Adrian Rivera

Thanks so much for taking a look at my profile! My name is Adrian, and I’m an editor interested in working with writers of all kinds on projects of all sorts. From fiction to non-fiction, from mystery, thriller, and horror to memoir, history, and journalism, from academic writing to popular writing, from self-published works to works published by a big-five publisher, I’m interested in taking a look at your writing. Here’s what I can do for it and for you: 

Copy editing. I’ll apply a magnifying lens to your writing to catch typos, grammar mistakes, misspellings, inappropriate word usage, and other such missteps. 

Line editing. I’ll whip out the proverbial red pen to make suggestions to short sentences, long sentences, and sentences somewhere in between. If you want to turn your good sentences into great sentences, sentences with rhythm and style and logic that maintain—that enhance—your voice, I’m the editor for you. 

Developmental editing. I’ll read through your manuscript and think about both its strengths and its opportunities for growth. I’ll summarize those thoughts in a detailed memo, pointing to specific problems I encountered and offering specific solutions to those problems. My comments would concern the micro (“I think the writing overall could benefit from more of the active voice. Here’s how you would turn these three sentences from the passive to the active.”) and the macro (“This beginning could go just as well at the start of Chapter 2. I understand drawing the reader in with a “hook,” but this felt like a bait-and-switch.”) 

Book Doctoring. I’ll copy-edit, line-edit, and offer structural suggestions on your manuscript. But then, instead of making my suggestions and leaving you to implement them, I’ll implement them as you see fit. This is the most intensive service I provide: essentially, I will do whatever I need to do to help you put your writing project out into the world. 

I’ve told you a little about what I can do for you. Here’s a bit about my experience: 

I graduated from Yale with a B.A. in History with Honors. Yale doesn’t offer minors, but if it did, I would have certainly surpassed the course requirement for an English minor: I actually took more writing classes than I did history classes. Outside of the classroom, I was the op-ed editor for the Yale Daily News, and a tutor at the writing center. Between these two positions, I read hundreds of op-eds, essays, and papers, I talked through ideas and arguments with scores and scores of students, and I gained extensive experience with copy editing, line editing, and developmental editing. 

After graduating, I book-doctored a manuscript for a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. I flexed my project management muscles, I not only offered copy, line, and developmental edits, but implemented those edits after my principal’s approval; I took a manuscript that had been unfinished for ten years across the first-draft finish line. 

I’ve also collaborated on a few projects, ranging from ghostwriting to manuscript evaluation, with Open Boat Editing, headed by the excellent Evelyn Duffy.

In June, I’ll begin editing at a major national newspaper. Though that job and my freelance work are completely separate, I use the same skills across both positions. 

Beyond my proficiency in editing, the most important asset I bring to the table is my ability to listen. For me, freelancing is about more than just a paycheck. It’s the chance to address someone’s concerns, assuage their fears, and help them produce the strongest piece of writing they possibly can. That begins with listening to the author, both on and off the page.

And so with that, I’d love to hear from you: drop me a line at alwaysadrian2119@gmail.com about anything and everything. 

Years in the field: 2
Years freelancing: 1