"Have you ever thought about being an editor? You're a natural."

Those words were spoken by my editor at Macmillan Publishing in the early 2000s when I was writing one of my own books—a career guide for the bestselling Unofficial Guides series. My response? “I would love to, but I’m too entrenched in my life as a career counselor.”

But I figured out a way to make it happen. And so, that editor’s pivotal question kicked off nearly twenty years of off-and-on moonlighting as a freelance book editor and ghostwriter for major publishers and self-publishing authors.

I did this outside of my primary "day job" as an internationally recognized career counselor/coach for universities, a global consulting firm, and private practice.

Then in May 2024, I decided to coach myself and be honest about how I really wanted to be spending my time. I wanted to write and edit. And that is now my primary focus.

Subject Matter Agility

I’ve served as book planner, developmental editor, copy editor, or ghostwriter for books on …

antiques — apparel & retail — AI — beauty products — burn-out — business — career change — climate change — college affordability — cover letters & resumes — dog breeds — entrepreneurship — getting government contracts — global infrastructure crisis— graduate school admissions — job search — leadership — networking — past life experiences — pianos

And, having written and edited thousands of resumes as a career coach, I've been exposed to terminology, acronyms, processes, and norms in nearly every industry and occupation in this world, from tech and finance, to social work and sciences, to environmental studies and anthropology, to law and medicine, and much, much more.

Highlights of my credentials

  • Author of nine non-fiction books through major publishers, including Simon & Schuster, The Princeton Review, Wiley, Penguin, and Macmillan.

  • As the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Overcoming Procrastination, you can count on me to finish what I start and make your deadlines (and to coach you when writer’s block strikes).

  • Active freelancer as a ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book planner with Advantage Media, which includes Forbes Books, SXSW Books, and Entrepreneur Books.

  • BA in psychology and sociology from Wellesley College and PhD in counseling psychology from UCLA with a concentration in organizational behavior through UCLA's business school.

  • Certificate in creative writing from Emory University (a robust seven-course program that took 18 months). Included a deep dive into the art of narrative (applicable to non-fiction), memoir, poetry, and the business of publishing.

  • 30+ years of experience as an award-winning career counselor/coach, including extensive writing and editing of scholarly and practical articles. Held leadership and faculty roles with Georgia Tech and was a vice president with global consulting firm Right Management.