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Reviser Editorial

Jay Fernandez

  • WHAT EXACTLY IS EDITING?
  • WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?
  • WHO AM I?
    • Bio
    • Awards
    • Publications
  • WHAT DO I COST?
  • Clips
    • Commentary
    • Q&As
  • Testimonials
  • WRITING SHOTGUN
  • Contact

WHAT EXACTLY IS EDITING?

I’m glad you asked.

The mission of any good editor is simple: to help make a writer’s work more persuasive, more entertaining, more comprehensive, more memorable, and more impactful. Even the most talented writers benefit from a critical eye with no stake in the process other than wanting to help the author improve her work and make it as strong as possible. I will read for clarity, structure, transitions, style, language, voice, detail, depth, and humor (if the piece is meant to be funny — and even if it’s not, actually).

This often involves a talent for ventriloquism whereby the editor sinks into the work enough to understand the writer’s voice and style, then strives to amplify its strengths and bolster its weaker aspects — basically, the editor pushes the piece closer to what it wants to be (which isn’t always immediately clear to the writer).

I’m a writer, too, and I’ve worked with many editors over the years. Some had a better bedside manner than others, but all had the same goal: to make my pieces clearer and more persuasive to the reader, who is ultimately the one we’re all trying to please. In my writing, I have made a point to be as versatile as possible — You want a Q&A? Yep. Cover feature? Sure thing. A ghostwritten column? Hit me. An opinion piece? On it. A crossword puzzle? Why not? — and I bring the same approach to my editing work. Whatever it is, show me what you’re trying to do and I’ll help you do it.

I’m full-service, which means I will tackle copyediting corrections (punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc.) along the way — I’m a tad OCD, which can occasionally be irritating, so I may as well monetize it.

I work in Microsoft Word using the Track Changes feature, which allows the writer to see every comment and correction I suggest. She is then free to accept or reject (or discuss with me further) every potential change in the piece.

The bottom line: Everything can be improved, and the process can be a tremendously satisfying collaboration if approached in the right positive spirit by everyone involved. So, let’s get to it…

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WHO AM I?

(Bona Fides)

My name is Jay A. Fernandez, and I’ve been a writer, reporter, and editor, both on-staff and freelance, for more than 20 years at a number of top-tier publications in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. From The Washington Post and Premiere to the Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter, I have fashioned a multi-faceted career as a reliable, thorough, imaginative, versatile content craftsman. As an editor, I can improve most any kind of writing — and do it on a deadline. I simply love language, from the profane to the poetic.

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