About Us
Dot and Dash is a boutique author services company
helping women tell their stories.
Our Approach
We embrace the transformative power of empathy and compassion as we support authors in their creative process.
Our tear-free approach to feedback allows you to write and polish your story while enhancing your talents, capability, and self-esteem.
We’ll always be honest and tell you what you need to know, and we’ll be your cheerleader, your teacher, and your guide.
Why Pick Us
Our team has the skills and credibility you can trust.
We lead professional editing groups, teach editorial professionals through top industry organizations, and are published writers ourselves.
Our Values
These four core principles guide our work:
Empathy & Kindess
We understand the immense trust and vulnerability it takes to share your work with someone.
We treat our clients with kindness and respect, show empathy at all times, and enter into every professional relationship with honesty and a spirit of collaboration.
Social Justice
We believe in social justice and devote ourselves to elevating women’s voices.
Trans women are women.
Love is love.
Gender is not a binary.
Conscious Language
We know words have power. They can inspire people to rise. They can validate and bring peace. They can also cause harm that’s unintended.
This is why all of our editing services include feedback about conscious language and authentic and inclusive representation.
Giving Back
Giving back is important. We volunteer with editing organizations, through positions on boards of directors and through teaching classes to editors and writers.
As a company, we contribute to nonprofits centered on women’s rights and literacy, including the Brigid Alliance, Planned Parenthood, and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Meet Our Team
Erin Servais
Erin Servais is a book editor, author coach, educator, and the founder of Dot and Dash. She has helped to bring hundreds of titles to print, including USA Today and Amazon best sellers and award-winning titles.
Erin serves on the board of directors for ACES: The Society for Editing, a leading national organization for professional editors. She also founded and leads
the Writing Accountability Group and the Editors Tea Club. Erin speaks nationally about writing, editing, and entrepreneurship. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, her odd-shaped dog, and her gaggle of odd plants.
Service Specialties
-
Author Coaching
-
Developmental Editing
-
Line Editing
-
Sensitivity Reading
Genre & Subject Specialties
-
Memoir
-
Creative Nonfiction
-
Literary Fiction
-
Feminism
-
LGBTQ
-
Conscious Language
Memberships
-
ACES: The Society for Editing (board of directors)
-
Editorial Freelancers Association
-
Professional Editors Network
-
Midwest Independent Publishers Association
Presentations & Features
-
ACES: The Society for Editing
-
Editors Canada
-
Professional Editors Network
-
Women in Publishing Summit
-
Writers of Strange Fiction Convention
-
Sensitivity Reader Podcast
Brenna Bailey-Davies
In addition to her work with Dot and Dash, Brenna Bailey-Davies is the owner and lead editor of Bookmarten Editorial, where she provides copyediting and proofreading services for indie authors of fantasy and romance.
When she's not editing, she publishes queer contemporary romance novels under the pen name Brenna Bailey, Brenna is an avid reader, a starry-eyed traveler, and a home baker. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her game-loving husband and her cuddly fur-baby.
Service Specialties
-
Line Editing
-
Copy Editing
-
Proofreading
-
Sensitivity Reading
Memberships
-
Editors Canada
-
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
Genre & Subject Specialties
-
Fantasy
-
Romance
-
LGBTQ
Presentations & Features
-
ACES: The Society for Editing
-
Editors Canada
-
Quill & Cup
-
Writers of Strange Fiction Convention
-
Midnight Quill Podcast
-
Indie Know Podcast
Crystal Shelley
In addition to her work with Dot and Dash, Crystal Shelley is the owner of Rabbit with a Red Pen, where she provides editing and authenticity reading services to fiction authors. Drawing on her background as a social worker, she unites her love of language and her passion for social justice by advocating conscious language use and inclusive representation in her editorial work.
Crystal is the creator of the Conscious Language Toolkits for Editors and Writers and serves on the board of ACES: The Society for Editing. When she's not working with words, she's probably swearing at a video game.
Service Specialties
-
Line Editing
-
Copy Editing
-
Proofreading
-
Sensitivity Reading
Genre & Subject Specialties
-
Fantasy
-
Conscious Language
Memberships
-
ACES: The Society of Editing (board of directors)
-
Editorial Freelancers Association
-
Utah Freelance Editors
Presentations & Features
-
Penguin Random House
-
ACES: The Society for Editing
-
Editorial Freelancers Association
-
Chartered Institute of Editing and Publishing
-
Editors Canada
-
Northwest Editors Guild
-
Women in Publishing
-
The Editing Podcast
Jennifer Dinsmore
Jennifer is a copy editor and proofreader for fiction authors, with specialties in speculative and historical fiction. She has a certificate in creative book publishing from Humber College a certificate in proofreading from Editors Canada. She's a member of both the Editorial Freelancers Association and ACES: The Society for Editing.
When she’s not editing, she is likely reading. Jennifer also enjoys writing, painting, and going for long runs. She lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two sweet fur-babies.
Service Specialties
-
Line Editing
-
Copy Editing
-
Proofreading
-
Copywriting
Memberships
-
ACES: The Society of Editing (board of directors)
-
Editorial Freelancers Association
Genre & Subject Specialties
-
Speculative Fiction
-
Historical Fiction
Presentations & Features
-
Editorial Freelancers Association
Alicia Chantal
Alicia is an editor and writer who has a background in public relations and is passionate about helping writers create messages that educate and empower. Alicia was a member of Editors Canada’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion task force and served as co-coordinator of her local chapter. She’s currently a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and an entry-level member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, where she also serves as co-coordinator of Cloud Club (West).
When not at her desk in Edmonton, Alberta, she can be found spending time with her family, reading, or walking in all kinds of weather.
Service Specialties
-
Line Editing
-
Copy Editing
-
Proofreading
-
Sensitivity Reading
Genre & Subject Specialties
-
Speculative Fiction
-
Historical Fiction
Memberships
-
Editorial Freelancers Association
-
Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
Presentations & Features
-
Deliberate Freelancer Podcast
-
Writers' Guild of Alberta
-
Writing for Black Joy
-
Simon Fraser University
-
ACES: The Society for Editing
Jacquelynn Lyon
Jacquelynn is an author of speculative Sapphic fiction as well as a content editor and sensitivity reader, specializing in editing fantasy, sci-fi, and romance.
She has a bachelor's from the University of Colorado in history and political science and a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language. She has a passion for travel, jogging, and all things cats.
Service Specialties
-
Manuscript Evaluation
-
Sensitivity Reading
Genre & Subject Specialties
-
Fantasy
-
Science Fiction
-
Romance
-
LGBTQ