DEBORAH A. CECERE
Copyediting and Proofreading
I’m Deborah A. Cecere, a professional nonfiction editor with eight years of experience collaborating with trade, scholarly, and cookbook publishers, as well as with nonprofits, businesses, and translation agencies on a freelance basis. My areas of expertise include cultural studies, nonprofits, social and political history, food writing, cookbooks, business communications, and annual reports.
My Background
I hold a graduate degree in cultural studies with a concentration in museum studies. This academic background gives me a solid understanding of the world of nonprofits and cultural institutions, particularly museums.
After completing my graduate work, I moved from New York to Germany and began a career working in the international division of a well-known German medical publisher. Here I learned the ropes of the publishing business and gained invaluable hands-on experience in the production, marketing, and sale of books and journals.
The switch to freelance editing came at the right juncture in my life and was a perfect match for me from the start.
Professional Training
Training
Working with me means entrusting your project to an editor with solid professional training. I’ve earned certificates from courses run by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and the Publishing Training Centre (PTC), two institutions recognized internationally for their excellence in editorial teaching.
US English is my first language, but I’m trained to edit in both US and UK English, and familiar with the conventions of the two respective standards: the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) and New Hart’s Rules.
One of the joys of professional editing is that learning never stops. I regularly complete continuing professional development (CPD) courses and network in various editorial-based channels. My natural interest in food and cooking, for example, motivated me to dedicate two years of CPD to learning the niche skill of cookbook editing.
Memberships
I’m a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), ACES: The Society for Editing, and Verband der Freien Lektorinnen und Lektoren (VFLL).
I keep up with developments in my specialty areas through associate memberships in the American Studies Association (ASA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and Museum Education Roundtable (MER).
My Approach
Responsiveness
I take the needs of your project—and your budget and time concerns—to heart. In turn, I prefer to take on projects that allow me—by virtue of my skills, experience, and efficiency—to earn a fair rate for my work.
Effective communication
You can count on prompt, clear, and courteous responses. The word courtesy may have an old-fashioned ring, but as the saying goes—good things never go out of fashion.
You can also count on knowing exactly what’s included in my services—and what’s not. This way, everyone’s expectations for the project are clear from the start.
I speak and write German at a natural level and have lived and worked in Germany (both north and south) for over forty years. This means we can discuss the business side of things in German.
Teamwork
I especially enjoy being part of a team of editorial professionals. Even if we’re working separately, we’re still working toward the same goals—achieving the best results for the project while keeping our eye on time and budget.
My Services
Copyediting
I see copyediting as a series of informed decisions that aim to reinforce the writer’s unique voice and message. I consider whether my change will make the text more clear, coherent, consistent, correct, and concise for the reader—the 5 Cs of copyediting—or if intervention is needed at all. Some essential tasks include editing to the in-house or preferred style guide; correcting spelling, punctuation, and grammar; assuring accuracy; controlling common facts; and reading for word choice and sentence structure.
Proofreading
Some essential tasks include checking the style and design, correcting language errors with an eye to the copyeditor’s decisions and the style guide—and a layer of control that I particularly enjoy—a final reading for sense and from the viewpoint of a general reader.
Post-translation editing
I’m experienced in editing for language, accuracy, and readability of German to English professionally translated texts in most subject areas.
Testimonials
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