What I’ve Done

My clients have included authors of fiction and nonfiction (Neal Stephenson, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Justine Larbalestier, Matt Ruff, Linda Stone, Richard Bitner), publishers (HarperCollins, Hill House), magazines (Pacific Standard, The Magazine), businesses (Bauman Rare Books), and nonprofit organizations and foundations (The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).

Please note that some of my clients can’t be named or projects described due to nondisclosure agreements or confidentiality requests.

Here are examples of some of the services I’ve performed for clients:

  • I’ve researched 1920s New York City for YA author Libba Bray for her supernatural historical novel The Diviners and the forthcoming books in the series since 2011.
  • I fact-checked reported features, articles, book reviews, and essays for Miller-McCune’s Pacific Standard magazine from August 2012 to July 2016.
  • For Bauman Rare Books, I do extensive bibliographical and historical research on rare books in many different subjects and periods, write rare book descriptions and blog posts, manage the company’s Twitter account, and evaluate collections.
  • I performed a variety of research, fact-checking, and content development services for The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Visitor Center.
  • I researched Victorian London for YA author Cassandra Clare for her novel Clockwork Angel (the first book in her historical fantasy series The Infernal Devices) and a new historical project.
  • I performed public domain research for an assessment program for an educational publisher.
  • I’ve written and edited a wide range of content for print and the web for clients, including website text, advertising copy, business documents and publications, training materials, user manuals, exhibition materials, press releases, e-mail newsletters, catalogue copy, and blog posts.
  • I’ve consulted on social media and on the development and redesign of websites, publications, and marketing materials.
  • For Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle novels, I searched for 17th-century illustrations, maps, and paintings which were used as cover art or reproduced in the books, and I obtained official permissions from multiple sources to use the materials for publication. I compiled a list of the countries, cities, and landmarks mentioned in the text and found a cartographer to create a series of original, customized, and historically accurate maps in period style for publication in the novels.
  • I created the family trees of the 17th-century European royal families for Quicksilver, the first novel in Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle.
  • As part of the promotional campaign for Quicksilver, I translated/encrypted messages into John Wilkins’ 17th-century “Real Character” symbolic language. Todd Garrison’s essay “Cracking the Code” describes how he finally solved the cryptographic puzzle I created for the original Baroque Cycle website.
  • I researched 1930s New York City for YA author Justine Larbalestier for a novel in progress.
  • I coached Richard Bitner through the process of rewriting his first book and I edited his nonfiction manuscript. His self-published book was bought by a New York publisher and released in July 2008 under the title Confessions of a Subprime Lender. Bitner and his book have received major media attention, most notably an appearance on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show.
  • I researched funding opportunities and wrote grant applications, templates, supporting documentation, and website text for nonprofit organizations.
  • I created a timeline to highlight and connect significant events in modern history, business, and culture with information I compiled from numerous sources.