Copy Editing

As a copy editor, my specialty is not as a development editor, so the overall structure is up to you for the most part. I do let you know how your piece flows and correct all the tiny but important details that make your writing shine.

Formats Include:

  • Books
  • Academic research papers
  • White papers
  • Articles
  • Newsletters
  • Blog posts
  • Website content
  • Cover letters
  • Résumés
  • Scripts/screenplays

Specialties:

  • Word and phrase usage
  • Punctuation
  • Grammar
  • Spelling
  • Consistency
  • Bibliographies (formatting and reference checking)
  • Document formatting
  • Research and fact checking

Technical Information:

I edit using track changes and commenting in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. I also tell you why I made the change (if it’s not obvious) to help improve your writing.

Speed: For double-spaced pages requiring basic copy editing I average four to six pages per hour. The more involved the piece and the rougher the draft, the more time it will take. I pride myself on being speedy yet thorough and detailed and can provide a quick turnaround if needed.

I give each piece two full editorial passes before returning it to you and am willing to assist with other aspects of your work as needed.

Copy Editing Acknowledgements in Published Books

Bleeding Talent - How the US Military Mismanages Great Leaders and Why It's Time for a Revolution by Tim Kane

Bleeding Talent: How the US Military Mismanages Great Leaders and Why it’s Time for a Revolution by Tim Kane

My friend Mindee Forman was just amazing as an editor who made the manuscript so much stronger than the rough text I sent her way for an amazingly fast rewrite.

The Great Brain Race - How Global Universities are Reshaping the World by Ben Wildavsky

The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities are Reshaping the World by Ben Wildavsky

Mindee Forman helped get the book to the finish line. In the final months of the project, she performed last-minute research, checked and double-checked facts and endnotes on a deadline, read the entire manuscript, and offered useful editorial suggestions—all with the good cheer, efficiency, and tech-savvy for which she is well known at the [Kauffman] foundation.

Edited Works by Category

Copy Editing Testimonials

Kate Maxwell

I worked with Mindee at the Kauffman Foundation and she has helped me to edit and work on several pieces of writing. She is attentive to detail, conscientious, and very competent. She was able to turn around quite a bit of work on a short deadline and her edits and remarks greatly improved the papers.

Kate Maxwell
Tim Kane

I asked Mindee to help me edit a non-fiction book after working with her as a colleague. She did a brilliant job. As an editor, she can scale to your needs — from organizational advice to simple grammar, and she is amazingly good at all of it. Super fast work, and extremely responsive. She rates above perfect (11 out of 10)!

Tim Kane
Steve Lewis

Mindee is a very creative and highly proficient communications professional. She is also very detail oriented and very well organized. Her command of communications in the digital world is complemented by her ability to grasp readily overall strategy as well as produce and publish media to improve communications outcomes. I have been a repeat client of Mindee’s for multiple projects and look forward to continued business with her.

Steven E. Lewis
Madhavi Gupta

Mindee Forman has been a treasure find for our business, Best Nest Wellness. Besides being a pleasure to work with, she is thorough, on-point, and on time. I first contacted her for editing work that we needed to be done, you know, like “yesterday.” Hiring her pushed us to put out content that was previously sitting and doing nothing for us or our business.

Mindee also set up and handled our Social Media presence – I never had to think about it. She posted great quality content on our channels, and this helped establish our base for growth. Whenever I had a question, she was available to answer them based on her vast experience. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone.

Madhavi Gupta
Carlos Acevedo

I worked with Mindee Forman in the creation of my first eBook. Not only did Mindee edit my drafts thoroughly, she also went the extra mile by helping me with some of the more technical issues of formatting an eBook (HTML). With Mindee’s help, I was able to focus more on the content of my work without being distracted by the time consuming aspects of publishing. Mindee’s final edit came to me with instructions that I used to upload my book to Kindle Direct Publishing and I was able to do so the same day. I highly recommend Mindee for all editing needs. Her eye lends objective quality to any project. I know she did for mine.

Carlos Acevedo

Mindee and I crossed paths several times via the University of Kansas in the past several years. I’ve always been impressed with her personally and professionally. We were graduate students in the Integrated Marketing Communications program a few years ago. She was great to have in class as a peer — collaborative, strategic, and well-rounded in her background.

A few years later, I contracted Mindee as a freelancer to manage, research and write/edit several KU Edwards Campus projects. One of these included a year-long series of KU-sponsored columns in the Kansas City Business Journal. This involved interacting with faculty and administrators, all of whom thoroughly enjoyed working with Mindee and would comment on her professionalism, attention to detail, and quality of work.

It is key to note that all this work was done via email as Mindee was living outside of the U.S. at the time. One would have never known given her punctuality and responsiveness. I highly recommend Mindee as a lead contributor to any project and personally look forward to working with her again.

Monica Delaorra
Ben Wildavsky

Mindee is a terrific copy editor, researcher, and presentation designer – I wouldn’t hesitate to use her again. As I was preparing to submit my nonfiction book, she thoroughly and efficiently reviewed the manuscript for grammatical errors and typos, quickly dug up stray facts, and cheerfully tended to unglamorous but vital tasks such as ensuring that footnotes were formatted correctly. Later, she prepared high-impact PowerPoint presentations that I used in dozens of presentations around the world. She’s a quick study, turns projects around speedily, is extremely tech-savvy, and is a pleasure to work with.

Ben Wildavsky
Munro Richardson

Mindee is very sharp and multi-talented. Mindee gave me my very first crash course in social media, walking me through the nuances of using Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest to establish a presence and build a brand for a product I was launching. She helped me develop a social media playbook that was extremely practical and useful. Mindee’s also a very talented writer and editor. She’s a joy to work with.

Munro Richardson

Mindee is extraordinarily good as a copy editor. From catching details that everyone else missed to a knowledge of content, factual analysis, and finding ways to enhance the topic, Mindee is top notch. I can’t recommend her enough.

Matt Yang King

Mindee worked on several copyediting projects for my company, including two that required a quick turnaround. She took a thorough and thoughtful approach to editing while still completing the work very efficiently. I could tell that she had taken time to familiarize herself with the rules in our writing style manual. I also appreciated Mindee’s enthusiasm, professionalism, and flexibility. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire her for future projects.

Karen Montemayor