FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I will give you an initial estimate and will provide a custom quote after hearing about your project and evaluating a sample of your manuscript. Proofreading will be at the low end of the scale, while developmental editing or ghostwriting will entail more work and will be charged at a slightly higher rate. I generally charge by the word, with the lowest rate being .01 cent per word. Manuscript critiques are a flat rate of $150.00 for fifty pages. More information can be found on my website. New customers receive a book on writing craft and a five percent discount for subsequent work. I accept Zelle and Venmo as well as personal checks.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Clients will send an email summarizing what they are seeking in an editing professional, and I will respond quickly to answer your questions. I will ask for a sample of your manuscript so I can ascertain the level of editing required (or a phone call if you prefer, especially if you are seeking ghostwriting services), and I will provide a quote for the job and an estimate of the time required to complete the project. Client will attach the manuscript to an email, in Microsoft Word, using 12 pt. Times New Roman font, and I will use Word's Track Changes function to edit your work. Ghostwriting follows a different, customized process. My preferred communication is by email, however I will chat by phone if that would be a more efficient way to discuss the project. When my work is complete, I will return the manuscript to you. When you are finished looking it over and accepting or rejecting my changes, you may send it back for a final pass so I can clean up any remaining issues, and I will return it to you promptly. Any matters that need to deviate from this procedure can be discussed. Ghostwriting will require a more tailored approach and is much more collaborative. I will need to speak with you in person, either by phone or video chat, in order to get a good grasp of your voice, style, and tone. We will discuss many things related to your desires for your book. I have an introductory questionnaire to help us establish a working method. Ghostwriting is an enjoyable and exciting endeavor for both the client and the writer and nothing to be feared.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a certificate in copyediting from the University of California San Diego Extension and ten years of experience writing and editing fiction and nonfiction books. I have ghostwritten a good handful of books for clients who have stories they want to tell but don't know how to write them and don't have the time to learn. My previous education includes a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. I have knowledge of medical diseases and terminology from my previous education and my work as an office manager of a medical consulting business. I lived on a farm and have experience with animals, hunting, hiking, child-rearing, and travel. My own fiction writing includes science fiction and medical suspense, including romance and historical components. I am widely read in both inspirational and women's fiction, as well as the genres I write. I especially love people's life stories and memoirs and have edited and ghostwritten quite a few of these. Having a wide range of life experiences helps me to write and edit many different kinds of stories.