FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I specialize in fiction, particularly the romance, speculative, historical, and suspense genres. Proofreading 1–1.5¢ per word Free your writing from distracting errors. This is the final check before publishing that looks for typos and errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, formatting, and word use. I use The Chicago Manual of Style unless otherwise specified. Copyediting and Line Editing 2–4¢ per word Copyediting looks at the four Cs: clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness. It includes everything covered by proofreading plus correcting syntax to improve readability, checking facts, and creating a style sheet to maintain consistency. Copyediting looks for problems such as misplaced modifiers, inconsistency, plot holes or missing information, potential libel and copyright issues, lack of parallelism, and awkward phrasing. Line editing looks at the tone, flow, clarity, and language of content. It involves evaluating the writing line by line to ensure the author is making the most of every sentence. The goal is to improve the content so that it is effective and engaging for the target audience. Line editing looks for problems such as redundancies, unnecessary modifiers, empty words or phrases that add no value, passive voice when active should be used, and ambiguity. See my website for more specifics on line editing. Since copyediting and line editing overlap and my clients usually need both, I offer these together as one service. I can do a free sample edit so that I can more accurately estimate how much time your content will need and you can get a better idea of what to expect from my editing. Fiction Manuscript Evaluation $400+ This consists of reading the manuscript and writing an in-depth editorial report that analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the fiction writing techniques. This is not a line-by-line edit, and nothing in the manuscript is changed. Instead, examples from your manuscript of what was done well and what needs improvement are used to show you how to improve the writing. I take the opportunity to point out any big-picture issues that ought to be addressed before the copyediting stage but focus on line craft issues such as viewpoint slips, effective use of descriptions, overwriting or underwriting, use of filter words or tentative language that can be cut, showing versus telling, and dialogue techniques, as well as a general assessment of the grammar, punctuation, and word usage. This service is included in the copyediting/line editing package, so if you hire me to do a manuscript evaluation and then editing, the cost of the evaluation will be credited toward the editing package.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Contact me with information about your content (such as topic, genre, length, target audience, publishing goals, which level of editing it needs, etc.) and any questions you have for me, and I will respond with my availability. I don't edit nonfiction, children's books, memoir, erotica, or horror. Send me your document, and I will give you a quote along with a free sample edit. I need to look over your entire manuscript to make sure we are a good fit and to give you an accurate quote. I can edit in MS Word with Track Changes and in Adobe Acrobat with Comments. See my website for instructions on Track Changes. Sign the letter of agreement and pay the deposit (50 percent of the quote) before editing begins. If you are booking my services more than a month in advance, a first payment of $100 will hold your spot on my calendar. I accept payment by credit card, bank payment, or Zelle. I will send you an invoice for the final payment and email your document when payment is received.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a BA in technical communication. I completed the High-Level Proofreading and Copyediting Pro and the Art of Line Editing training courses taught by Edit Republic and Fiction Boot Camp taught by The PEN Institute.