Kasandra D-B
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
“You write, I'll polish. Together, we'll shine!”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
AA Psychology
Oklahoma City Community College
2008
AA Sociology
Oklahoma City Community College
2008
Certified Medical Transcriptionist
Moore-Norman Technology Center
2009
Favorite referencing style
As a former psychology student, APA referencing holds a special place in my heart.
Why I became an editor
I started editing at 12 years old. My best friend was dyslexic and loved to write stories, so I was happy to be her editor. I edited essays throughout college and picked up the occasional short story, but it wasn’t until I started working for a library system that I was able to really refine my skills. A colleague asked me to look over the staff newsletter and I found so many errors; editing the paper became a regular part of my job. Before long, I was editing for other departments and taking more formal training at the urging of my boss. My “aha moment” came when a friend asked me to edit her 87,000-word novel in a genre I knew nothing about. I learned so much on that project and felt so deeply fulfilled by the work, I knew I had found my dream job!
Background and experience
I have worked for the Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County for 10 years. In that time, I have edited numerous business documents, marketing materials and press releases, training manuals and presentations, website content, and even a few resumes and cover letters.
I enjoy editing all kinds of writing, but historical fiction is my favorite.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I enjoy the moment of nervous excitement as I open a new document to discover the treasures and challenges waiting inside.
I enjoy the feeling of triumph when, uncertain about an unusual spelling, punctuation usage, or reference, I research to find the solution best suited to the piece (and learn something new in the process).
Most of all, I enjoy taking something that someone else has poured their soul into and refining, smoothing, and polishing it so that, when I give it back to them, it gleams.
Favorite book:
As a total historical fiction geek, my two favorite books are Madeline Miller's Circe and The Wolf's Hour by Robert R. McCammon. Both feature lush characters, intricate plots, and exquisite writing.
Hobbies:
When I'm not proofreading, I'm spending time with my husband and our two little girls, two cats, and a grumpy bearded dragon. My humans and I like to go hiking, and we're longing for the day when it's safe to go to museums again!
Editing tips:
I like to start with a checklist for the most common errors — double spaces, etc. Then I do a quick run-through to get a grasp of the author's style (and catch anything that might be confusing to a casual reader). After I know the major plot points and how it ends, I can do another pass to look at plot elements and continuity. Finally, I give it one last look, going page by page, to see if the formatting is consistent throughout and to make sure I didn't miss any errors or create new ones with my edits.
