Editorial Freelancers Association
Member Profile
Jennifer Wells
Jennifer Wells Editing Services
Almost ten years ago I had one of those doctoral dissertation advisors that make emerging academics shake in their boots. A have-no-mercy stickler for everything from proper grammar and logical consistency, to clear use of metaphor and allegory that does not leave readers unfamiliar with American references in the dark, she made me cry on more than one occasion. She also transformed me into a crisp, clear writer with an eye for helping others to make their writing sing…on key. She was my grinding stone and from those experiences I have honed the ability to assist any writer to polish their writing.
I possess a doctoral degree in Education Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction. I bring 20 years of experience working with novice through expert writers and advanced skills in providing coaching support to those involved in adopting the academic language in English. I’ve worked extensively with writers in the mid-range of acquiring English as a second language primarily in the STEM fields and in the fields of education and sociology. I have advanced research skills and am interested in working with academic writers and writers of literary fiction.
With ten years of experience helping students learn to write prior to working with that advisor, and ten years since working as an editor, I’m expert at meeting the needs of novice through expert writers. I bring to this work skills in assisting writers to improve clarity of meaning and sharpen their unique voices while also ensuring that the work instills a sense of confidence in the authors’ creditably.
Most of my editing experience has been in academic writing. I’ve edited 24 doctoral dissertations, hundreds of newsletter editions, grant proposals, grant reports, departmental reports at the university and secondary levels of education, curricula written for kindergarten through graduate level, websites, social and hard science research proposals, human-subjects proposals, research reports, and papers and book chapters for publication. The majority of this work has been in the STEM fields, although I have edited works in social sciences, business, and the arts.
A book fiend, I routinely inhale a wide range of literature. I’ve taken an embarrassing number of college courses in writing short stories, literary novels, and journalism. Plus, you guessed it, workshops on editing combined with countless hours doing peer editing in graduate level and university faculty writing groups. Thus, I not only bring mastery of the conventions of English writing, I also thrive on working with writers to develop clearly defined voices for each character, interesting plot lines, scenes that powerfully communicate ambience, and clever use of literary devices such as frame story, imagery, and foreshadowing. Whether you are a neat freak lover of isocolons or an adherent to the malapropisms, I’ve got your back. I subscribe to the school of thought that says editors should always think twice before deleting every so-called unnecessary that, just, if, or so because Strunk and White’s ideas on The Elements of Style should not rule each editorial decision. Thus, the relationship I strive to create with authors is centered on a trusting partnership focused on shared goals. Meticulous attention to detail and clear intent is just part of what makes good writing stand apart. It is my intention as an editor to assist every writer I work with to ensure that their work stands firm, with fewer tears and more resiliency
Email: jenwells.68@gmail.com
Years in the field: 20
Years freelancing: 9
Jennifer Wells
Almost ten years ago I had one of those doctoral dissertation advisors that make emerging academics shake in their boots. A have-no-mercy stickler for everything from proper grammar and logical consistency, to clear use of metaphor and allegory that does not leave readers unfamiliar with American references in the dark, she made me cry on more than one occasion. She also transformed me into a crisp, clear writer with an eye for helping others to make their writing sing…on key. She was my grinding stone and from those experiences I have honed the ability to assist any writer to polish their writing.
I possess a doctoral degree in Education Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction. I bring 20 years of experience working with novice through expert writers and advanced skills in providing coaching support to those involved in adopting the academic language in English. I’ve worked extensively with writers in the mid-range of acquiring English as a second language primarily in the STEM fields and in the fields of education and sociology. I have advanced research skills and am interested in working with academic writers and writers of literary fiction.
With ten years of experience helping students learn to write prior to working with that advisor, and ten years since working as an editor, I’m expert at meeting the needs of novice through expert writers. I bring to this work skills in assisting writers to improve clarity of meaning and sharpen their unique voices while also ensuring that the work instills a sense of confidence in the authors’ creditably.
Most of my editing experience has been in academic writing. I’ve edited 24 doctoral dissertations, hundreds of newsletter editions, grant proposals, grant reports, departmental reports at the university and secondary levels of education, curricula written for kindergarten through graduate level, websites, social and hard science research proposals, human-subjects proposals, research reports, and papers and book chapters for publication. The majority of this work has been in the STEM fields, although I have edited works in social sciences, business, and the arts.
A book fiend, I routinely inhale a wide range of literature. I’ve taken an embarrassing number of college courses in writing short stories, literary novels, and journalism. Plus, you guessed it, workshops on editing combined with countless hours doing peer editing in graduate level and university faculty writing groups. Thus, I not only bring mastery of the conventions of English writing, I also thrive on working with writers to develop clearly defined voices for each character, interesting plot lines, scenes that powerfully communicate ambience, and clever use of literary devices such as frame story, imagery, and foreshadowing. Whether you are a neat freak lover of isocolons or an adherent to the malapropisms, I’ve got your back. I subscribe to the school of thought that says editors should always think twice before deleting every so-called unnecessary that, just, if, or so because Strunk and White’s ideas on The Elements of Style should not rule each editorial decision. Thus, the relationship I strive to create with authors is centered on a trusting partnership focused on shared goals. Meticulous attention to detail and clear intent is just part of what makes good writing stand apart. It is my intention as an editor to assist every writer I work with to ensure that their work stands firm, with fewer tears and more resiliency
