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. My strengths are with nonfiction, Christian, and children’s stories. I also provide copyediting for general nonfiction, poetry, youth literature, and short 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/word; minimum $15
Manuscript Critique
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 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: $0.01/word; minimum $15
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 to the author’s satisfaction. We may use MS Word and/or Google docs. We’ll set a timeframe for when material should be exchanged, read, and updated to help the author advance toward publishing goals.
Rate:
- Developmental Editing – $0.035/word to $0.040/word
– includes one zoom call after manuscript review to discuss writer’s direction, answer questions about notes, and to get writer started - DE plus Coaching – DE rate + $50/week for up to 90 minutes on zoom
– coaching sessions can be added in separately on an as-needed basis
Two options are available:
- Basic email exchange: Author takes notes from the manuscript review, revises full document, and notifies editor when text is ready to be read. Editor works on the manuscript and sends author an email when finished.
- Coaching: Editor is available for weekly zoom support to assist author with fleshing out ideas, screensharing (as necessary), working on small sections (ex. individual chapters). This option is preferred for authors who would like a more hands-on approach as they update their work to get feedback as they make changes.
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