ensure timeliness of articles. Working within their detailed briefs, I am able to craft content that is fresh and original while achieving desired SEO.

Freelance Blogger

Podiatry Management Magazine

Working with the magazine Editor, I was commissioned to research and write articles for publication in Podiatry Management Magazine and on the PM News website. My work involved interviewing industry professionals to add further depth and insight to the articles. I coordinated with the Editor on topics, progress, and deadlines to ensure a smooth partnership and timely publication date.

Freelance Medical Writer

DIY MFA

My role as the Curriculum Director (Unicorn) was to lead our content development for academic materials such as new courses and content for our Members HUB. Assisting the CEO, I was able to draft course materials such as slide decks, presentation notes, and even marketing emails. I also acted as the Coaching Director for our Small Group Coaching program, which mentored unpublished authors toward manuscript completion. In my Ask the Editor column on the DIY MFA blog, I explore the latest editing topics and craft actionable articles you can apply to your creative works.

Curriculum Director

TrooRa Magazine

I was lucky enough to work with founder Trystanne Cunningham at TrooRa’s very beginning stages. I helped brand the magazine’s voice through company bios and branding statements. As Contributing Editor for TrooRa, I was the editing stage that tightened their writers’ prose and perfected their grammar to ensure style guide consistency through line and copyediting. After formatting, I helped proofread the magazine for errors introduced during the formatting phase. I was also fortunate enough to write the Editor’s Letter placed in the front of each issue.

Contributing Editor

Jane E Graebner, DPM

This marketing team has been a dream to work with. Their business revenue increased by up to 7.5% each year after we started their content strategy of weekly blogs. I was able to research diverse subjects concerning foot care, including interviewing and engaging with industry professionals. When the doctors wanted to write their own articles, I was there to help hone their message and perfect their readability. Together, we drafted marketing materials such as direct marketing emails and newsletters that conveyed relevant information to patients in an engaging, entertaining, and easy-to-digest way.

Health & Wellness Copywriter and Blogger

The Media Captain

Known for being in the top 1% of marketing agencies, my work with the Media Captain was varied and interesting. I was tasked with helping create initial strategies for immediate and long-term growth of brands and their website visibility. I crafted and implemented website changes for increased keywords, linking, and enhanced readability of valuable content. I conceptualized, wrote, and posted blogs and social media updates for diverse industries to promote content marketing efforts. All of this while managing deadlines and client communications to ensure the timely success of all projects.

Freelance Writer and SEO Strategist

Hey, writers! Are you looking to take the words you've written and turn them into the words you've always wanted to write? That's where editing comes in.

Maybe you:
👉🏻   Struggled with voice, tense, flow, word choice, or grammar as you wrote
👉🏻   Finished writing a manuscript and are now ready to self-edit
👉🏻   Already have been editing but feel stuck on the endless hamster wheel of revisions

I'm here to help with my professional editing and self-editing instruction. When we work together, you will learn from the editing process, and not be frustrated by it. 

Readers will: 
Be dazzled by your dialogue
Care about your characters
Pace through your pages 
...all as they race to read your amazing prose. 

Ultimately, your stories will be stronger, smoother, and ready for publishing or submitting.

In my spare time, I’m a devoted cat mom. When I do manage to kick them off the desk, you can find me writing and submitting fiction of my own or keeping up with my other day job of content writing and blogging. Outside the house, I’m an avid scuba diver who dreams of running away to the island life sooner rather than later. 

You don’t just need editing. You need #Jeanettediting to add the oomph! 

DM me or email me (Jeanette@JeanettetheWriter.com) to get started with your editing journey today.

Dating is tough.
 
Especially as an editor.
 
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Do you correct people’s grammar?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. My aim is to demystify the editing process. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

Jeanette Smith

“You can say vice-versa, but not versa-vice.
 
Of all sayings, that one should be switchable.”
 
—Demetri Martin, Demetri Deconstructed
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. This is not my joke but it was too funny not to share. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

CITE 👏 YOUR 👏 QUOTATIONS 👏
 
And no, the following "sources" aren’t good enough:
 
Wikipedia
Goodreads
Quotes A-Z
Brainy Quote
Quora
Reddit
 
You need a Primary Source!
 
Primary sources may include:
 
Writings of the person being quoted
(e.g., you quoted Michelle Obama’s writing in her book Becoming)
 
Writings of someone else who is recording a quote they directly heard
(e.g., you quoted Plato as recorded firsthand by Aristotle)
 
A recording or transcript of a speech or interview
(e.g., you quoted Steve Jobs’s commencement speech via a YouTube video or transcript from the university)
 
Basically, you need to get as close as possible to the original record of the quote. Saying “Goodreads says they said it” isn’t going to cut it.
 
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Editors, what are some other good/bad places to cite quotes from?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. My aim is to demystify the editing process. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

“Recasting” = Rewording and repunctuating sentences

Here are 5 reasons I might recast your sentence . . .

Number 1—It’s grammatically incorrect.
Perhaps you’ve split an infinitive or you’re using a double negative. An editor may recast your sentence to enhance meaning while resolving issues.

Number 2—It’s repetitive in structure.
Authors have tendencies to repeat sentence structures. When this happens too many times in a row, an editor will recast to avoid monotony.

Number 3—Modifiers are misplaced.
If the descriptive words used to modify something are too far away from that noun, then readers might miss your meaning. Editors will reorder sentences to make sure modifiers sit in the right place.

Number 4—I don’t know how else to fix it.
Sometimes, I know it’s wrong but fixing it exactly in the word order it currently sits would be a bear. This often happens with excessive punctuation such as hyphens. If it’s confusing the editor, there’s a strong likelihood it would confuse readers.

Number 5—The meaning is muddled.
Clarity is everything in writing. If a sentence’s meaning isn’t clear, editors will recast it to increase the reader’s understanding.
 
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Writers, what’s your biggest reason for recasting your own sentences?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor whose aim is to demystify the editing process. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity
 
 

I don’t remember when I wrote this.
 
But I can tell you—they remain my dreams today!
 
 
Find something I love to do and do it every day?
Check!
 
Find a man who loves me for me?
Check!
 
Learn from my mistakes?
Check! (Or, at least, better than I used to)
 
Island, dream home, and help the homeless?
Okay, this one is far away, but if I ever did own an island, you’d better believe everyone who needs a place to stay would be invited.
 
Live happily?
I work on this every day!
 
 
Little Jeanette had big dreams.
Big Jeanette still believes in them.
 
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Do you still believe in your childhood dreams? Have you achieved any yet?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. My aim is to demystify the editing process so you can move forward with your manuscript. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

I make a lot of weird comparisons. But sometimes, I’m the one being compared.
 
And it always seems to be a comparison to . . .
 
Adina Edelman
 
To be clear, I’m not complaining!
 
Adina and I share a lot of similarities—we’re both editors, both like Reese’s, both strikingly beautiful, etc.—but we are two different people.
 
So, just in case we’re synonymous in your mind, here’s a short list of our differences.
 
Jeanette:
Copyeditor only
Currently in the South (TX)
Knows where the commas go
Jeanettethewriter [dot] com
 
Adina:
All-around editor
East-coaster (MD)
Mines your message for gold
Edelmanedits [dot] com
 
Adina is a great friend and colleague, and it’s an honor that we are spoken of in the same breath/post/comment.
 
But we’re still two different people.
 
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Who are you compared to most often?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor whose aim is to demystify the editing process. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

Let’s talk about computer versus human abilities.
 
Things you DON’T need AI for:
 
👂 Listening to someone’s troubles
💡 Thinking of something original
🧠 Reasoning with common sense
💃 Complimenting someone
💎 Solving ethical dilemmas
📗 Bettering ourselves
👐 Hugging someone
❤️‍🩹 Showing empathy
😂 Telling a joke
 
 
Things you NEED AI for:
 
🫵 You tell me
 
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Seriously, what do you NEED AI for?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. My aim is to demystify the editing process so you can move forward with your manuscript. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

Watching a solar eclipse is like going through the stages of editing.
 
It took me a while to flesh out this analogy, but here we go . . .
 
I was in the path of 100% totality for Monday’s solar eclipse.
 
As I sat and watched the sun get covered and my surroundings grow dark, it struck me that eclipses are like editing.
 
At first, you’re excited by the idea. You buy your glasses (get into an editing mindset) and make arrangements for where to be and when (form your editing plan).
 
Then the event happens. At first, it doesn’t appear that much is going on. But putting on your glasses reveals the slow and even transition of the moon over the sun (your editing’s impact on your manuscript).
 
Eventually, the celestial spheres align. In editing, this could be a breakthrough in filling a plot hole or perhaps the kismet that comes from finding the perfect editor at the perfect moment.
 
It may get a little dark along the way and feel like editing will never end. But this alignment—when it feels darkest of all—is what you need to make it through the process and watch your manuscript come out shining on the other side.
 
 Like watching the sun return, you complete your edits, bringing illumination to the text and clarity to the reader. Ultimately, your creation shines brighter than before and leaves viewers with a sense of being changed by the process.
 
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Do you consider editing a celestial event?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. My aim is to demystify the editing process so you can move forward with your manuscript. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

It’s quiz time!
 
How well do you know Adina Edelman versus Jeanette Smith?
 
Here are ten fun facts that apply to either Adina or me.
 
Can you separate us?
 
👉 Is Jewish
👉 Is an editor
👉 Has two cats
👉 Is a copyeditor only
👉 Loves sword fighting
👉 Has a younger sibling
👉 Birthday is a day in April
👉 Birthday is a holiday in April
👉 Would eat cheese as a last meal
👉 Did better in math than in English class
 
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What’s a fun fact I don’t know about you?
 
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I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. My aim is to demystify the editing process so you can move forward with your manuscript. In my spare time, I’m a content writer, fiction writer, and mermaid Instagrammer. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed!
#writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

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