About me
I am a copyeditor, line editor, and developmental editor, based in Berlin, originally from Toronto, Canada. I have been working as an editor in various capacities for over twenty-five years. I work in UK, US, and Canadian English styles. I have always been fascinated with the written word and was the only kid in my class who enjoyed English grammar lessons. (Oh comma, how you thrill me!)
I am also a filmmaker and musician, and I approach my work from a creative perspective, whether it be editing, problem solving, writing, or handling the words of others. I know how to work with creative people on creative work because I am one. | More »
What I do
Simply put, I work with you and your words. My edit tasks can range from a precise line-by-line examination of your manuscript right through to a broad-perspective evaluation addressing voice, structure, and tone. I have worked with fiction authors on their novels and non-fiction authors on articles and papers in various subjects—see more on this in my portfolio of recent work.
The work that I do is arranged in four main areas: developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. An individual edit can encompass one or more of these. | More »
My rates are in line with the suggested rates of the CiEP. Please contact me for a quote specific to your project.
Recent work
A Puppet on a String ·
Line edit, thriller
Play Nancy Spain ·
Line edit, fiction
Justyce Scales of the Otherly and Obscura ·
Line edit, fantasy
Away With Words ·
Line edit, young-adult fiction
Emerging from the Smoke ·
Line edit, poetry anthology
A Ghost’s Shadow ·
Line edit fantasy
What the Owls Told Alex ·
Line edit, fiction
Above Instinct ·
Line edit, speculative fiction
Sunrise: Life after Traumatic Brain Injury ·
Line edit, memoir
Orion’s Belt Chronical ·
Line edit, science fiction
Modern Times Review ·
Line edit, reviews and articles
Death of a Diamond Lady: A Robbie Raines Mystery ·
Line edit, young-adult fiction
Testimonials
“I was very pleased with Tristen's attention to detail and professionalism during her editing of my new historical novel Desperate Valour. Of equal importance, she understood my genre and the need to balance two-hundred-year-old dialogues and culture while making the book appealing for modern readers. She was in regular contact with me, asking questions to strengthen the text.” —Timothy Ashby, PhD, JD, MBA · Author, Florida, USA
“Tristen’s corrections are the most detailed ones I have ever seen. I’ve also learned a lot from her comments.” —Anita Jóri · Author and Music Historian, Universität der Künste, Berlin, Germany
“Working with Tristen was a dream—she is incredibly thorough, precise, and knowledgeable. She catches everything! A brilliant editor and copyeditor.” —Christian Hawkey · Author, Poet, and Translator, Berlin, Germany
“I loved working with Tristen the most because of her great respect for others and her willingness to cooperate in solving some demanding tasks. Very kind and generous personality, with words and deeds.” —Marija Zdravkovic · Painter and Designer, Modern Times Review, Belgrade, Serbia
My professional affiliations
CIEP
· The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, a non-profit body promoting excellence in English language editing.
Alliance of Independent Authors
· Premiere association for self-publishing authors.
Ida Ink
· A Berlin-based collective of editors and translators.
SOCAN
· Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada
Contact me
I’m always happy to have an initial conversation about your word-related needs, so let’s talk.
- Email: tb@tristenbakker.com
And:
- View my profile on LinkedIn
- View my profile on Goodreads
- twitter @tristenbakker
- mastodon @tristenbakker@mstdn.social
Also…
Much of the work I do with words involves helping turn creative ideas into reality. Part of why I feel a sense of kinship with this work is because my own creative endeavours have been so central to my life. My work with music and film has been an ongoing commitment that I love very much. If you are curious, you can take a look at some of this work at its various homes on the web:
- Faster Miles an Hour · My film, music, and artistic work
- Otolitos · A soft noise band
- VROUW! · A five-femme noisy noise band with talking hats
- Soft Noise Collective · Supervisores Benévolos