Writer, Editor, Speaker
Retired Foreign Service Officer
Former Software Engineer and ESL Teacher
Sandra Yeaman retired from the US Department of State in 2007 after serving 23 years as a Foreign Service Officer. As a management officer, she worked at US embassies in Qatar, Barbados, Moldova, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Madagascar, Zambia, and Eritrea. In addition, she held consular positions in Germany and Barbados and previously taught English as a Foreign Language in Illinois, Romania, Iran, and California. She continued to work as a contractor at the State Department an additional seven years.
These changes in environment and cultures challenged her notion of what success is. What made it possible for her to thrive in the midst of the change is the solid foundation she received in her childhood years in northern Minnesota.
Since retirement, Sandra has been writing her story and her journey from a young woman seeking adventure to a woman with a mission.
Copy Editing
Seven years of teaching English to speakers of other languages followed by seven years working as a software engineer and thirty years working for the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer and contractor brought Sandra the discipline to write grammatically, concisely, and to the point. These skills serve her well when she edits works by others.
Living abroad for most of her working years also introduced Sandra to cultural differences that required honing communication skills to avoid misunderstandings that potentially have significant consequences.
Sandra’s editing work is based on
- Chicago Manual of Style for grammar and punctuation and
- Merriam-Webster for spelling.
The estimate of the cost for copy editing or proofreading will be based on a review of ten pages of your work, ideally in Microsoft Word, and your deadline. Sandra will return a Track Changes version to give you a sample of her editing style along with a quote for the work.
Proofreading
While copy editing is her preferred editing activity, she knows proofreading, tedious and tiresome as it may be, is necessary to ensure any overlooked errors are caught before a book is published.
Other Author Services
Sandra also offers beta reading and manuscript review services for those looking for assistance at a developmental level.
Writing
Since retiring from the Foreign Service, Sandra has enjoyed jotting down tales of her experiences overseas for the entertainment of her friends and family. She’s now working on a novel that fictionalizes her first overseas experiences in Tehran, Iran, in the mid 1970s.
Speaking
Having achieved the Distinguished Toastmaster level through Toastmasters International, Sandra is prepared to speak to groups, either in person or via Zoom, on topics related to her life overseas as well as on little-known Microsoft Word features of value to authors as they prepare their manuscripts for editing, proofreading, or book designing.
Endorsements
Sandra’s skillfulness is essential! I couldn’t have begun the editing process nor had the confidence that my novel was professional without her input. In fact, every single person in our writer’s group looks to her for corrections and suggestions. On top of her vast grammatical expertise and finesse, she’s so great to work with: kind, organized, and attentive to deadlines.
Livi Hallahan, author of What You Don’t See
When you write you want the words to flow, anyway I do when I write. But I’m not too good at spelling or grammar when it comes to the professional quality that is needed for published works.
I can write better than the average person for sure, but that is not enough. Sandra provides the “enough.” She is a nit-picking grammarian and speller for sure, which is what a person should want in a proof editor. Use her for your proof reading and you won’t be disappointed.
A.J. Converse, author of Jack Blue
It is my pleasure to endorse Sandra Yeaman as an editor for any and all written documents. I have served with Sandra on the Board of Directors of San Diego Writers and Editors Guild for several years and have first-hand knowledge of the skills she uses in reviewing documents, finding questionable entries and knowing how to correct them.
I chose Sandra to edit a children’s book series based on my observations of her skills. She is meticulous to detail, incredibly organized so that from beginning to end of the process you know exactly what the process is and where the review is on the timeline. She detailed resources that she would use in the editing of my manuscript. In addition to her technical skills, she is wonderful to work with – a great communicator. I felt certain that before going to press, my manuscript would be devoid of errors. I will certainly have her edit the other two books in the series.
J.R. Hafner, author of No Cage for Me! I’m Free
Sandra has been a copyeditor for the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild annual anthology publications since 2014. She is a professional with exacting standards, and dogged attention to grammar, spelling, and context. She also excels at fact checking to ensure that the words mean what the author thinks they mean. Sandra continues to be a valued member of the anthology editing team.
Marcia Buompensiero, Anthology Managing Editor, Design/Publishing
Rivkah Sleeth, Anthology Managing Editor, Compilation
San Diego Writers and Editors Guild
sandrayeaman.com 