Editing Services
Developmental Editing
If you want help improving your story as a whole, you’ll need developmental editing. For many authors, this is the best place to start, whether you plan to self-publish or go the traditional route.
During a developmental edit, I’ll take a look at your characters, plot, worldbuilding, and other big-picture elements. I’ll give you guidance on how to fix any broader issues and improve your storytelling.
Manuscript Evaluation
If you want developmental feedback on a broader level and at a lower price point, a manuscript evaluation might be a good choice. This can work well prior to a full developmental edit or in place of one as a more affordable alternative.
A manuscript evaluation focuses on the same big-picture issues as a developmental edit (including characters, plot, and worldbuilding) but I present all feedback in a separate revision letter rather than as comments in the manuscript document.
Line Editing
If you want to increase the quality of your writing, you may be interested in a line edit. Copyediting always includes some line editing, and developmental editing often does as well, but some manuscripts will also benefit from a dedicated line edit.
I’ll identify places where your words aren’t working as well as you want them to and find ways to help them flow better. Smoothing out any kinks in your writing will help you tell a more compelling story that keeps your readers engaged.
Copyediting
If you want me to go through your manuscript and fix the errors that could get in the way of a reader’s experience, you’ll want to consider copyediting. You are ready for this stage if all the big-picture elements are in place and will require no adjustment.
For a copyedit, I read each word carefully to make sure everything is correct and consistent. I’ll also point out any internal contradictions in the manuscript that could distract readers and pull them out of your story.
Proofreading
A proofread is a final quality check where I focus on the same mechanical errors that copyediting deals with, catching anything that was missed in prior stages of the editing process. This won’t be a good use of your money if you plan to get published traditionally, but it’s an important step for self-publishers.
It’s very rare for a manuscript that hasn’t already been through at least one round of copyediting to be ready for proofreading.
Other Services I Offer
In addition to helping you improve your story and the quality of your writing, I would love to help you sell your book to readers, or to agents and publishers if you plan to go the traditional publishing route.
For most self-published novels I edit, I also edit the blurbs and author bios. For most of the traditionally published novels I edit, I also edit query letters and synopses. I go into more detail about both services below.
Because I care about helping you to make your books successful, I offer a range of supplementary services that provide editing and marketing advice for other promotional materials including websites, ads, social media posts, covers/graphics, and more.
Blurbs & Author Bios
I edit blurbs and author bios for self-publishing authors to help you attract the right readers and convince them to buy your book.
My blurb edits include both developmental feedback to make sure you’re attracting the right audience and copyediting help to smooth out the writing and catch stray errors.
Query Letters & Synopses
I edit query letters and synopses for authors pursuing traditional publishing to help you introduce your novel to agents in a way that effectively sells your story.
Query editing is about much more than fixing your grammar. I can assess what agents are looking for and ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward.
I only offer query editing as a part of full novel edits.