Areas of Expertise
“I wish to acknowledge the expertise of my editor, Ms. Catherine Viel, who has worked carefully and unstintingly on this manuscript.” —Bernard W. Bail, MD, author of Irmgard’s
Flute and other titles
- Writing
- Developmental Editing / Rewriting
- Substantive / Content / Line Editing
- Copyediting
- Business & Marketing Writing / Editing
- Technical Writing / Editing
Portfolio
- Nonfiction Books
- Novels (genre / mainstream)
- Articles / Short Fiction
- Newsletters / Brochures
- Marketing / Ad Copy
- Manuals / Workbooks
Career Background / Experience
“My heartfelt gratitude goes to my editor, Catherine Viel. . . . Catherine’s encouragement, patience, and expertise helped bring more life to my words in a nonintrusive, gentle way. You are a joy to work with.” —Susan
Smith Jones, PhD, author of Be Healthy~Stay Balanced and other titles
2001–present
Writer and Editor, WriteCat Communications, Santa Barbara, California
Professional writer and editor with over twenty years’ experience.
Thorough, accurate, alert; respectful of client deadlines. Expert electronic
and hard copy editing; adept with style sheets and publishers’ guidelines.
Consummate command of style and reference resources (Chicago 15 et al.).
Copyediting certificate from University of California, San Diego.
- Writing. Published writer (including Spectrum and Artisan literary magazines). Writer/participant in many writers’ groups,
conferences, classes. Extensive client-directed writing experience.
- Developmental editing. Analyze manuscript; determine areas
for comprehensive improvement. In collaboration with author, reorganize
and/or rewrite text; restructure, expand, or reduce overall content
to promote a logical, cohesive, compelling work. Ensure documentation/references
are apt and complete.
- Copyediting (substantive / content / line editing). Provide
in-depth editing of manuscript content. Ensure that syntax, grammar,
punctuation, spelling, and usage conform to applicable style manuals
and publishers’ guidelines.
Provide sensitive, intelligent, and valuable feedback. Work closely
with author to ensure polished final manuscript.
1998–2001
Technical Writer, Pacific Capital Bancorp, Santa Barbara, California
- Created and copyedited comprehensive policies and operational procedures
used by personnel at forty bank branches throughout California.
- Analyzed, copyedited, and proofread policies, memoranda, correspondence,
and other material created by management and staff.
“Catherine: I truly appreciate your skilled editing, patience, experience and dedication to our book. Your knowledge, guidance and ‘light touch’ in this editing process brought out the best in me as a writer.” —Jean
Kubelun, PhD, coauthor of Life as a Mother-in-Law
1996–1998
Technical Writer, Medtronic PS Medical, Santa Barbara, California
- Wrote text and designed layout for complex documentation accompanying
a variety of manufactured medical devices, working in conjunction with
internal and external compliance, regulatory, engineering, and marketing
personnel.
- Managed documentation approval processes and multilingual translations
of Instructions for Use and product labels.
- Ensured that properly formatted, consistently error-free electronic
and graphic files of Instructions for Use, product labels, and other
marketing materials were provided to outside printer vendors.
1994–1996
Freelance Writer and Editor
1991–1994
Corporate Communications, La Cumbre Savings Bank, Santa Barbara, California
- Produced sales literature, product brochures, newsletters, print
ads, press releases, and other online and printed material.
- Wrote standard operating procedures for payroll processing and implementation
of federal and state banking regulations.
- Analyzed complex regulatory and corporate data prior to bank merger,
consolidating information from multiple sources and creating positive
promotional material explaining the merger to bank customers.
Computer Skills
“Without Catherine's skillful, sensitive, supportive guidance throughout the editing process of our book, we would not have rated 5 stars on Amazon.com; 3 maybe. She nudged, encouraged, and stretched us as writers well beyond our own expectations...and with such a gentle hand. She is a marvel.” —Olivia
Slaughter, PhD, coauthor of Life as a Mother-in-Law
- PC and Mac proficient
- High-speed cable Internet connection
Areas of expertise include:
- Microsoft Word
- Track Changes onscreen editing
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
Education / Certification
- Copyediting certificate, UC San Diego, 2008
- Bachelor of Arts, Literature, College of Creative Studies, UC Santa
Barbara, 1979
Languages
- Spanish and French coursework
- Extensive experience with layout and proofreading of non-English
text, including Central European languages, Greek, and Japanese
- Demonstrated competency with translation and localization processes
Professional Affiliations
- Society for Technical Communication, Senior Member
- Editorial Freelancers Association
- Small Publishers Association of North America
Download a pdf of this résumé here
2001-2008, Catherine Viel, WriteCat Communications, Santa
Barbara, CA, writecat@cox.net
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