ABOUT ME

Hi there! My name is Cathie Bucci, and I am the founder and owner of Red Pen Editorial Services. I have a B.A. in English from St. Joseph's College of Maine, with a double concentration in writing and editing.  While attending my classes, I worked for the English department as a tutor and I also resurrected the Poetry Club and its yearly publication of student poetry.

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As is so often the case in life, I strayed a bit from my path after graduation. I trained and worked as a Picture Framer, and when my framing store closed down I then trained and worked as a Manicurist. I’m sure it’s difficult to see how either of these jobs could relate to editing in any way, so I shall endeavor to explain.

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To be a successful Framer you must have a good eye for layout and proportion, you must be able to make recommendations regarding composition, and you must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with the customer. You must set your own tastes aside, without taking it personally. These are all qualities that become doubly important in the editorial sphere. As a Framer, a customer may bring a piece of art to you that he bought merely because it matched his décor. He has no real attachment. As an Editor, clients bring you labors of love that are immensely valuable and personal to them. If you make changes without explanation, criticize without offering constructive feedback, or simply don’t value the work as they do, you may find yourself out of a job, and rightly so.

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There are different, but no less useful, skills to be learned from working as a self-employed Manicurist. I have to have discipline, patience, and tenacity.  It takes a long time to build a steady business, and if you don’t put in the time and effort you will fail. It takes discipline to set your own schedule (or budget!) and stick to it when nobody is watching you. My patience and tenacity help get me through difficult projects.  I call on them while waiting for feedback or waiting for new work. My discipline keeps me focused on each day’s necessary tasks. It helps me triage the list of things that must be accomplished on any given project and keeps me accountable.

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I have worked with several local authors, editing and proofing their novels, short stories, blog posts, and nonfiction memoirs. As a fun side project, I occasionally design and produce invitations for baby showers, weddings, bridal showers, et cetera. You can see some of my work on my Invitation Design page.

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I love to read and will jump at the chance to learn anything new, with the notable exceptions of tax code and anything about anyone who is a “reality star.”  I'm into steampunk fiction and all the nerdy things, but I am getting more into non-fiction and history, both in written and visual forms.  Craft supplies and Christmas decorations are my kryptonite, though I’ve not yet reached “hoarder” stage. I know it sounds crazy, but I actually enjoy the tedium of sifting through a document line by line with a red pen, or more accurately a red computer mouse (it truly is).

Please see my Services & Pricing page for more details.