Sperry Editorial provides editing, writing, and research services for a variety of individual, nonprofit, and business clients. As a book editor, Shelley specializes in nonfiction, including academic, how-to, history, memoir, and “big idea” books.
“Writing is like breathing, it’s possible to learn to do it well, but the point is to do it no matter what.
—Daphne Du Maurier”
Hello . . .
I'm Shelley Sperry, an editor, writer, and researcher based in Alexandria, Virginia. I used to work at National Geographic, so I think every book is better if it has a cool map—or a compelling landscape—or a lot of penguins. As an editor, I specialize in nonfiction. As a reader, narrative nonfiction and historical fiction are usually the books in progress on my nightstand—a carryover from my former life as a college history instructor. Recently, I’ve started reading Mick Herron’s spy novels, and can’t get enough.
As a writer and researcher, I like moving between short and long projects—from captions for posters and magazine graphics to blog posts about labor and education issues to academic white papers. In addition to editing a variety of nonfiction books, I'm currently co-writing a parents' guide to alternative education and occasionally reporting on education for the Alt Ed Austin blog.
I'm a proud member of the DC-area Writers Center, the Editorial Freelancers Association, and the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA Local 32035.
