Editorial support for authors and businesses

Whether you need a quick polish or a more in-depth edit, I offer several levels of editing to help both authors and businesses harness the power of language to engage their audiences. I'm available to work on a variety of projects but have a special interest in collaborating with

  • authors of fiction (especially literary fiction, mysteries, and speculative fiction) and creative nonfiction
  • businesses that provide holistic health and wellness services to people and their pets, including positive-reinforcement dog training

What's the difference?

Between editing and proofreading? Between line editing and copyediting? To clear up any confusion, I've explained my services in more detail below.

Copyediting | Line editing | Proofreading | Sample edits | Rates

Copyediting

Copyediting focuses on accuracy, clarity, and consistency. I’ll inspect your text in meticulous detail, aiming to minimize the mechanical errors that can distract readers and undermine their trust. A copyedit focuses on

  • fixing grammar, punctuation, and spelling
  • ensuring correct word choice (e.g., is it affect or effect?)
  • applying consistent styling to elements such as hyphenation, capitalization, abbreviations, and numbers*
  • confirming easily verifiable facts (e.g., names, historical dates, URLs)
  • querying inconsistencies in the story (e.g., is Sally a brunette in chapter 3 and a blonde in chapter 7?)
  • checking the accuracy of components such as the table of contents, headings, captions, and page numbers

Copyediting is often combined with line editing.

*I most commonly work with The Chicago Manual of Style but can use any style guide you choose.

Line editing

In line editing (sometimes called stylistic editing), the goal is to enhance your message by increasing overall readability and flow. I’ll scrutinize your text at the sentence and paragraph level, with an emphasis on organization, language, style, and voice. A line edit focuses on

  • revising ambiguous or awkward sentences
  • pruning wordiness and jargon
  • rearranging sentences in a more logical order
  • smoothing transitions
  • adjusting the tone and style to best serve your purpose and your target audience

Proofreading

Proofreading is the last step in the editorial process: a final check of a manuscript that has already been edited and formatted. I'll ferret out any lingering errors in the text, visuals, formatting, and style, so your work is as polished as it can be before you release it into the world.

Sample edits

Not sure what type of editing you need? Send me a section of your manuscript, and I’ll do a free, no-obligation sample edit (up to 1,000 words or 20% of the total size of your project, whichever is smaller) and advise you on the level of edit I think you need. This will also help you decide if I'm the right editor for you—line editing, especially, can be subjective, so it’s important that you feel comfortable with my editing style.

Rates

I charge by the project. Each project is unique, and the rate for your project will depend on factors such as the complexity of the subject and the level of edit requested. But to give you a rough idea of costs, starting rates are listed below.

Copyediting: Starting at $0.013 per word ($13 per 1,000 words)

Line editing: Starting at $0.017 per word ($17 per 1,000 words)

Proofreading: Starting at $0.012 per word ($12 per 1,000 words)

My minimum project fee is $35.

How it works

Tell me about your project

Email me or fill out my contact form, and we can discuss what you want to accomplish with your manuscript.

Review your sample edit & quote

Submit a portion of your manuscript. I’ll assess it and send you a free sample edit and a personalized quote.

Book your edit

Once we’ve agreed on the project details, I’ll send you a letter of agreement and an invoice for a deposit (usually 50% of the total project fee). Receipt of the deposit holds your spot in my schedule.

Send me your manuscript
& stay tuned

Get your manuscript to me by our agreed-upon start date, and I’ll get to work! If any pressing questions crop up while editing is in progress, I’ll contact you.

Review the edits

I’ll send you the edited manuscript and a style sheet (a record of my editorial decisions). I usually edit using Microsoft Word’s track changes, so you’ll be able to accept or reject each change individually.

Return your manuscript
for a final cleanup

Accept or reject changes, answer queries, and send back the manuscript. I’ll deliver a clean copy with all comments removed, along with a final invoice.