Resume

Lauren Humphries-Brooks

Freelance Editor and Writer

EFA Profile: https://www.the-efa.org/memberinfo/lauren-humphriesbrooks-24361/

Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/lauren-humphries-brooks

EDUCATION

2011 MsC Creative Writing, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

2010 MA Cinema Studies, New York University, New York, NY

2008 BA English, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, UK

EXPERIENCE

Freelance Editor

Contract

October 2015–Present

Recent publications:

  • Corrections in Ink, Keri Blakinger, St. Martin’s Press. June 2022.
  • Rosebud, Paul Cornell, Tor.com. April 2022.
  • Saabrina: Firebird, Seth Cohen, Amazon. September 2021.
  • LGBTQ Lobbying in the United States, Christopher Pepin-Neff, Routledge. May 2021.
  • Oasis One, Daniel Weisbeck, Amazon. February 2021.
  • The Collectors, Greg Jolley, BHC Press. December 2020.
  • Last Stand in Lychford, Paul Cornell, Tor/Forge. November 2020.
  • Lionhearts, Nathan Makaryk, Tor/Forge. September 2020.
  • Last Girls, Demetra Brodsky, Tor/Forge. May 2020.
  • Second Best Thing: Marilyn, the President, and the After-Party That Never Happened, James L. Swanson, Amazon Original Stories. February 2020.
  • Scammed, Kristen Simmons, Tor/Forge. February 2020.
  • The Borgia Confessions, Alyssa Palombo, St. Martin’s Griffin. February 2020.
  • Hateland: A Long Hard Look at America’s Extremist Heart, Daryl Johnson, Prometheus Books. June 2019.
  • Sam Goudsmit and the Hunt for Hitler’s Atom Bomb, Martijn Van Calmthout (trans. Michiel Horn), Globe Pequot/Prometheus. November 2018.

*Comprehensive book list available upon request

Publishers:

St. Martin’s Press (http://us.macmillan.com/smp)

Tor/Forge (https://publishing.tor.com/)

Amazon Publishing (https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/)

Audible (https://www.audible.com/)

Intellect Books (https://www.intellectbooks.com/)

Erewhon Books (https://www.erewhonbooks.com/home)

Prometheus Books (http://www.prometheusbooks.com/)

Bella Books (http://www.bellabooks.com/)

Entangled Publishing (https://entangledpublishing.com/)

Editing Networks:

Reedsy (https://reedsy.com/lauren-humphries-brooks)

Blue Pen Editing (https://www.victoriagriffin.com/editing.html)

Book Editing Associates (as Lauren Brenzy) (https://www.book-editing.com/lauren-brenzy/)

Kirkus (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/)

Editing: Content and copy editing on fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, including novels, novellas, short stories, academic non-fiction, and journal articles. Work closely with established and first-time authors to improve structure, dialogue, grammar, and syntax in accordance with in-house style guides and genre writing conventions. Experience with literary fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery/crime, romance, LGBTQ+, academic manuscripts, and teaching guides.

Proofreading: Grammar, syntax, spelling/punctuation, and formatting for print and e-book publication. Experience with American and British spelling and grammar, and multiple style guides (CMoS, MLA, AP).

Writing: Suggest changes in manuscripts. Advise the author on additional dialogue, scenes, pacing, narrative structure, and characterizations. Work with authors in creating new scenes, rewriting, and revision.

Technical Skills:

  • Chicago Manual of Style
  • MLA Style Guide
  • AP Stylebook
  • APA Style
  • Harvard Referencing Guide
  • Microsoft Word: Track Changes
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Digital publishing

 

Freelance Writer

Contract

October 2011–Present

Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/lauren-humphries-brooks/

Bylines:

Citizen Dame (https://citizendamepod.com/)

Suddenly, A Shot Rang Out (https://suddenlyashotrangout.com/)

CC2K (http://www.cc2konline.com/)

We Got This Covered (http://wegotthiscovered.com/)

Writing: Write film, television, and Blu-ray reviews. Write featured articles and lists covering contemporary and classic films. Write editorials across a breadth of topics including contemporary media trends, the influence of classic films on current cinema, box office trends, and film festivals. Attend film festivals as part of the press corps, including Tribeca, Fantasia, and New York Film Festival.

Editing/Proofreading: Proofread and edit all articles and reviews prior to publication.

Social Media: Promote articles on social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram). Write social media posts on multiple platforms for business and medical clients.

Technical Skills

  • WordPress
  • Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
  • SEO keyword management
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Google Docs

Academic Writing Instructor (ESOL)

Hamilton College, Clinton, NY

September 2012–October 2015

Teaching: Taught academic and creative writing to international and multilingual students at Hamilton College’s ESOL Center. Provided one-on-one tutorials, grammar instruction for non-English speakers. Coached workshops on spoken English, grammar, syntax, and academic jargon for first year students in the ESOL program.

Academic Writing and Literacy: Guided students in proper use of APA and MLA citation styles. Edited and proofread academic papers, dissertations, creative writing assignments, grant applications, and cover letters.

Program Development: Co-wrote ESOL Handbook, a guide for ESOL students to navigate academic language, grammar, and thesis writing. Developed workshop guidelines, exercises, and schedules. Wrote student progress reports for each academic term. Bi-annual analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the current ESOL program, with suggestions for improvement.

Technical Skills:

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Google Docs

 

HEOP Writing Tutor (ESOL)

Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs NY

June 2012–August 2012

Teaching: Tutored incoming bilingual and multilingual students as part of the Higher Education Opportunities Program. HEOP is directed at students from low-income families in both America and abroad who graduated with honors from their secondary schools.

Academic Literacy: Prepared a class of ESOL students for Skidmore’s intellectually rigorous curriculum. Worked in refining students’ academic writing, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills in preparation.

Research Assistant, Special Projects

Hamilton College, Clinton NY

May 2010–September 2010

Research: Researched history of Hamilton College for the Hamilton College Bicentennial Project, a photographic and historical record of Hamilton College on display in the Emerson Art Gallery during the Fall of 2010.

Archiving: Coalesced photographic and archival material including letters, documents, and newspapers from Hamilton College faculty and alumni. Organized the display of information for the Emerson Art Gallery exhibition.

Samuel Kirkland Papers: Assisted in the composition of the Samuel Kirkland Letters project for the Hamilton College Library Archives. Collected, handled, and described personal and professional letters from Samuel Kirkland, one of the founders of Hamilton College.

This project can be accessed at: http://www.hamilton.edu/documents/IndexSamKirklandPapers.pdf

Technical Skills:

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • ALEX search database
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Content Management Systems (Archival databases)