The Gist of It
As well as an author and artist, I am also a practicing editor and copy editor for fiction and nonfiction. I am currently employed at Written Dreams Publishing and Melange Books, and available for freelance work. I have my BFA in English (Creative Writing) and can give references upon request.
To contact me about editing your work, use the CONTACT page above and pick your method of choice! I will get back to you in 1-3 business days.
FOR PAYMENT, I TAKE 50% UPFRONT AND 50% WHEN YOUR WORK IS RETURNED TO YOU. THIS IS TO PROTECT BOTH OF US.
If for some reason I take on your project and am unable to complete it, your upfront money will be fully refunded.
Books I’ve Edited:
The Curious, Mysterious Happenings of Valentino and the MYSTC Lions
Scorpion Wind
Sara's Sacrifice
Becoming American
The Dark Queen
The Dark Evolution
The Dark Cage
Three Days to Choose
The Case of Shadow Revenge
Immune
Zana West's Diary
Kaleidoscope
Easy Save
The Slim Chance Tour
Thread of Evidence
And It'll Be Alright
The Girl Behind the Numbers
The Tell-all Guide to Airbnb Hosting
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Manuscript Copy Editing
Copy editing is proofreading bumped up a few notches. It’s the backbone of your story, all the nitty-gritty that makes up the big picture when you step back.
What’s Included:
● Basic grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Is the sentence correct? How about the dialogue tags? The spelling? Do you keep the same tense throughout the story? This is the normal proofreading procedure.
● Style check. I go sentence by sentence and make suggestions for how to improve readability. This may include removing passive voice, unnecessary details, clunky adverbs, and other flow-related work.
● Repetition check. Have you used the same word or phrase twice in the same paragraph? How about page? How about twelve different times across the manuscript? Repetition checks ensure the story is as concise and precise as possible.
● Technical consistency. Spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, you name it. Do you use email and e-mail interchangeably? How about toward/towards? I can and will catch it!
● Story consistency. I will make sure your characters keep the same eye color, your locations stay put, days of the week are in order, and no small plot point turns into a loose, unforgotten thread.
● Point of view. This one gets its own category. I will check your POV switches to make sure they’re clear, they happen where they’re supposed to, and there are no slips in the middle of scenes.
Pricing
● I charge $15/hr for copy editing at a pace of ~10 single-spaced pages an hour, depending on the manuscript.
● I will do a free sample hour of edits for you and give you an estimate of your project’s time/cost before you commit.
● All copy edits are done through the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word, with clarifying comments left as necessary.
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Manuscript Editing
Editing is the real deal. It’s handling the content of the brain-baby you’ve spent this long nursing, and making sure it’s as healthy as it can be for its respective market. My editing is primarily for audience reaction, marketability, and readability.
What’s Included:
● Copyediting. Everything listed above is also included in an edit. It will be the final readthrough of your manuscript, after all the bigger-picture questions are handled.
● Showing, not telling. I watch out for areas where backstory or explanation is dumped into the story, and advise on where it might be gently drizzled in along the way instead.
● Story progression. How is your pacing? Your character development? Do you have transitions that move like clockwork, and an ending that completes the story logically and agreeably? I am not looking to corral authors into traditional story arcs and cheesy happy endings, but I am looking for a story that makes sense and will work satisfactorily for your target audience.
● Realism. I don’t mean getting rid of the magic–that’s, like, the best part!–but making your story plausible for the world it’s in. If it’s fantasy/sci-fi, does your worldbuilding make sense? If it’s a cop drama, are you using correct police protocol? Are your characters getting stabbed through the back and suffering only a day’s bed rest? Could all of your events really happen?
● Scene-by-scene. Does every scene contribute in some way to the plot or character development? If not, I’ll give suggestions to rewrite or cut it out. If I feel like you’re missing a scene that could help you out, I’ll give you suggestions for writing that, too.
Pricing
● I charge $20/hr for content editing at a pace of 5-10 single-spaced pages an hour, depending on the manuscript.
● I will do a free sample hour of edits for you and give you an estimate of your project’s time/cost before you commit.
● All copy edits are done through the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word, with all content suggestions done through comments.
