Teaching and Editing
Wordsmithing is often a solo act, but I love working with people too and helping them through writing, on an editorial group project, with an individual looking for direction in their story or book, and even in a formal teaching context where I'm designing lessons, reviewing student work, and offering feedback for revision.
Teaching
I've been teaching writing to college students and graduate students since 2008. I also taught English to elementary-age kids for a summer in Shanghai. Together with my colleague at the Univ. of Pittsburgh, we periodically offer free grant writing workshops for Hill District neighborhood residents of Pittsburgh. Check this site if this applies to you and you'd like to sign up. I occasionally offer creative writing workshops in churches and adoption/foster teen support group settings. Here's some reflections on my teaching in the words of others:
Univ. of Pittsburgh Student, online Grant Writing course
The class was super well organized and clearly structured. I always knew what we were going to learn next, and what was expected of me, so I was able to plan accordingly. The course–length writing project (grant proposal) looked overwhelming at first, but before I knew it, I'd written a third of it. Professor Ferda was flexible with nontraditional students' work schedules [and] seemed to care a great deal. On top of teaching me to write grants, this class convinced me that, with an organized and passionate teacher, an asynchronous, online class could be just as engaging and effective as any other class. I learned a ton!
Writing Center, Univ. of Pittsburgh, individual tutoring
Liberty was extremely nice, easy to speak to, and offered helpful criticisms. Thank you, Libby! You have been instrumental in helping me prepare for grad school.
Doctoral Student, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Narrative Journalism class
This course was the most balanced graduate level course I have ever had. Professor Ferda is a master of filling up each student with as much understanding, reading, work as he or she can handle. She inspires one to want to be the best writer he or she can be, with her deep insight and her timely encouragement. I am just amazed at how much I learned in this class!
Editing
I've managed freelancers and editors as a project manager at McGraw-Hill (SRA Number Worlds) and as an editor at Pitt Magazine. It's all about organization, details, collaboration, and giving each sentence your best!
Consulting: I have been a consultant for book proofreading, magazine page proof live/dead checking and proofreading, dissertation reviews, and grant applications. I'm happy to consider small projects like these depending on availability.
Here's what some others have to say about my work (these reviews originally appeared on LinkedIn):
Cara Masset, former Pitt News and Pitt Magazine Editor/Writer
Liberty is a professional, passionate writer who writes quality stories on deadline. She's also a great proofreader, with knowledge of several style guides. I'd highly recommend her for any editorial position.
Jessica Vaughan, Longbourn Editorial, Owner
Liberty and I were colleagues at SRA/McGraw-Hill, where we were both production editors, and I am delighted to be working with her again through Zaner-Bloser. [...] Her eagerness to learn new workflow, her smart queries, and her attention to detail make her one of my most valued team members. In addition, I have called on Liberty for other smaller projects - she is always quick to respond to my requests, able to meet demanding deadlines, and consistently produces high quality work. I feel very fortunate to have her as one of my go-to freelance proofreaders!