About The Eleventh Letter
My Narrative Arc: More Zigzag Than Pyramid
In 1995, fresh out of college with a liberal arts degree, I stumbled upon a production assistant job with nSight, a third-party publisher, in Porter Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The hiring editor said I had zero qualifications, but I seemed like a really nice (aka eager?) person, so she hired me. And the rest is history. That was the first lesson in burn no bridges, take risks, be a good human.
I learned everything on the job by a very kind yet stern seasoned editor who probably thought I’d ditch publishing for waitressing midweek. But it was love at first word. No World Wide Web, no Internet, just actual paper, red pencils, pica rulers, and hard-copy Webster’s dictionary and Chicago Manual of Style. From there I had the good fortune of following editors around the city, across the country, and back to the mountains.
I started The Eleventh Letter in 2014 in the hopes of doing exactly this. I am beyond excited to shift my editing focus exclusively toward writing workshops, manuscript editing, and local literary events.
This is just the start of my rising action, just the beginning of everything the character of me has ever longed for.
Jocelyn Winn
I’ve served as editor across myriad channels for over 25 years, from books and magazines to journals and Web-based marketing. Some clients past and present include St. Martin’s Press/Bedford Books, American Meteorological Society, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Measured Progress, Harvard Business Review, Luxury Card, MIT Biology Undergraduate Journal, QSR Magazine, Art New England, Luxury Magazine, FINE Magazine, and Robb Report.
My essays, stories, and poetry have appeared in Fourth Genre as a Steinberg Memorial Essay finalist, eratio, The Waterwheel Review as a 2022 Pushcart Prize nominee, and Past Ten, among others. I’m currently the associate nonfiction editor for The Maine Review and hold a BSS in speech communication with a minor in rhetorical theory from Emerson College and an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
My Affiliations
- New Hampshire Writer's Project
- Grub Street Boston
- Editorial Freelancers Association
- Association of Writers & Writing Programs
- Women's Fiction Writers Association
Testimonials
Jocelyn has helped me hone several nonfiction essays for publication. Aside from catching grammatical mistakes (always more than I think), she has a muse-like ability to understand where my essays are headed and to encourage me to follow their lead. Guided by her insightful comments, I find myself altering structures, strengthening themes, and beautifying sentences without compromising my original voice."
Jocelyn Winn is wonderful to work with. She gave my manuscript a slow, measured reading for plot and characters before pulling out her editor’s skills to hone in on the writing. I felt like she knew my main characters from reading them almost as well as I did from writing them. And, when I had a fast deadline approaching, she rearranged her time to make certain I met it. I would go back to use her skills again in a heartbeat. It’s a pleasure to add my recommendation to her list of fans .”
I didn’t know exactly what was missing in my manuscript, but I’m always hesitant to work with an editor. Still, I sent it to Jocelyn and she offered ideas that were aligned with my vision, style, and voice. She’s also gentle and inspiring. Best editor I’ve worked with.”
Work Sample Gallery
