174: On Being a Copyeditor with Melissa Haskin

Molly and Kristin invite our very first copy editor to the show, Melissa Haskin. Melissa talks about getting started in the editing profession, her love of food writing and how her experience working with magazines like Cooking Light informs her work now. The hosts share some of their personal experiences and thoughts about copy editing and Melissa shares her own process and approach— the tiny details she looks for, the red flags she knows to avoid and the programs she uses to work. She discusses what it takes to be a good editor, what she's learned running her own freelance business and the projects she does, and does not, take on. Finally she tells us her favorite parts of the job and what led her to create an entire course on recipe editing.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Melissa Haskin

• Website
• Recipe Editing 101, 6-week course

 

Reedsy

PerfectIt

Susan McWilliams

 

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Single Thread, by Kyle and Katina Connaughton

 

Go to our Substack to find two downloads from Melissa: 1) A recipe editing reading list and 2) A self-editing checklist for cookbook authors.

POSTSCRIPT: During our interview, Melissa mispoke and cited a Susan Williams as her mentor at Cooking Light. It was Susan McWilliams. Melissa also misheard Kristin’s question about professional editor groups. She is part of many such groups, but none that specialize in cookbooks. In characteristic copyeditor fashion, Melissa sent us these corrections immediately upon hearing the episode.