I help authors clarify and present their messages in ways that best reflect their creativity, writing styles, messages, and intent. As a content editor, I focus on helping authors structure their manuscripts to share the information in ways that will benefit their audience and reduce reader confusion. I offer developmental/content editing for nonfiction, Christian, poetry, and children’s stories. I provide copyediting for the genres listed and general fiction.

I offer feedback from multiple positions – editor, author, sensitivity reader, etc. – so my comments may address points not previously considered, which is often a benefit to writers.

Getting started:

Authors message me about their projects and include subject matter/topic, any deadlines they have, and word count so that I can estimate the time needed to invest and availability. I invite authors to have a brief meeting to determine if I am the editor to work on the manuscript and to discuss any concerns that should be addressed.

If we decide that we’d like to work together, we move forward.

Beta Reading

This is a feedback report of my impressions as a reader as I go through your manuscript. This is not as extensive as a manuscript critique/review. I will have some inline comments. I encourage authors to let me know what they’d like me to consider as I read. I usually provide beta reading for adult and children’s fiction.

Rate: $0.005 per word; minimum $15

Manuscript Critique

For those who would like some developmental assistance but are not ready to commit to a full edit:

An author’s manuscript should be “completed” or nearly completed when the story is sent to me for review (I need something to read). I will read through and leave some in-line comments (content edits) as well as feedback on the overall text. The number of comments and length of feedback will vary by project.

Authors may choose this service to determine what, if any, changes they would like to apply to their manuscripts. If no more assistance is needed, authors move to copyediting and work on polishing their books before publication. If authors decide they need more assistance to make their books stronger, we make plans to complete the book.

Rate: $0.015 per word; minimum $30

Developmental Editing

The author and I will set up a schedule for working on the manuscript. If the text has already been reviewed, we work on getting chapters revised or rewritten and organized. We may use MS Word and/or Google docs. We’ll set a timeline for when material should be exchanged, read, and updated to help the author advance toward publishing goals.

Rate:

  1. Developmental Editing – $0.03 – $0.04 per word
    – includes one zoom call after manuscript review to discuss writer’s direction, answer questions about notes, and to keep the writer progressing
  2. Developmental Editing plus Coaching – DE rate + $50 for each additional week to meet via zoom or receive additional assistance by email for extra support and other book-related questions. This option works well for authors who prefer a lot of interaction with an editor, those who have
    – coaching sessions can be added in separately on an as-needed basis 

Book Coaching/Consulting

This is usually requested as an add-on to developmental editing to assist the author with learning the process of self-publishing, such as ideas for marketing, walking the author through specific websites or programs, help writing descriptions, researching, etc.

Rate: Message your request