What qualifies you to be a professional editor?

Proper education and training are key. The following are my educational credentials:

• I earned my bachelor’s degree in mass communication with an emphasis in print journalism. I specialized in editing in undergrad and loved every minute of it.
• It’s important to continue learning, so I completed a respected university-level editing certificate program and have taken additional continuing-education editing courses since then.
• In 2020, I earned my master’s degree in publishing with an editorial emphasis.

At the beginning of my career, I gained experience in publishing and journalism. Also, I worked as a technical editor in the oil and gas field for a few years, and then I started Editor Amy in 2013. I’ve since edited numerous books and other documents of every type and have also worked as an editor and proofreader for multiple independent publishers. Furthermore, I have technical-editing experience in the IT and learning-consulting fields, as well as medical-editing experience. All in all, I’ve worked as a professional editor and proofreader for over fifteen years. I’m also an award-winning author myself, so I know what it’s like to be on both sides during the editing process.

Additionally, I’m a member of the following professional organizations:

1. The American Copy Editors Society (ACES)
2. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)
3. The Houston Writers Guild
4. The Writers’ League of Texas
5. The International Society of Managing and Technical Editors

Finally, I’m a coordinator of the EFA Houston chapter.

I already looked over my work and used spell check (or a relative). Why do I need an editor?

It’s certainly important to check your own work; you want to be sure you covered everything you set out to. Unfortunately, you’re very likely to overlook errors that a professional (key word!) third party would catch, as you’re too close to the content. You know what you meant to say, so you’re going to read it as if it’s there, even if you actually left out a crucial word or used the wrong form of one. (Spell checks only catch obvious spelling errors, not accidents such as typing “through” instead of “thorough.”)

Plus, there are many, many rules and guidelines a knowledgeable editor will consider when editing. Proper editing goes far beyond the grammar rules taught in English classes. It also has many gray areas to it; it’s not black and white. Additionally, a great editor has an ear for language and can hear weak and awkward spots in sentences—and know how to repair them.

On another note, a great editor is a lover of words and a master of mechanics, and that editor should always help ensure a writer’s work can be easily understood and the writer’s voice remains intact. My promise: I will only enhance and never take away from your work. (See my Testimonials page for reviews.)

What do you edit, and how is it processed?

(To view the editorial services I offer, check out my Services page.)

What: Really, almost anything, though books make up the bulk of my work. (I’ve worked in many genres, such as adult literary fiction, traditional nonfiction, young adult [YA], children’s literature, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, crime, historical fiction, etc.) Common examples of what I edit include novels/books, short stories, query letters, medical literature (STEM), technical documents, journal articles, chapters to be sent to literary agents, websites, résumés, newsletters, and so on. Just ask!

How: I can edit a Microsoft Word document with Track Changes turned on beforehand so you can see all of my proposed changes and then go through them yourself, plus you can make revisions as necessary (I strongly recommend this option), or I can send you a clean Word doc with my corrections already integrated.

Also, I send all my clients who opt for the first option a complimentary short guide I created about using Track Changes and incorporating my recommended settings, so even if you’re not currently familiar with Track Changes, you’re covered!

What do you charge?

To start with, it depends on the editorial service(s) chosen and the project.

• Books/documents at and over 30,000 words generally cost 1.13 to 3.5 cents per word, depending on the type of editing requested (e.g., developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading), word count, writing condition (for me to determine), deadline, and whether a discount applies. (STEM rates may differ slightly, so please inquire about those.) Books/documents under 30,000 words are priced hourly, at $42 to $52, depending on the type of editing. (Again, STEM rates may differ slightly.)
  • • Note: I offer a discount for combining multiple services!
    • Please be aware that this is only an approximate representation of rates I use. Trying to calculate a project’s cost yourself will not give you an accurate price. Please contact me to receive an actual price quote.
• Manuscript evaluation costs vary, depending on book length.
• Query letter coaching is $52 per hour.
• Finally, my writing rate is $52 to $64 per hour, depending on the type of writing (e.g., PR, STEM).

Rest assured that all my rates are fair, competitive, and recommended for independent editorial professionals!

Follow the instructions on my Contact Me page to receive your own price estimate. Additionally, ask about my new-client discount (can be combined with the combo-services discount) and a free sample copyedit!