About

Welcome to Jump Off The Page Editing! I’m Shelby Harbour—former English teacher, reformed overexplainer, and your new favorite editor.

During my decade in the classroom (6 years in the US and 4 in Prague, Czechia), I spent countless hours helping students find the right words, clarify their thoughts, and make every sentence earn its place. Then, a chance opportunity to proofread for a local NGO cracked open a whole new career path. Two courses with Knowadays later, I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve worked with clients on everything from religious nonfiction and memoirs to business books and online course content. All of these projects have had something in common: a story worth telling and a writer who cared deeply about getting it right.

There’s nothing I love more than helping words jump off the page for all the right reasons.

When I’m not living in my editing cave, you’ll find me savoring a bowl of queso or binge-watching K-dramas. (Even editors need their guilty pleasures!)

To get to know more about me and my editing style, check out my interview with Tara Whitaker below:

Trainings and Professional Memberships

• Knowadays Becoming a Proofreader (completed February 2023)
• Knowadays Becoming an Editor (completed December 2023)
• Poynter ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing (completed April 2024)
• Member of ACES: The Society for Editing (since April 2024)

AI Policy

While AI has the potential to assist me in my work, it does have limits and concerns. Here is a breakdown of how AI is and is not used at Jump Off The Page Editing.

AI will not be used to:

• Replace my role as your editor
• Analyze any of your content without your permission
• Make editorial changes without being reviewed by me (e.g., Grammarly)

AI may be used to:

• Do a pre-edit check for spelling, punctuation, or typos allowing me to focus on clarity, consistency, reader experience, and conciseness (e.g., Grammarly)
• Give me ideas for social media content