Editing Services
Professional Member of Editorial Freelancers Association and Publishers Marketplace.
NOTE: If you're seeking editing help with a book, dissertation, or thesis, please see the Manuscript Services page.
BASIC EDITING SERVICES
Critique/Evaluation
This service is for anyone who has written a first draft and is ready for a set of trained eyes to provide suggestions for content and structural improvement; I will also note error patterns in grammar and punctuation. This service is especially important for those with publishing intentions.
Developmental Editing
With developmental editing, the editor and client work back and forth on a piece to get it to where it needs to be, depending on the writer’s goals.
Substantive/Structural Editing
This edit is focused on structural development, organization, and clarity. It may involve rearranging sections or paragraphs for impact or clarity; adding transitional words or sentences; and clarifying content on a sentence-by-sentence level. What makes this service different from developmental editing is the freedom you give me to edit—essentially, you are giving me permission to edit your draft as I see fit.
Copy Editing/Line Editing
Once you are satisfied with your work’s content and structure, it’s time for a copy edit. I will go through your piece—line by line, word by word—with an eye toward fixing grammatical and punctuation errors and making sure style is consistently applied.
Items covered in this edit include:
- Fixing grammatical and punctuation errors
- Checking the spelling of proper nouns and names
- Keeping a style sheet to ensure that terms, numbers, etc. are treated consistently within the piece
- Pointing out basic stylistic issues (e.g., clichés, jargon) and inconsistencies
Stylistic Editing
This edit focuses on language and voice. Stylistic editing involves a focused attention to making sure a piece’s language is not only appropriate to the piece (or story) but also to its audience. In a short story, this could mean ensuring that the language used by the characters is in keeping with the story’s time period or the characters’ ages, for example. In nonfiction, a stylistic edit could mean eliminating jargon, reducing wordiness, fixing excessive passive voice, and breaking up long sentences for readability.
Proofreading
By this stage, your content is rich and organized well, and the sentences are smooth, readable, and interesting. There are no grammatical errors. Proofreading is the final once-over for any straggling typos, misspellings, and errors.
Contact me for assistance in any of the above areas.
OTHER SERVICES
Fact-Checking: If your piece is information-rich, you would benefit from having it fact-checked. I will double-check facts and figures, ensure quotation accuracy, and point out places of potential legal consequence. (NOTE: I am not a lawyer. If you plan on publishing a memoir with details concerning others, I highly recommend having it read by a lawyer before publication. This way, you can prevent any potential legal backlash.)
Research: My background has trained me to be an excellent researcher! If you are pressed for time and need some quality, reliable research materials for your project, let me gather those for you.
Citation Pages: I can create or edit your citation pages, if desired. I have experience working with a number of citation styles.
Typing Services: My keyboarding classes taught me well, and I am a swift typer. No looking at the fingers for me! If this task is a chore to you, I can help.
Consultation and Coaching: I offer consultation and coaching on a variety of writing-, editing-, and publishing-related topics. See Manuscript Services > Consultation and Coaching for a more extensive listing.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further information on any of these services or if your editing need is not listed above. I may still be able to help you or refer you to someone who can.