Book Publishing Freelancers from Diverse Communities Database

I am a recent English graduate with publishing, digital production, copy editing, and graphic design experience and education. In my academic career, I have published my own scholarly research to several university exhibits. My focus is on race and cultural studies (particularly Black communities), gender, diversity in storytelling, and representation in Canadian publishing. As a former graphic designer for various student-led publications and currently learning HTML coding for ebook development at TMU, I also have a nuanced understanding of illustration, typesetting, digital publishing, and visual formatting. This blend of all my technical skills and passions greatly benefit all aspects of my literary and creative work.

Email: e1abraham@torontomu.ca

Terrence Abrahams is an editor, poet, and Libra. He holds a MA in contemporary literature from Toronto Metropolitan University and a BA in literature, philosophy and book & media studies from the University of Toronto. His editorial work focuses on poetry, literary fiction, speculative fiction, and creative nonfiction. He is particularly interested in poetry and poetic writing, work featuring transgender and/or queer characters or themes, and creative essays.

Contact form.

I have over a decade of experience in the publishing and marketing space. I was an editor for the For Dummies books with John Wiley and Sons, and now work freelance as an editor on non-fiction trade titles in the business and personal finance space. I also write marketing campaigns and provide content strategy.

Email: words@anamahmed.ca

Allison Alexander is a writer, editor, artist, gamer, and chronic illness wizard. She has an English BA from Canadian Mennonite University and a certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University. She’s worked on magazines, newspapers, and nonprofits in graphic design and editorial capacities, and she is the former editorial director at sci-fi/fantasy publisher Mythos & Ink.

With 10 years of experience, Allison specializes in developmental and stylistic editing, with an eye for pacing, showing vs. telling, worldbuilding, and making manuscripts enjoyable to read. No one wants to be taken out of a story because of a confusing sentence! She edits sci-fi, fantasy, nerdy nonfiction, and graphic novels. She also draws maps and formats books.

Email: hello@aealexander.com

I am a Graphic Designer, have worked with a small book publishing company on and off for 5 years, Created my own Graphic Novel and have 6 book layouts under my belt. I’m creative and an artist in both digital and analog worlds.

Email: amber@redsummitdesigns.com

Briana is a Toronto-based writer, editor, & creative from Halifax, Nova Scotia with a decade of publishing experience. As Managing Editor of S/ Magazine, she oversaw the publication of 9 issues, each reaching a readership of over 700,000, excelling in substantive & copy editing, creative direction for photo shoots, editorial direction for issues, celebrity interviews, and editorial features. Most recently, she worked as the lead copywriter for internationally-recognized jewelry brand Dean Davidson.

Briana is passionate about self-expression through storytelling, amplifying diverse voices in media, and the healing catharsis that comes from literary arts. She specializes in writing and editing works of short fiction, zines, children’s literature, and poetry, particularly lyric and free verse. Her work has been published in Pinhole Poetry, and her mentors include award-winning poet & author Cassidy McFadzean. She is a Canada Council for the Arts grant recipient.

In addition to her publishing work, she is also a founding member of the collective, PUCKER UP!, in which she organizes vibrant queer events on a bi-monthly basis in Toronto. The collective facilitates freedom and queer joy on the dance floor.

She is well-versed in Adobe InCopy and InDesign, with experience designing book & magazine layouts and more.

Email: briana.armson@gmail.com

Proofreader, copy editor, developmental editor and copy writer. I’ve been a proofreader for many years and a copy editor for the past few years. I’ve recently been a developmental editor for novels, mainly in the romance genre. Currently, I’m open to providing my services online to the following genres: romance, short stories, poetry, children’s and all non-fiction.

You can learn more about my budget-friendly editing services and rates at empoweredediting.com.

Also, as thanks for reading my profile, contact me at maria@empoweredediting.com for free sample requests—just mention reading my profile here at ACP!

“Maria is so great to work with! She really captures my intention for the book and helps me mold my stories into what I want them to be. She provides great feedback, both positive and constructive, to really make my books better. I always feel like I have a partner in the novel-making process having her on my team. She’s so creative and fantastic at helping me add interesting details that really help enrich the immersion of the story! I always look forward to working with Maria!” – Kennedy Thomas, Author of The Viking King’s Love

Email: maria@empoweredediting.com

Experienced Translator with a demonstrated history of working in the human resources industry. Skilled in Coaching, Translation, Lecturing, Instructional Design, and Organizational Development. Strong media and communication professional with a M.A focused in Reading Strategies, Cognitive and Meta-cognitive Awareness and Think-aloud Technique from Hakim Sabzevari University.

I approach design with the eye of an artist/curator­—pulling apart words and visuals and reassembling them to communicate impactful messages. I focus on giving ideas space to breathe, and on cutting out the noise so key messages can be seen and read with comfort and impact.

My freelance design practice focuses on marketing assets, development materials, magazines, books and way-finding guides. Notable clients include the Canadian Art Foundation, Royal Ontario Museum, Gardiner Museum, Craft Ontario, TD Bank, RBC, YYZ Books, Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, and Option Art (Art Map of Toronto, Art Map of Ontario).

I’ve held the position of Art Director of Studio magazine since 2009—designing and overseeing the production of this bi-annual craft and design periodical published by Craft Ontario. From 2015 to 2021, I managed the printing and production of Canadian Art magazine. I also designed marketing assets, promotional decks, development materials, and corporate reports for the Canadian Art Foundation and its corporate partners—RBC, BMO and others.

My design practice evolved parallel to my work in the visual arts. I’ve been engaged in the Canadian art scene for over 35 years, working at public and commercial galleries including the Oakville Galleries, The Craft Gallery, Prime Gallery, John B. Aird Gallery, and Inter/Access (an artist-run centre dedicated to new media and emerging art practices). In these positions, my work focused on curating exhibitions and organizing art events, residencies, and workshops.

I initially began designing publications and marketing materials to support exhibitions I was organizing. Over time, my career path shifted after pursuing part-time studies in graphic design at Ryerson University and other community colleges. I slowly began taking on freelance work designing assets for public and commercial art galleries and cultural organizations. My client base and expertise continues to evolve. I’ve been designing and managing the production of print and digital assets for many years, for a wide range of projects and clients in the cultural and corporate sectors.

Email: dalebar@sympatico.ca

Jillian is a freelance editor and writer in Saskatchewan’s luscious Qu’Appelle Valley, and is part of the LGBTQ+ community. She has worked on a wide range of manuscripts, ranging from poetry to genre fiction to memoir and creative non-fiction. Jillian has worked as a developmental and copy editor for gaming books (primarily Role Playing Games – RPGs), best-selling memoir, poetry, YA, and fiction, both literary and genre.

Email: ajillian.s.bell@gmail.com