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Summary of Skills
Elizabeth J. Silas
editing@elizabethsilas.com
513-255-0166 Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Developing written project proposals, specifications, and copy
for K-12 textbooks, trade books, and online assessments.
Editing and writing copy—educational, marketing, and internal
communications— for print and online media.
Teaching others to write and edit to specifications and
standards—technical, commercial, and academic—both in large
groups and individually.
Establishing long-term relationships with authors, negotiating
diplomatically for changes to content and form.
Managing projects, including setting and adhering to budgets
and tight schedules.
Presenting to prospective clients, securing revenue for
individual projects, and establishing relationships that lead to
long-term contracts.
Managing staff and building teams by implementing existing
processes and standards, improving them, and when necessary,
developing and establishing new ones.
Marketing through print, web, and social media to form client
loyalty and community.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite on both PC and Mac;
familiarity with Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, as well as
editing applications, such as Audacity and iMovie.
Education
Master of Arts in Mass Communication
Analysis of Visual Media (Film, New Media, Television, Print)
Miami University, Oxford, OH
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, summa cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's Scholar, Dean’s List all semesters
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
Experience
Freelance Researcher, Writer, and Editor
November 1997-present
Wrote and edited marketing, project proposal, biographical,
and other informational materials for various corporate and
non-profit organizations, for print, online, and social media.
Wrote Yoga, a non-fiction book for middle school students, coauthored with Diane Goodney, for Scholastic/Franklin Watts.
Co-wrote Random House/Princeton Review trade book,
Roadmap to the Regents: Comprehensive English, for high-school
students.
Co-wrote Random House/Princeton Review trade book on test
preparation, Cracking the SSAT and ISEE, for middle-school
students.
Edited and managed initial Princeton Review/McGraw Hill K-12
textbook and online assessment projects.
Visiting Instructor
Communication Department and Honors Program, Miami
University
August 2003-May 2007
Designed curricula and taught several sections each of four
different undergraduate courses, making three writingintensive.
Taught in-class workshops and met with students to improve
their writing and revision processes.
Designed interdisciplinary course for the Honors Program that
combined textual study and practices of yoga.
Received consistently excellent student evaluations.
Editorial Assistant and Graduate Student Instructor
Communication Department, Miami University
August 2001-August 2003
Improved clarity and accuracy as the editorial assistant for an
international academic journal, by line editing, copyediting, and
corresponding with authors on issues of content and sources.
Taught two undergraduate courses, developing interactive
platforms for multimedia presentations, and receiving excellent
student evaluations for both courses taught.
Director of Research and Development
The Princeton Review Publishing, K-12 Division, New York, NY
February 1999-August 2001
Developed projects, specifications, templates, and sample copy
for new K-12 clients in all subject areas.
Proposed projects to clients, negotiating specs and terms.
Trained editors and writers to write for print and online
assessments and training modules, ensuring consistent voice
and vision.
Researched state legislation and policy changes on educational
standards, incorporating them into project plans, reports, and
manuscripts.
Senior Editor
The Princeton Review Publishing, K-12 Division, New York, NY
August 1998-February 1999
Led editorial team that created initial projects and developed
relationship with McGraw-Hill, resulting in a three-year,
multimillion-dollar exclusive contract for assessment content.
Designed and implemented systems and standards for editorial
process for all K-12 subject areas.
Expanded the editorial department of this new division to
dozens of full-time and hundreds of freelance employees as
project load grew.
Managed editorial staff and process, including:
o hiring and training writers, editors, and illustrators.
o improving writers’ efficiency and productivity with
feedback.
o editing manuscript.
o preparing manuscript for production.
o hiring and managing copyeditors and proofreaders.
o proofing pages.
o incorporating feedback from subject-matter experts and
clients.
References
Reed Talada
Chief of Staff at 2U, Inc.
212-729-0300
reed@talada.com
James Reilly
Studio Director at Vocon
216-588-0800
Jim.Reilly@vocon.com
April White-Plank
VP of Marketing at Medi-Weightloss Clinics
813-228-6334 x242
Aplank@mediweightloss.com
Dr. Carolyn Haynes
Director of Honors Program at Miami University
513-291-2021
haynesca@muohio.edu
More available upon request.
Activities
Yoga and Pilates Teacher
September 2000-present