Procreate
Aïcha Martine Thiam
Writer/Artist/Editor
Chicago,IL
Summary
Diligent Writer and Editor with 5+ years of experience in various facets of creative projects. Published author, self-taught artist, producer, musician and trilingual creative, with superior skills in editing online and in print, and an excellent track record of shaping and developing stories. Proficient with various creative programs.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Acquisitions Editor
New Harbinger Publications
11.2023 - Current
- Attended conferences like APA and ADAA to scout for potential authors among mental health experts.
- Oversaw contract negotiations with authors and agents, balancing financial considerations while maintaining strong relationships.
- Evaluated manuscript proposals.
- Prepared and pitched proposals at meetings that consisted of the Sales, Marketing, Editorial and Publicity teams.
- Did market research to find viable projects in the mental health and psychology topics and reached out to potential authors.
- Monitored current and pending acquisitions at various stages of development.
- Worked with the Editorial department to developmentally edit projects.
- Proofread, edited and evaluated final copy to verify content aligned with established guidelines.
Associate Editor/Editor
Page Street Publishing
01.2021 - 10.2023
- Pitched book concepts and ideas at weekly editorial and acquisition meetings.
- Contacted and interviewed potential authors and developed relationships with agents to hone concepts for books.
- Conceptualized and was main editor for 8 titles in 2021.
- Wrote copy, including back cover copy, titles for books, and marketing copy for databases like Biblio.
- Worked with Design team and graphic artists to conceive and produce book jacket, advised on overall design and layout of book.
- Chose and prepared photos for use in manuscripts.
- Read and evaluated an average of 40 manuscripts circulating in-house for readiness, made changes and approved final versions for publication.
- Reviewed proposals and sample submissions for grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, accuracy and compliance with quality standards.
- Did comparative research of publishing industry for marketing purposes, through databases like Bookscan.
- Connected authors with copyeditors during developmental editing stages of publication.
- Prepared contract info for potential authors.
Co-EIC, Creative Director, Producer
The Nasiona
03.2019 - Current
- Liaised with authors for potential interviews, podcast episodes, anthologies and more.
- Assigned and evaluated essay, poetry and story submissions.
- Co-created the "Give Us A Smile" nonfiction series on womanhood and trauma.
- Co-created the BIPOC Music submission series for marginalized musicians.
- Edited and curated issues of the publication over different seasons.
- Co-edited the upcoming print anthology Give Us A Smile: Interviews, Poems and Essays on Womanhood and Trauma.
- Narrated poetry and nonfiction pieces for podcast episodes.
- Curated the visuals for each published piece and volume.
- Interviewed and collaborated with artists, organizations and other potential candidates for creative partnerships, such as the Woman's National Book Association.
- Developed schedules for production, editing and marketing.
Editor
Reckoning Press
05.2018 - 01.2022
- Curated and edited the 6th volume of Reckoning, as Nonfiction and Poetry Editor.
- Read and evaluated stories submitted for publication.
- Line-edited essays, stories and poems for grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, accuracy and narrative quality.
- Advised on visual elements such as covers artwork and interior design.
Editorial Assistant
Page Street Publishing
07.2020 - 01.2021
- Provided copy editing support to hit target dates for editorial and design productions with print and digital material.
- Created production and publication schedules for respective authors.
- Proofread manuscripts and other forms of copy for general grammatical correctness.
- Updated marketing and copy information for books through Macmillan's database Biblio.
- Determined readiness of written pieces, made line-edit changes and approved final versions for publication.
- Prepared materials for sales and marketing like current and previous comparative titles from other publishing houses.
- Research publishing stats and trends for pitch meetings.
- Assisted the Design team with developing interior and jacket layout of text and artwork.
- Reviewed and transcribed author and editor notes in PDF manuscripts.
- Devised attention-grabbing titles and subtitles for books.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Creative Writing And Music
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL 09.2015 - 05.2019
Bachelor of Arts - Communications, Cinema Minor
University of Montreal
Montreal, QC, Canada 09.2010 - 05.2014
Skills
Copy Editing
Story pitching
Headline writing
Writing features
Editing
Proofreading
Copywriting
Creative writing
Software
Adobe Creative Suite
Microsoft 365
Logic Pro
Mondaycom
Accomplishments
- Published a poetry collection AT SEA (2021) with CLASH BOOKS, which was also nominated for the 2019 Kingdoms in the Wild Poetry Prize.
- Published a second collection, BURN THE WITCH, with Finishing Line Press (2022).
- Published a third collection, TO BRING YOU MY LOVE with Kith Books, which was a Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Book Prize finalist.
- Co-produced musical album Petrichor with The Nasiona.
- Nominated twice for Best of the Net, and The Pushcart Prize;
- Work selected as one of the Best Small Fictions (2021).
Languages
French
Excellent
Wolof
Excellent
Spanish
Good
Timeline
Acquisitions Editor
New Harbinger Publications
11.2023 - Current
Associate Editor/Editor
Page Street Publishing
01.2021 - 10.2023
Editorial Assistant
Page Street Publishing
07.2020 - 01.2021
Co-EIC, Creative Director, Producer
The Nasiona
03.2019 - Current
Editor
Reckoning Press
05.2018 - 01.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Creative Writing And Music
Columbia College Chicago
09.2015 - 05.2019
Bachelor of Arts - Communications, Cinema Minor
University of Montreal
09.2010 - 05.2014
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