Editor Jen, age 4
Meet the Editor
As children, we’re often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Over the years, I considered a variety of occupations—geneticist, history teacher, child psychologist, social worker—but I think it’s obvious from this photo that I was destined for a career as an editor and writer.
Looking back, nearly every job I’ve had has led me
to a career in publishing. Although I didn’t start out
with my dream job as a book editor, I see now that even the early positions I had writing headlines and copy editing for the college newspaper and working as an administrative assistant for an insurance agency made me a better editor. My diverse employment background and my eclectic interests in history, sports, psychology, pop culture, music, math, and genealogy—just to name a few—have shaped who I am today, personally and professionally. As someone who continuously strives to learn new things, I love that my career allows me to do that. With each new project, I learn something new, and that’s one of my favorite parts of the job. The other is being part of a team that creates a tangible product that teaches readers something new or helps them escape their own lives and delve into the world of fictional characters. Sometimes, as with historical fiction novels—one of my favorite genres—my job allows me to do both.
Although I identify more as an editor than an author, I have had the opportunity to write a handful of books during my career. Being a huge fan of the band U2, the highlight of my career thus far as an author has been writing U2: Changing the World Through Rock ’n’ Roll, a children’s book for ages 8 and up. Prior to a concert in Chicago in 2015, I had the honor of giving a copy of the book to the Edge and having him sign a copy for me.
I was born and raised in the Midwest, in the shadow of Notre Dame.
In 2003 I moved to Chicago and spent the next 17 years there until I met my soul mate and moved in 2020. When I’m not working, I enjoy snuggling on the couch, watching TV or movies with my husband, Brad, and our fur-baby, Benny (the namesake of White Dog Editorial Services). We’re partial to documentaries, dramas, and true crime shows, but I also love DIY shows, game shows, and old sitcoms. Brad and I are both U2 superfans, so we see them several times on every tour. We also like to see other bands live. I love ’80s music, and I have no shame in admitting that I’m a Blockhead. (If you don’t know what that
is, you’re probably not one. If you do know what that is, until I left Chicagoland, Donnie was practically my neighbor. 😊)
​I love being outside in the summertime, swimming, biking, and doing yoga. I also enjoy figure skating, even though every winter I ask myself, “Why do I live in the Midwest?” Perhaps someday we’ll move to a warmer climate. This is starting to sound like an online dating profile, but I also enjoy playing board games, participating in pub trivia, and sometimes I even do algebra for fun. And even though I do it all day for my job, I also love to read. Biographies, memoirs, narrative nonfiction, historical fiction or nonfiction, true crime, and crime fiction are my favorite genres. If you’d like to read about My Editing Philosophy, just click the link.