I offer a variety of editorial services to meet each client’s individual needs: copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, manuscript evaluations, query letter coaching, and writing.

Copyediting

Copyediting is a must! This is the standard but very detailed kind of editing that every type of writing needs. Getting mechanical errors corrected is essential, above all else. Copyediting includes checking and correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, style, consistency, syntax, etc. This also involves following a specific style guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style. (I own a lot of reference books, in case you’re wondering.) Copyediting is what most people think of when they picture editing.

Copyedits of books 30,000 words and greater each come with a complimentary style sheet, which I’ll create and then update as I edit. Note that a style sheet is different from a style guide, and not every editor provides style sheets, but both style documents are important. A style sheet is a document unique to each book that contains specific editorial choices made for the purpose of consistency. It primarily enables me and later the proofreader (if applicable) to keep track of decisions made about grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, document formatting, idiom usage, numbering, page breaks, settings, main events, (for fiction) characters’ relevant details, and more. A style sheet should also contain a word list, which shows how specific words used are spelled, capitalized, and punctuated (e.g., coworker vs. co-worker, Journalism Department vs. journalism department). Managing such elements keeps editorial professionals on track to notice errors more easily and minimize inconsistencies. Authors planning to write sequels can especially benefit from having style sheets to refer to.

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Developmental editing

Developmental editing is a big-picture, deep kind of editing. With fiction, the focus is on repairing issues with and then enhancing plot, character development, dialogue, narration, story goals, flow, etc. Sometimes I find story holes, and I often ask questions that I believe readers would ask. With nonfiction, the focus is typically on structure and organization of content, flow, voice, and missing or incomplete information. Periodic rewrites may be needed for both fiction and nonfiction.

Developmental edits of books 30,000 words and greater each come with a complimentary editorial assessment letter, which addresses your book’s main areas that need improvement, often expanding on what I initially touched on in the manuscript document itself via comments left. This letter also goes over your book’s strengths and weaknesses, plus my overall takeaway and any general suggestions I may have for your book and its future.

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Proofreading

Proofreading is the final step in the editing process. It’s often confused with copyediting, but the two are different. It’s important to understand that a book/document is only ready for proofreading if it’s already been (professionally) copyedited. A proofreader looks for and corrects any remaining mechanical errors and style issues and also follows the copyeditor’s style sheet to ensure consistency. Most errors should have already been caught by this stage, so this type of review should be quicker if it’s a true proofread. Final formatting is also checked if the layout has already been done. (Then the proofread is typically done in a PDF, not a Word doc.) Formatting issues such as widows and orphans, plus rags and rivers, are addressed if found. It is generally recommended to get a proofreader different from the copyeditor to have a fresh set of eyes review the project.

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Manuscript evaluations

If you’re unsure where your book stands and you want a professional, honest, in-depth evaluation of it, this diagnostic option is the way to go. It’s also a good choice if you’re not quite ready for editing but you still want feedback. With a manuscript evaluation, I’ll read your whole book and then document strengths and weaknesses, both on a developmental level (i.e., content, big picture) and also touch on a copyediting level (i.e., mechanics related, detailed). Additionally, I’ll detail my takeaway of your book—my impression of characters, plot points, dialogue, pacing, etc.—and how I believe readers would react. An evaluation also covers the type of publishing I recommend (self vs. traditional), if you’ve expressed interest in that, plus various other suggestions.

Note: To compare with a developmental edit, both receive an editorial assessment letter, but with a developmental edit, I make actual big-picture corrections in the book as well (e.g., strengthen dialogue where needed), plus leave comments throughout with suggestions and questions. With a manuscript evaluation, it comes with minimal comments in the book and an editorial assessment letter but no corrections. The eval is more of an overview / general assessment of your book with some guidance, whereas the developmental edit is hands-on help from me to correct big-picture issues. It’s completely up to you which service is the better fit for you, but note that both are not necessary for the same book.

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Query letter coaching

If you’re interested in pursuing traditional publishing for your book (think Penguin Random House and HarperCollins), then you’ll need to seek a literary agent after the editing process is complete. To successfully land a literary agent, you need a killer query letter. (Not just any old letter will do.) Agents read many letters every day, so yours needs to stand out, and it should contain specific components presented in an appealing, templatized way. I’ll help you get those boxes checked to ensure your query letter will grab the attention of the agent who’s right for you.

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Writing

Though my bigger passion is editing, I still enjoy writing and keep those skills polished. It’s my belief that every great editor should be a great writer first. Press releases, website content (e.g., blog posts), etc. are common things I write. Just let me know what you need!