Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know which type of editing my document needs?
- What kinds of documents will you edit?
- How long will an edit take?
- What type of manuscripts do you evaluate?
- Do I need to send my entire manuscript for you to do an evaluation, or can I send just a few chapters at a time?
- What happens once I send my manuscript to you for evaluation?
- How long will an evaluation take?
- What do you charge for your services?
- Do you work with writers who plan to self-publish?
How do I know which type of editing my document needs?
If you have a completed manuscript or document that has never been assessed, you will want to start with a ‘big-picture’ edit (substantive/structural) to ensure that the work is organized, the ideas are presented logically and transition smoothly, and that there is consistency and balance in, and between, each section of the work. This is the time to check the level of detail in each part (too much here, gaps there...), make sure the message is being appropriately presented to the intended audience, and that there is clarity of purpose. This stage of editing normally comes before a more detailed copy edit as there can be major structural and content changes. This type of edit often requires more author/editor communication than other edits.
When you feel confident that you have the content and structure of your work in place, it’s time for a more detailed edit to correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and other writing errors (copyediting). This may be very basic, sticking to the correction of technical errors, or may be more in-depth, with changes to sentence structure, word usage, and other non-mechanical elements to ensure clarity, flow and consistent style (stylistic editing).
Finally, when a document or manuscript has been edited, formatted, and is ready to be printed, it should be proofed to catch any typos or errors that were missed during the copy edit or added while changes were being made (proofreading).
Depending on a client’s needs, only one or all levels of editing may be required. If a client is unsure about what needs to be done, a free evaluation of the work will be completed before we negotiate cost, type of edit to be completed, and time-lines.
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What kinds of documents will you edit?
I will edit most documents, from business letters to pamphlets, book manuscripts to academic papers, and most other work. I especially enjoy working with other authors on their creative writing projects, but I will consider most jobs.
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How long will an edit take?
The length of time I will need to complete an edit depends on the length of the document, the writing skills of the author, the number of jobs I am currently working on, and the type of edit that is requested. Every project is assessed BEFORE a time/cost estimate is given, unless I am working with a repeat client and already have a good idea of the difficulty level involved. Project times range from a couple of hours for a quick proofread to several weeks for a
multi-level, in-depth edit on a book-length manuscript.
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What type of manuscripts do you evaluate?
I will evaluate all personal and professional creative writing projects, in all genres, adult and children’s, including literary and mainstream fiction, memoir, creative non-fiction, and trade non-fiction. I do not evaluate poetry, scholarly works, business or technical writing, although I will edit these.
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Do I need to send my entire manuscript for you to do an evaluation, or can I send just a few chapters at a time?
To do a more detailed evaluation, I prefer to see the entire manuscript.
No, it isn’t necessary for me to see the entire manuscript to do an evaluation and I certainly encourage writers to submit their first chapters if this is how they prefer to approach the evaluation. For a novel, I like to see at least the first thirty pages (the more the better). This gives me enough to get a sense of your approach to the story, your basic writing skills, and weak areas that you can begin to work on as you progress in writing your story. I cannot comment on the larger structural issues and overall development of the story without seeing the completed manuscript, but a partial evaluation can be very useful as you work through the writing process.
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What happens once I send my manuscript to you for evaluation?
I will read your entire manuscript at least twice. The first time through, I will be getting a sense of your voice and style, what the story is about, and my initial impressions about the story’s strengths and weaknesses. I approach this initial reading as if I were a typical, busy acquisitions editor or agent. What about this story will make or break it at this point? During this first reading, I am writing general comments about the larger developmental issues: your handling of setting, character development, plot and subplots, momentum and tension, dialogue and so forth.
On the second reading, I will be focusing on more specific details, such as timing, language use, transitions, stereotyping, biased writing, areas of confusion, descriptiveness and clarity. This is not an edit, so I will not go into specific detail about grammar, spelling, etc, but I will point out whether I think you need to deal with this or not.
You will receive a 3-10 page, detailed evaluation with a chapter-by-chapter breakdown, as well as ‘overall’ comments. In this written report I will address the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses, make suggestions for revision, and give my impressions of the marketability of the work at the time of reading. You will be invited to contact me by e-mail with any questions or concerns you might have about my evaluation.
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How long will an evaluation take?
I ask writers to allow six weeks for a thorough evaluation, although I will usually have the work back to you much sooner than this.
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What do you charge for your services?
Please see ‘Services and Fees’ for a detailed breakdown of costs for services.
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Do you work with writers who plan to self-publish?
Yes, I will work with any writers, including those who plan to self-publish, attempt to be commercially published, or who write for their own personal purposes. All writers benefit from having fresh eyes reviewing their work!
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