About Me

Short bio

Hi! I’m Amanda, a part-time Canadian book blogger, part-time student, and full-time freelance editor and proofreader. I’m still relatively new to blogging, but I’ve been writing creatively for over eight years, and I’ve worked as a proofreader for the last five years. Feel free to ask me anything about my craft or profession!

If you’d like to know a little bit more about me…

I was just shy of my thirteenth birthday when I decided I wanted to work in publishing. I’m in my twenties now, and I’ve never looked back on that decision–I’ve spent the last 10 years studying the world of publishing, and I worked towards my goal throughout both my high school and university years (I graduated with a degree in English literature and Classical history; my post-grad work has been centered specifically on publishing). My employment history includes work with both The Walrus Magazine in Toronto and The Absynthe Magazine in Peterborough, as well as some corporate work with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (the AGCO). Through this experience, I have honed both my proofreading and editing skills for fiction, non-fiction, and corporate work.

Outside of academics, I’ve been writing novels since I was 13. I’ve finished five full-length novels, and probably one hundred partial manuscripts, but I’m still holding out for the one I love enough to pursue publication (I did query some of my earlier work from when I was a teen, but I was thankfully rejected). Because my favourite genre to read and write has always been fantasy, it would be fair to expect that bias in my reviews; nevertheless, I’m always excited to read something with strong writing, great characters, and a premise that thrills me, so I hope to have a good mix of reviews posted on this blog.

If you’d like to request a review of your published work, please check out my “Review Policies” page for more information.

If, by chance, you’re looking for a proofreader or an editor for your work, please don’t hesitate to get in contact (bookrecsandpaperweights@gmail.com). I admit I’m just in the infancy stages of setting up my professional freelancing website, but I’m still always open to new clients and I offer a free 3-page critique of manuscripts to all new and interested parties.