Hello! My name is Beau Vader and I will be writing blog posts about the literary community. Let me first introduce myself. To start, I am currently a graduate student in the Book Publishing program at Portland State University. I currently live in Oregon with my husband and two daughters, Ambriel and Araceli. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I decided to study Psychology because human behavior has always interested me.

At Beaufort Books, I am most excited to learn about the different departments in the book publishing industry and gain experience. What thrills me most about this internship is seeing the stories authors have created and shared. I am currently writing a psychological thriller myself to highlight mental illnesses and what they can do to a person. My goal in life is to continue to work in the literary community and write all the stories that live inside my head.

I have worked in different departments in publishing but so far I have been most interested in developmental editing. I enjoy assisting authors with big picture themes such as finding plot holes, developing characters and scenes, assisting with dialogue, and developing the setting. Developmental editing is made to assist authors with the story’s development but never change their writer’s voice. When I perform a developmental edit, I make sure not to change what the author wants to write about but instead assist them. Edits are simply suggestions and it is our job as editors to have good communication with authors. Performing a developmental edit can assist authors with their stories in a professional manner and get them to see the reader’s point of view. When it comes to developmental editing, pointing out what authors do not always see in their first draft is important in assisting them in a story’s development. Since empathy is important, showing empathy toward authors is crucial. As editors, we have to remember that stories are a work of art and we should communicate our suggestions with empathy. My goals as an editor is to assist authors and build relationships. 

Sincerely,

Beau Vader