Bio of author and freelance professional book editor
| Patricia Anderson, PhD, is an author, editor, and literary consultant. Based near Vancouver, Canada, she provides manuscript assessment and book editing for an international clientele of emerging and mid-career authors who are conventionally published and self-published. |
Author of books, articles, essays, and reviews
My scholarly background takes in English literature (BEd), fine arts (MA),
and cultural history and publishing studies (PhD). As both a scholar and commercial author, I have written and published books, magazine and journal articles, anthology contributions, and book reviews. My books include Passion Lost (Toronto: Thomas Allen Books of Merit), When Passion Reigned (New York: HarperCollins/Basic), The Printed Image and the Transformation of Popular Culture (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press) and, as author/editor, a two-volume history, British Literary Publishing Houses, in the Dictionary of Literary Biography series (vols. 106 and 112, with Jonathan Rose; London and Detroit: Gale Group).
My books have been represented by literary agents in New York and London and have attracted reviews in such publications as the New York Review of Books, Publishers Weekly, A.L.A. Booklist, Library Journal, National Post, San Francisco Review, Times Literary Supplement, and special-interest journals. My work has also been featured on CTV's Canada AM, CBC TV's Broadcast One Bookmark, BRAVO's Book TV, in the book and lifestyle sections of several newspapers, and on various American and Canadian radio shows.
Reviews of Patricia Anderson's books
Professional editor
Prior to starting my current freelance editing and literary consulting business, Helping You Get Published, I served as assistant editor for a scholarly journal in London, England, and edited on contract for Canadian and American publishers.
In 1999 I went online as a freelance book editor, with the aim of helping authors navigate the ups and downs of the publishing industry. Whether I'm editing a lengthy book manuscript, short ebook, press release, or book blurb, I never waver from my primary concern to preserve and enhance each author's voice, and to bring out the best in every manuscript, proof, and document. Over the years of providing Helping You Get Published editorial services, I have edited and proofread manuscripts and books; evaluated all kinds of fiction and nonfiction; and written book proposals, queries, and book marketing materials for hundreds of clients—most of whom are now published authors, through both traditional publication and new self-publishing opportunities.
Writing and publishing instructor and workshop presenter
I have taught the business and history of the book trade in the Writing and Publishing and Master of Publishing programs at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver, Canada. Additionally, for ten years, I provided a workshop series for Vancouver School Board Continuing Education and West Vancouver Cultural Services. Topics covered include secrets of getting published in the conventional book trade, tips on self-publishing, how to write effective queries and book proposals, and techniques for writing publishable memoirs and novels.
Professional credentials; writing & editing memberships
My work as a scholar, author, and editor has been documented in International Who's Who of Authors and Writers, Killam Scholars Who's Who, and The Writers Directory (formerly Contemporary Authors). For several years I served on the advisory board of the Federation of BC Writers magazine WordWorks and on the editorial board of the international journal Media History. I remain a longtime voting member of leading professional writing and editing associations:
- Authors Guild (US)
- Editors' Association of Canada
- The Writers' Union of Canada
Ongoing work and commitment
Eventually to be an ebook, a blog series for emerging and re-emerging book authors, "The ABCs of Book Writing," is available in part at HelpingYouGetPublished.blogspot.ca. Link to it from my social media page. I am also currently working on a series of ebooks that will bring together my experience as a book author, professional editor, and literary consultant.
As always, I remain committed to my editorial work at Helping You Get Published and to doing whatever I can to assist authors.
Helping You Get Published update
While Helping You Get Published still offers editorial services, it is also now a gathering point for the book trade experience and information that I've accumulated over the years. Find out more at the Helping You Get Published home page . . .