Harvard Ph.D. in English

Critiquing, editing, problem solving

"Amazing breadth of knowledge & meticulous editor"

Budget services available

Former college professor

Former Psychotherapist

I work with many kinds of manuscripts.

Tell me the most important things about yours, including its word count

    Ask me about my services and fees, customized to fit your needs.

 

AN EDUCATED EDITOR

 
        My twenty-two years of formal education include graduating from Friends Seminary in New York City, getting a B.A. in English from Vassar College where I was elected to Phi Beta Kappa after my junior year, winning a Fulbright Fellowship that gave me a wonderful year at Oxford University; receiving my Ph.D. in English from Harvard University; and being granted an M.S.W. by The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

 

AN EXPERIENCED EDITOR, FAMILIAR WITH MANY AREAS OF LIFE

 
        I began my career as a professional editor informally in 1980. After more than ten years of teaching English at the University of Maryland and then ten years of doing psychotherapy, I was ready for formal training in editing. 

        Along the way I’ve graded papers for Harvard Business School students, had various articles published, been a Realtor Associate, drafted an Appellate Brief for a distinguished attorney, and tried (at different times) to sell furniture, jewelry, and cemetery property. I’ve played tennis, ridden in dressage competitions, and danced in amateur ballroom dance competitions. I mourn the decline of the Washington Redskins.

              I’ve been a professional freelance editor since 2001. Don’t worry if you think you’re a lousy writer and your manuscript is no good—-many great authors feel that way! I’ll be honest with you about your weaknesses and help you to find your strengths.

          I offer critiques, editing, brief evaluations, and problem solving of various kinds. E-mail me at www.bkeditor.com or phone me at 941-923-0066 (eastern time zone). Tell me about your manuscript, and we will talk about my fees for a full edit and critique or for other options                         

              

 

 BOOKS

 

Some of the authors whom I have recently helped and books I have helped edit:

• Dennis Webster, author of Daisy Daring (North Country Books, publisher’s best seller, 2006).
• A Country Lawyer, by Richard F. Proud (Duorp Press, 2007).
• A Cry in the Valley, by Evelyn Settles (Xlibris, 2008).
• The Wolfquest Saga: Blood of the Wolf, by Nuel Douglas Windrow (Authorhouse, 2008).
• Murder Voodoo Hypnosis and the Jag, by Robert E. Jagger (Authorhouse, 2008).
• The Mortgage Meltdown, by Stan Kazwell Jr. (Business Management Institute, 2008).
  
• The Enlightened Pharisee, by Donald Keenan (Pleasant Word, 2009).
  

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

"Amazing breadth of knowledge & meticulous editor'

“Dr. Blair Kenney, thank you so much. I learned more from your edit than I could have imagined. It was a terrific experience. I did not know what to expect, but you let me be me, only better! Your notes helped me get focused, and my writing is both tighter and better. I was impressed with how you called me after my initial email contact. The personal touch makes all the difference. Thank you for accommodating my abbreviated schedule, and I look forward to working on the next project with you. I am entirely pleased with our relationship and proud to say that you are my editor.”
Stan Kazwell Jr., Port Charlotte, FL.

“One thing I am sure of is that your work will pay me big dividends. I marvel at the critique. It is a veritable writer’s handbook, but written specifically for me. I’m amazed at how unbelievably thorough your editing job is.”
D. K., Philadelphia, PA

“You really put a lot of work into correcting my short story. I have read your fifteen pages of ‘critiquing’ twice and the corrections in my book over and over. Your suggestions are great.”
C. B., California

“Blair Kenney’s critique of my book focused on my writing strengths and weaknesses 100%. Her instruction and guidance proved invaluable. She was more than a hired gun--she was a mentor.”
D. W., Clinton, NY

“Blair, thanks much for your honest statement re your lack of a good ‘fit’ for this project--a sign of a true professional.”
J. B., New Jersey

Recommended by editor Paul Thayer

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

 

Blair Kenney, Editor

P.O. Box 21328

Sarasota, FL 34276

bkeditor@aol.com