Welcome
"Language is the only homeland."
– Czeslaw Milosz
Publishing Experience – Overview
The College Board – New York, NY
Feb 2016 – Mar 2019
Production Manager, Content Editor, Editorial Manager
Benchmark Education – New Rochelle, NY
Mar 2013 – Jul 2014
Editorial Manager
Manage staff of copy editors for leading publisher of classroom instruction materials in Reading, Literacy, and English Language Arts. Define editorial workflows and processes in Adobe CS; manage projects, schedules, budgets; hire, contract, and manager vendors; and collaborate with Design and Production departments to meet aggressive publishing schedule.
InkSplash, LLC – Bernardsville, NJ
2013 – 2018
Writer and Editor
Writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama passages to spec for use in PSAT and SAT practice tests, and other reading assessment products.
DRC, Inc. – Minneapolis, MN
Mar 2003 – Oct 2012
Senior Editor
Licensing of third-party content for republication in federally mandated, statewide assessments. Writing and editing fiction and nonfiction, poetry and drama passages for high-stakes assessments in Reading and English Language Arts for state departments of education clients.
Coffee House Press – Minneapolis, MN
1995 – 1996
Editorial Intern & Reader
Reading manuscript submissions, administrative work in marketing and author relations.
Courses
I teach Fiction workshop courses through a variety of institutions and outlets. Find my latest offerings below.
The Loft
"Beyond the Basics," a ten-week online workshop course, begins June 17. Novelist and short story writers alike will benefit. The use of truisms to enrich theme. Fragments for a rhythmic voice. Free indirect style in third-person point of view. And more!
Gotham Writer's Workshop
Spring classes are underway. Summer offerings will be available soon!
Anahata
The Writer's Chakra. Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM we do some breath work and poses, then write to a prompt. Also: conversation on process, inspiration, and more. $15 suggested. Used to be in Uptown Kingston. Get the Zoom link
Aspiring Writer Syndrome
Instruction. Connection. Inspiration. Find lessons and prompts on choosing scenes, character appearance, stage directions with dialogue, and more.
Editorial Services
My calling card in the editorial game is that I straddle both sides. I'm a writer myself and have been on the receiving end of critiques. In my younger days as a writer, I was very sensitive to criticism and felt my every line was precious. For this reason, I take care with my communication. At the same time, I address the work on its terms. I've had clients become daunted by the depth of my assessment, but ultimately ask for more. I always express an understanding of how the novel operates and who the characters are, and frame revision suggestions in this context.
“Ben has remained at the helm with me, coaching me. For nearly two years, Ben has guided me toward a deeper understanding of the symbiotic balance between knowledge, skill, and application, and is teaching me about the magic that is borne of thoughtful orchestration and fearless execution.” –Stacy R., 2018, novelist
When it comes to edits, I don't deliver generalizations, and I can separate a pet peeves from a real editorial need. Some clients say my comments can be very funny. But what distinguishes me most is the tenor of my feedback. I write a lot in response, tracking my emotional and intellectual response to the work as I read. I believe there shouldn't be a single suggested change unexplained.
"Ben always gave great detailed feedback and I could tell that he sincerely cared about our progress as writers. He met each student where they were at, and I never felt judged. In terms of teaching style. Ben is great at giving explicit instructions and setting clear expectations, while maintaining a friendly comfortable tone." –Brooke D., 2015
Though I've edited many genre novels, my specialty is literary fiction--novels and short stories.
Visit the Contact page to inquire about your project's needs today!
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Appearances
In my role as a creative writer, past appearance have included:
• Interviewed on BBC Radio
• Interviewed at Strand Books for a documentary film screened in Milan, Italy
• Leading a novel-writing seminar with The Loft Literary Center
• Reading humor story "But Wait, There's More!" on KFAI Radio, Minneapolis, 2013
• Curating and co-hosting the Literary Salo+n, an event in Kingston's O+ Positive Festival, 2014 – 2016
• Tying for first place in a TMI Project story slam on the topic of Prince, 2017
• Reading at Pels Pie Co. with the organization Write for Democracy, 2019
• Curating and hosting, in 2020, For the Love of It, a monthly reading series for writers to practice performance
Use the Contact form to reach me about appearances.