Working as a woman

My complicated writing and editing work for the Human Resources company in Tampa required the most state-of-the-art computers available.

As a man, I had been working on computers since 1988, so it was easy for me to accumulate what I needed. In fact, as a male, I had been a writer and editor for major business magazines in the late Nineties.

However, the work I did from my home office for clients these days was peculiarly difficult because HR Inc. was a group of experts trying to solve dissimilar problems for organizations or government. That means the writing was academic and problematic.

What astonished me is that some of the men in the group flirted with me when I first appeared at our weekly staff meeting in Tampa. Since I am not attractive, they must have been trapped in the past. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” That witticism is usually attributed to Albert Einstein. Never thought I would have THAT problem.

We also had monthly weekend conferences for our clients. Obviously, I had to appear in public on those weekends, but my self-confidence was elevated since my gender affirmation surgery had been so successful.

I basked in the gratification of finally being the woman I had always aspired to be.

 

Editing fiction and nonfiction in Reno.

As a male, years ago, I was a magazine writer, doing stories about businesses and the government. Later, I was editor of one magazine and a column-writer in another.

When I left Florida in 2013, I gave up my job as an editor in chief of three magazines.

So, I've had lots of experience as a writer and editor but all when I was a man.

Now, finally, I am a woman, and I am a freelance editor for clients who are authoring books, non-fiction, and fiction. 

The other day, one of my clients said that I should draft a book about myself. I laughed and said, "No one would believe it."

In a small way, this blog is my attempt to tell my story for other trans people and gays and lesbians.

I am so delighted to be a woman; I want to help all the others who have differing genders.

My work as a freelance editor

According to a 1916 career guide for girls: “editors, and the men who rewrite stories, must be able to work under pressure in a way that is beyond the power of most women.”

There are now over 74,471 editors currently employed in the United States. 53.6% of all editors are women, while 46.4% are men. 

As a man, I had lots of experience as a writer for magazines and an editor of some. However, now I am primarily responsible for helping to improve my client's writing. 

While proofreading is a part of being an editor, I also must identify inconsistencies in the works of writers.

• I comment on the good and the bad, but my comments are always constructive. 
• I go through everything with a fine-toothed comb.
• I am not afraid of hurting my client's feelings or offending them. 
• I view my client's work objectively, even if we are friends.
• I do not revise a writer's work. But I will suggest revisions for the writer to make. 
• If a client's work is accepted for publication, they must be prepared to do more work on a manuscript based on my suggestions.