EDITING
Humans are hard-wired for story, and every type of story and genre brings with it its own set of expectations. How well your book meets those expectations—while still delivering a memorable reading experience—is the difference between creating a fan for life or an unsatisfied reader with a one-star review! As an editor, I bring a deep understanding of how story works, as well as how structure affects pacing and reader engagement, and help you apply any number of different methods to be sure that the underpinnings support the story you want to tell. Additionally, my psychological approach to evaluating character development means no more two-dimensional cardboard characters… only ones who touch readers’ hearts and stick with them long after the last page is turned.
I also take a measured approach to line editing—I never try to fit your words into a homogenized industry box. Rather, my job is to make sure that your distinct authorial voice shines through and that every thought is expressed on the page in the clearest and most concise way possible. By eliminating repetition and highlighting your unique wordcraft, precise line editing ensures that the story takes shape in the reader’s mind in a beautifully visual way. I pay particular attention to the way that your writing sounds—an essential consideration for future audiobook production.
Contact me with the details of your projectand I’ll get back to you with a customized quote!
Blank
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Genres
I edit the following genres:
- Contemporary fiction
- Contemporary romance
- Women’s fiction
- Fantasy
- Contemporary speculative fiction
- Dystopian
- Space opera
- Christian fiction that falls into any of the above genres
I do not edit these subgenres of the above categories:
- Amish romance
- Erotica or erotic romance
- Grimdark
- Horror
- Hard science fiction
If you don’t see your genre on the list but think it might fit within my expertise, please feel free to inquire via my contact form!
Editing FAQs
What levels of editing do you offer?
I offer both content/substantive editing and line editing. While I do my best to catch grammar and style errors, I am not a copyeditor. I always suggest that you use a separate copyeditor prior to publication. I also offer “final pass” proofreading services if you need a last set of eyes before publication.
What’s the difference between content editing and line editing?
Content editing is the “big picture” editing—including but not limited to premise, character development, plot, and pacing. This phase is focused on getting the broad strokes of the story across in the most effective way possible, while taking into account the conventions of the genre and market expectations.
Line editing is a close-up look at the writing—word choice, phrasing, sentence structure, repetition, and rhythm. If content editing is the what, then line editing is the how. At this phase, I also point out specific areas to be fact checked, though I often do the fact-checking myself if it’s not specialized knowledge.
Can we combine the content and line edits?
Sometimes. A more experienced author is more likely to benefit from a combination content/line edit than a new author. I let the author know if we can perform a combo edit once I’ve been able to look over the full manuscript. After all, if large chunks of the story will have to be revised, it doesn’t make sense to line edit/fact check scenes that may not even exist in the final iteration.
Why don’t you edit genres besides the ones you listed above?
Although I read widely across all genres, there are some genres with which I’m just not familiar enough to do a thorough job of content editing. Each genre has its own requirements and expectations, and with certain genres–hard science fiction, for example—I’m just not confident I would catch the clichés and deal-breakers that would hurt it in the marketplace. If you’re not sure how to classify your genre or you think your book might be a good fit for me, send me a thorough message describing your project. For example, contemporary romance with a light suspense thread falls within my area of expertise; a medical thriller without a romance thread would not.
What’s your standard pricing?
Every author and project are different, so I customize my fees accordingly. My top priority—besides helping you publish the best book you can write—is providing my clients with value for money. I don’t want to charge you for a full content edit when you may only need a few plot pointers and a thorough line edit! Likewise, I’m willing to take on books that need a greater level of work than many editors will accept, but an extensive, multi-round edit will naturally cost more than a polished manuscript that only needs a single pass.
If you have a budget in mind in for your editing, please let me know up front when you contact me. I always do my best to get my clients the editing they need for a price they can afford.
Do you offer discounts?
Yes, I do offer discounts for clients who request multiple services, whether it be critique + proofreading or content + line editing. Also, if you’re a critique client who books editing services with me within the next year, I offer a substantial discount on your content editing.