I fervently believe that good journalists, writers, and editors are not born; they are nurtured – and it might just be something I could help you or your organization with.
I guide independent news outlets, advocacy groups, and other organizations as they develop their internal editorial processes and provide hands-on support for early-career writers – especially those for whom English is their second (or sometimes third!) language.
What is ‘editorial consulting’?
Drawing on my 15 years of experience in news and communications writing, reporting, and editing, I will ensure your organization is in the best possible shape to succeed in the long run by empowering the people who make it all possible. Whether you need support for a few weeks or over several years, I can provide expert guidance at any stage of the editorial process.
When multiple deadlines are looming, or a breaking news alert has just dropped, it might be easier in the short term to take tasks on yourself rather than explain to a recruit how things are done and why. Far too often, staff development falls by the wayside as new employees are dropped into the deep end and expected to figure out the unspoken rules on their own. As a result, frustration grows on all sides: leaders don’t get the outcomes they’re looking for, and team members feel stifled and unsupported.
In practice
This is where I can come in, ready to accompany writers, reporters, copy editors, researchers, and managers and give them the room to grow.
Whether one-on-one or with groups of up to six, I can mentor and train writers by, amongst other things:
- Teaching them how to craft a story pitch;
- Providing advice during the reporting phase and helping identify sources;
- Refining a story’s outline;
- Reading through drafts together and explaining the reasoning behind edits line by line;
- Going over the basics of grammar, professional vocabulary, and the nuances of rhetoric and structure that make for strong journalistic writing;
- And coordinating with staff editors to understand what they need from their team.
I can also craft daily workflow solutions to make your organization more dynamic and effective by, for example:
- Contributing to editing, copy-editing, and other editorial duties;
- Putting together style guides and training resources;
- Suggesting different approaches to reporting, writing, and editing that better fit the people and tools at your disposal;
- Providing feedback and recommendations on your broader editorial and organizational processes.
What drives me
One of my specialties is training journalists who write in English despite it not being their first language. As a native French speaker who has written and worked in English for most of my career, and who is also fluent in Spanish and Levantine Arabic, I know how to help writers overcome language and cultural barriers to connect with their audience with clarity and impact.
Many international news outlets favor foreign correspondents for their native-level English when a local journalist’s knowledge and experience are often much more valuable for accurate and meaningful storytelling. When the insider’s perspective is crucial, I can teach the basics of English writing, all while respecting the writer’s voice and experience. It’s not about erasing someone’s specificities to make them blend into the mass, but adapting so they are not held back by a lack of fluency in the expectations of an English-language newsroom.
Regardless of their English level or backstory, my goal is to develop writers so they gain the skills and confidence to carry them throughout their careers. I take pride in doing this work with thoughtfulness and warmth, taking the time to understand what they’re passionate about and what they’re going through, and helping them manage stress and face obstacles.
Who do I work with?
I believe what I offer is particularly valuable for:
- News organizations that want to strengthen their staff but do not have the internal bandwidth to provide individualized support or look at their ways of operating from a bird’s-eye view.
- NGOs, advocacy groups, and other organizations that want to strengthen their communications strategy to put out an impactful message into the world.
- Journalists and writers seeking individualized support to take their career to the next level. I offer practical, empathetic, and tailored advice on individual projects, and can answer the general questions you never got to ask in journalism school or the newsroom.
I work remotely with people anywhere on the globe. Being based in the UK, I am well placed to engage with teams actively, no matter the time zone!
Why pick Chloé over Claude
In an era where AI is touted as the solution to everything (even the problems you didn’t know you had), it’s worth remembering that people are the ones living, making, and reading stories. The media industry has been undergoing a crisis of trust for decades, only exacerbated by the concentration of the world’s biggest news outlets in an increasingly small number of hands. While independent or smaller news organizations may not always be able to compete financially, their most precious assets are their people and the trust they build with their audience.
Sure, AI can help you write a perfectly adequate sentence. But it cannot help you get an elusive official to answer a question about a dodgy government contract, nor capture the human impact of a natural disaster in a way that emotionally resonates. Just as crucially, overreliance on AI tools can deprive your team of the practical experience that builds their skills and judgment, impacting their ability to report, write, and edit competently and confidently, and undermining your organization in the long term.
Interested?
If any of the above feels like something you or your organization could benefit from, drop me a line! I will gladly schedule a call to discuss timelines, rates, and how to tailor my work to your needs.
Some feedback
Chloe is a brilliant instructor. She worked with me for only two months, yet the improvement in my writing was so noticeable that my supervisors immediately recognized the difference.
What makes Chloe exceptional is that she goes far beyond conventional rules and approaches to writing. Her extensive knowledge and years of experience in writing and editing are what make her such a powerful teacher. Before taking her course, I rarely paid close attention to the editing process. After working with her, I began editing my writing much more carefully and thoughtfully.
I highly recommend Chloe to anyone who wants to become a stronger, more confident, and more effective writer.
Chloé’s editing style is incredibly respectful, which is especially important for non-native English writers like me. She doesn’t erase your voice or style; after her editing, your words sound like your own, just more powerful and natural in English. Her years living in different parts of the world have given her an important human touch that few editors have.
Working with Chloé on any text, whether a journalistic piece or writing project, has always been a learning experience for me. And what I’ve learned isn’t just how to write better in English, but how a great editor works.
