About Kathy Davie and KD Did It

Photograph of Kathy Davie

Hi, I’m Kathy Davie and, yep, KD Did It is all about books — the editing, writing, and reading of them.

A majority of the work I do involves editing whether it’s novels, web pages, manuals, instructions, or forms.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Writing & Editing with minors in History and Digital Media and a lifetime of reading and editing experience. I love to read, but can’t seem to help noting those blips and typos, the continuity issues and plot holes…to the detriment of authors who haven’t paid attention.

Kathy Davie as an Editor

As an editor, I want your story to be the best it can be, which means readers (and I) will be so much happier to read it and spread the word!

I know most writers are on a budget and KD Did It wants it both ways…I ain’t gonna lie. I want you to hire me as your editor and use my services. I also want to help you self-edit your work. It will save you money and make my job easier *grin*.

Return to top

DIY Editing

KD Did It promotes the easy way through a variety of posts on:

Return to top

Professional Editing

I have a wide range of experience in a variety of media and an excellent command of English. I am comfortable with paper editing with my greatest strength in copyediting as well as the obsessive care needed for proofreading, editing computer files, or editing the HTML or CSS code on a website.

In fiction, I have an excellent background in a broad timeline around the Regency period in England as well as a minor in History which focused on the Medieval and Renaissance with a passion for how people lived, loved, and battled. Having been an artist for decades, I am very comfortable with art and its history while my decades of interest in sewing in all areas as well as my experience in carpentry, welding, and electrical has increased my awareness of those fields. Several decades of exposure to the mining field, particularly in metallurgical extraction, has impressed more than one mining engineer.

The editing work available from KD Did It encompasses three different task weights: proofing, copyediting, and developmental editing. The difference between the three involves degree and depth (click the links for more concrete examples):

  • Proofreading is the lightest weight and is concerned with the final text: examining it for formatting, grammar and typographical errors (typos), and a last chance to catch consistency errors. Read on for more depth on proofreading or to view a sample.
  • Copyediting encompasses checking for spelling and grammatical errors, examining for proper word use, eliminating the use of passive voice, repairing inconsistencies, and may also include notations about text flow. It does not include rewriting paragraphs or moving paragraphs or sections of text. Read on for more depth on copyediting or to view a sample.
  • Line-editing is part of my developmental editing with a concentration on each sentence. Read on for more depth on line-editing or to view a sample
  • Developmental editing is the heavyweight and may involve more substantial changes such as eliminating passive voice, ensuring a clear flow of ideas (including layout usability), rewriting sections of text without changing the author's voice, eliminating excessive wordiness, and reorganizing the document. Read on for more depth on developmental editing or to view a sample.

Information on what any of this may cost can be found on the Fees page.

Return to top

…as a Reader and Reviewer

As a reader, I write book reviews — it helps justify my addiction to books! It also provides an opportunity in the review to point out “real-life” issues in the storytelling.

  • Greater understanding for the reader and the writer
  • Saving the reader money
  • Encouraging people to read

Return to top

Upcoming Publications

The “Upcoming Publications” is also a bi-monthly report and is a record of new book releases (but only of authors I’ve already read) that are either being released that month or a bit of news has been released about a future publication date. I started tracking when new releases were coming out for myself — heck, I didn’t want to miss out on a favorite author! And it seemed silly to keep the information to myself.

Return to top

…as a Writer

I am the author of four nonfiction books (so far) in the Your Portfolio and You series for small business and which are specifically aimed at artists — a nod to my past life as a fiber artist.

Return to top

Hire a pro!
KD Did It will work with you.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.