Services
Depending on the service or services you choose, I guarantee you between two and five rounds of work on your manuscript.
Before you decide whether or not to hire me, I'll gladly edit a sample of your manuscript for free and without any obligation to you. Just ask here. This will give you a good idea of what I can do for your manuscript, and I'll have a good sense of the editing needed. Then you can decide if what I do and the way I do it is what you're looking for and if you think we could work well together.
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Bear in mind that I am often booked up weeks or sometimes months in advance, so contact me as early in your self-publishing journey as you can.
Please only make payments once you have an invoice!
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LINE EDITING, COPY EDITING
& PROOFREADING TRIO (Most Popular)
Refine your writing and improve its overall impact on the reader, then polish and fine-tune it to make your finished book magnificent.
Your manuscript will receive five rounds of editing, consisting of two of line editing, one of copy editing, and two of meticulous proofreading. Before I start the editing process, I'll read through and report on any structural issues I may pick up. This is not a formal developmental edit, though.
All rounds are described below.
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PRICE: (USD) 5c/word
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LINE EDITING
Sometimes, this is referred to as copy editing.
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Refine your writing and improve its overall impact on the reader.
Line editing a manuscript is like bringing a picture into sharper focus. This is done by helping with the clarity, flow, and effectiveness of individual sentences and paragraphs, as well as the accuracy of factual content. It involves examining a manuscript to ensure that each paragraph and sentence is well-crafted, concise, and engaging and that there are no factual errors or general inconsistencies. In fiction editing, this includes the presentation and structure of dialogue and, where applicable, enhancing character voice rather than correcting it.
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I always do two rounds of line editing.
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Here are the specific aspects I address:
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​Story: I look for any plot holes and possible contradictions. For example, timeframes or the length of a character's hair.
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Choreography: I make sure time, place, and action are all physically possible and logical and that there's enough description to kick-start the reader's imagination, but not so much that it becomes tedious.
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Fact-checking: I investigate things like dates, citations, places, and names to be sure they're accurate.
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Sentence structure: I identify awkward phrasing and restructure sentences for clarity and coherence. This may involve getting rid of run-on sentences and, where appropriate, breaking up long sentences, combining short sentences, or rearranging clauses to improve understanding. I also identify the best version of repetitive sentences or paragraphs.
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Word choice: I look for ways to improve accuracy and adapt redundant words and phrases, and I identify word echoes, tautology, overused or tedious vocabulary, including cliché, and incorrect word usage. I may suggest alternative words or phrases that better convey the meaning or tone as well as ways in which to show the reader what you want to say rather than telling them.
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Flow and transition: I ensure the text moves smoothly from one point to another, avoiding abrupt shifts or disjointed connections, and that word order is correct. This may involve moving words, sentences, or paragraphs around.
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Consistency: I make sure that language and style throughout the document are consistent with established guidelines or style guides. For example, the use of capitals, hyphens, or italics.
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Pacing and rhythm: I may suggest changes to paragraph or sentence length or structure to improve flow, keep the reader engaged, or highlight important points.
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Clarity and conciseness: I help eliminate unnecessary words or phrases, simplify vocabulary and complex sentences, and clarify ambiguous or confusing passages or phrases. I also identify fog or fuzziness in a story. This is wording that results in the reader having to re-read something to make sure they've understood.
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PRICE: (USD) 4c/word
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COPY EDITING
Sometimes, this is referred to as line editing.
Polish your writing.
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Copy editing is a bit like proofreading on steroids, although it doesn't replace proofreading. It is editing at a sentence level rather than line editing's level of both sentence and paragraph. Note that the finish of your manuscript will not be as refined as is achieved by line editing.
Copy editing is concerned with the technical aspects of the text, including errors and inconsistencies in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It involves a detailed sentence-by-sentence, word-by-word review of your manuscript to improve readability, accuracy, and consistency.
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I always do two rounds of copy editing.
These are the most common tasks I undertake:
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Accuracy: I make sure facts and information are reliable and credible.
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Technical errors: I check that grammar and spelling are correct and that there are no typos or missing or repeated words.
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Consistency: I ensure that the use of language and style is consistent throughout and follows the style guide or publishing guidelines. This aspect also includes checking the consistency of paragraphing style, formatting of captions, heading levels, and the consistent and correct formatting of aspects like bullets, numbers, date, and time.
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Important: this is not the same as formatting your manuscript for printing or uploading as an eBook.
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​PRICE: (USD) 2.5c/word
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PROOFREADING
Fine-tune your writing by making sure every i is dotted and every t is crossed!!
This is the last step and does not replace line or copy editing. It's the final polish that makes sure your work will shine when it faces the world.
My proofreading always consists of two meticulous rounds.
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I will go through your manuscript, paying close attention to details and identifying mistakes that may have been overlooked in earlier rounds of editing. This includes:
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Checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation
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Standardizing (or standardising) things like the use of capitals and hyphens
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Correcting inconsistencies
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Eliminating typos, incorrect word usage, and improper sentence structure
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Ensuring that style guidelines have been correctly followed
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Basic fact-checking, such as dates
PRICE: (USD) 1.5c/word
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