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About Rachel Taylor

Inuk editor Rachel Taylor is shown from the shoulders up. She is standing on a sidewalk and smiling at the camera. She wears a black blazer and blue top.

I’m a copy editor and proofreader with twenty years of experience. My interests include short fiction, autobiography, and scholarly nonfiction, and I’m known for my work with stories for and by Indigenous people. I love working with a variety of storytellers, genres, and formats. Please see examples of my work here.

Background

My pronouns are she/her/hers. I am Iñupiaq (Alaskan Native) on my mother’s side and settler on my father’s. I was born and raised as an uninvited guest in the unceded territories of First Nations in BC. Today I live in beautiful Stz’uminus territory on Vancouver Island.

I am a highly sensitive editor who cares deeply about the author’s voice. I’ve always been particularly interested in the stories and worldviews of Indigenous Peoples. As a result, I got into publishing at a young age by working a variety of roles at Redwire Native Youth Media. I became a freelance editor shortly after. In 2017 I attended the Indigenous Editors Circle and helped to found the Indigenous Editors Association (IEA), where I am an active member and advisor.

Education and recognition

In 2019 I completed the Master of Publishing program at Simon Fraser University. During my studies I enjoyed a work placement with Theytus Books, the oldest Indigenous publishing house in Canada. My graduate thesis, “Gathering Knowledges to Inform Best Practices in Indigenous Publishing,” was based on this work and on original interviews with publishing professionals and Indigenous community members, including my family. A version of the paper was subsequently published in ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature.

2019 Master of Publishing, Simon Fraser University (SFU)
2019 & 2017 Aboriginal Community Engagement Award, SFU
2018 Catherine Anne McKay Publishing Award, SFU
2018 Graduate Fellowship in Publishing, SFU
2017 Indigenous Editors Circle / Editing Indigenous Manuscripts course, Humber College
2015 Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, SFU
2014 Peter Horban Undergraduate Philosophy Essay Award, SFU