Cherry & Parsons
Writing and Editing

What is Cherry & Parsons?

A. A nineteenth-century London shipping concern
B. An early American dessert
C. A long-forgotten folk duo
D. An intersection in a small New England city
E. Artful and reliable writing and copyediting services

Answer: D and E, but A-C could be true

Writing

I write humor, essays, history, features, profiles, university communications, marketing and development copy, and social media. I love to put words together, finding the best way to communicate an idea or tell a story. 

Editing

I edit fiction (especially romance), memoir, and marketing and communications copy for academic institutions, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. I love to polish other people’s work, ensuring error-free writing that supports their distinctive voice. I read the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster for fun.

"I was fortunate to have Megan Rubiner Zinn copyedit The Art Detective. I am so grateful for the care and attention she put into polishing this work of fiction. Megan communicated well, did the copyedit in a timely fashion, was open to questions and commentary, and went above and beyond to check spellings in 17th century Flemish! She also has a great sense of humor, which is always a plus. I highly recommend her.

—Judith Fertig, author of The Art Detective

Megan delivered far more than I expected. She was thorough, detail-oriented, willing to dig into details to confirm their authenticity, sensitive to insensitive language, full of plug-in-ready suggestions, accessible, and a good communicator. I hope to work with her again soon.

—David Michael Slater, author of Ugly

“What a relief to find Megan. Her line/copy edit was exactly what I was looking for and changed my book’s trajectory. In every little detail from tense to precise verbiage, I needed to clarify my character’s thoughts—Megan found them and massaged those details into a far better manuscript than I could have possibly imagined. All of her comments and suggestions were aligned with the goal of making my writing stronger while not changing my original vision for the story. I’m definitely looking forward to working with Megan in the future.”

—Beth Gelman, author of the Perfect Series


“Megan was a student in two of my copyediting courses at Editorial Arts Academy. She is a pure natural at copyediting. She got the highest score on the final assignment, proving that copyediting is in her bones. In addition to being a huge editing talent, Megan is personable, funny, and kind. I wouldn’t hesitate for even a second to hire Megan to copyedit my book. She’s the real deal!”

—Susannah Noel, Editorial Arts Academy; Production Editor, St. Martin's Publishing Group

“Megan completed Editorial Arts Academy’s course Copyediting Fiction and Nonfiction Books: Principles & Mechanics under my instruction in early 2022. She is a natural, confident copyeditor and is skillful at both correcting errors and fact-checking. She was a pleasure to have in class: she’s smart and funny and a quick learner. One of my top students! I wouldn’t hesitate to hire her for any freelance editorial jobs.”

—NaNa Stoelzle, Rose Hill Editorial

“I cannot recommend Megan highly enough. She is a smart, efficient, and skilled editor who did wonders for an important report I needed help with. She cleaned up the word flow, improved the organization of the 110-page work report, and made small but important changes that turned my good report into a great one. Megan is warm and funny and a pleasure to work with.”

—Deborah Miller, Deborah Miller Appraisals LLC

Contact me for a quote and a sample edit: mrzinn@cherryandparsons.com