Lydia O'Brien - Freelance Editor and Writer,

Self-employedFreelance Writer

Apr. 2023Rome, Latium, ItalyI write short- and long-form articles (and occasionally edit web copy) for various Italy-based sites about food and travel, with a focus on regional Italian food culture.

FreelanceCookbook Editor

Aug. 2022Rome, Latium, ItalyI edit cookbooks focused on Italy’s regional cuisines, wine culture, and culinary history, both with independent authors and for independent publishers. My editorial work, from the first draft through subsequent stages, involves developing and polishing the written narrative as well as proofreading recipes for clarity and style, according to cookbook publishing standards. I also sometimes provide proofreading for individual cookbooks in the post-layout stages.

FreelanceFreelance Recipe Tester

Aug. 2022 - Dec. 2023I have done various phases and scopes of recipe testing for several U.S.-based cookbooks: -The Hostess Handbook by Maria Zizka (Artisan, 2024) -Pizza Night by Alexandra Stafford (Clarkson Potter, 2024) -I Love You: Recipes from the Heart by Pamela Anderson (Voracious, 2024)

SpannocchiaCulinary Apprentice

Jun. 2022 - Aug. 2022As part of the 2-month apprenticeship program at Spannocchia, an agriturismo near Siena, I worked in the kitchen of the family-style restaurant alongside the head chef, one-on-one (with communication in Italian), which involved preparing ingredients from the vegetable garden and other parts of the estate; setting up the restaurant tables for nightly service; preparing the house-made wine; cleaning and waitressing duties; and learning about Tuscan culinary traditions and ingredients, hyper-local dishes and farm-to-table service, and other aspects of Italian regional food culture.

Penguin Random HouseAssistant Editor

Jan. 2021 - May. 2022Acquired and edited my own titles in the food & drink space at Clarkson Potter, and provided editorial support on other projects within the Food & Drink team. I have independently edited 9 cookbooks; editing alongside Potter's Executive Editor and the Editorial Director of Food & Drink, I worked with major Clarkson Potter authors and brands including Martha Stewart, Yotam Ottolenghi, Bobby Flay, Gina Homolka, Tasty, and more.

Penguin Random HouseEditorial Assistant

Mar. 2018 - Dec. 2020New York, NYWithin Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House: Edited cookbook manuscripts independently and alongside senior editors; Worked with the following authors on a range of titles, from acquisition to publication and beyond: Hugh Acheson, David Chang, Melissa Clark, Bobby Flay, Toni Tipton-Martin, Alison Roman, Martha Stewart, Chrissy Teigen, The Great British Baking Show, and others; Communicated with authors and agents from acquisition to publication; Evaluated cookbook and lifestyle book proposals; Wrote copy for book covers, in-house materials, and consumer-facing online pages; Researched competitive titles and trends in the food media landscape; Ran sales reports and drafted contracts; Provide support to the Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, and Senior Editors; Coordinated editorial and production processes with all in-house departments (publicity, marketing, sales, production, design).

Penguin Random HouseMarketing Assistant

Nov. 2016 - Feb. 2018New York, New YorkProvided support to the Directors of Marketing and Retail Marketing at Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC., including cookbook imprints Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press; Provided additional support to Associate Marketing Directors for Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press, including assistance with Potter and Ten Speed Instagram accounts; Coordinated sweepstakes to promote frontlist and backlist cookbooks; Worked with Creative/Design team in creating book mock-ups for publicity and sales purposes; Assisted Advertising/Promotions team and copy editors to finalize advertisements and promotional materials; Tracked New York Times Bestseller titles and sales numbers to circulate among the division; Assisted with special projects such as cookbook giveaways and special events; Edited layout and copy for seasonal publicity catalogs; Coordinated and executed bookseller and influencer mailings; Managed schedules and itineraries for supervisors and provide administrative support as needed.

Salad for PresidentPersonal Assistant

Mar. 2016 - Aug. 2016New York and Brooklyn, NYAssisted food writer and Salad for President founder Julia Sherman with all aspects of producing her upcoming cookbook; performed recipe testing and development collaboratively and independently; took notes during recipe tests and write out final recipes; made trips to farmers' markets and specialty food stores for ingredients; transcribed author's interview recordings with local and international artists; performed basic editing and copy editing for Salad for President website and blog; assisted with prep for special event production.

Oxford University PressIntern, Higher Education

Oct. 2015 - Mar. 2016Greater New York City AreaProcessed marketing reviews from university professors; communicated professors' feedback to sales representatives, Marketing Managers, and Editors; published reviews on SalesForce; processed check and book requests; compiled target lists, takeaway reports, and monthly sales reports; tracked competitor book prices; assisted Marketing Assistants and Director of Marketing in administrative tasks and long-term projects.

The Bates StudentCopy Editor

Sep. 2014 - May. 2015Lewiston, MaineAssisted the Editor-in-Chief in the third round of editing, reviewed newspaper layout, conducted master edits before printing, contributed opinion pieces frequently, made executive staff decisions with Editor-in-Chief.

The Bates StudentManaging News Editor

Sep. 2013 - Dec. 2013Lewiston, Maine• Assigned news stories to writers • Conducted interviews and research for articles • Communicated with Bates offices about current events on campus • Wrote major news stories weekly

The Bates StudentAssistant Arts and Leisure Editor

Sep. 2012 - Apr. 2013Lewiston, Maine• Worked with the Managing Editor to assign stories to writers • Increased coverage of off-campus arts and entertainment events • Wrote weekly performance, restaurant, and music album reviews

The Bates StudentStaff Writer

Sep. 2011 - May. 2012Lewiston, MaineWrote stories weekly for the Arts & Leisure section; composed reviews of restaurants, films, television series, museum exhibits, and campus performances in theater and music.

Camp Mont ShenandoahCounselor

Jun. 2011 - Aug. 2014Millboro Springs, Virginia• For four consecutive summers, lived with ten-, thirteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-olds • Became familiar with child development and age-specific psychology through training workshops • Led campers in cabin life, mealtimes, and other camp activities • Planned camp-wide events with team of counselors • Taught classes for ages 7-16 in archery, swimming, cooking, and drama • Co-directed four musical theater productions • As Head of Cooking: Independently planned and led daily cooking classes, compiled recipes for lesson plans, taught essential kitchen skills and topics in food culture, organized class trip to local farm, created class cookbooks, and designed and executed three formal catered dinners. • Wrote letters to campers’ parents for communication throughout the six-week period • Developed strong leadership, communication, and team-building skills.

National GeographicIntern

Jan. 2011 - May. 2011Washington D.C. Metro AreaWrote detailed descriptions of events sponsored by the NGS for office purposes; managed photographs for exchange between the NGS and other organizations; researched current issues within the Enterprises division and within the NGS.

Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI)Intern

Sep. 2009 - May. 2011Washington D.C. Metro AreaComposed letters to Wisconsin constituents; researched and wrote about bills proposed or supported by the Senator; organized materials and provided administrative support for Senator's assistants; contributed to Microsoft Excel projects for Senate Committees; sorted materials related to Obamacare for the Special Committee on Aging office.

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