Our Services
Schedule as of May 13, 2024:
Jenn’s almost booked solid for 2024. A few dates left for developmental, line and/or copy editing, and proofreading (one week only for July 1 and August 26; two-week spot for September 9 and 16; two-week spot for October 28 and November 4). Now booking into 2025!
Availability is flexible if you’re looking for help with shorter projects (including short stories, novellas, synopses, blurbs, query letters, etc.) and/or for mentorship/brainstorming, read and report packages, or Zoom Q&As.
Margaret has availability for all types of editorial services listed in her bio.
Tamara is accepting clients for all types of editorial services listed in her bio.
With regard to rates …
Each project is different. In order to provide an accurate quote, we should discuss the level of editorial work you’re seeking. From there, I will take into account the condition of your project and the amount of work it will require. To do this, I need to see an unedited sample of approximately five (5) pages, or 1500 words. Do not send your sample until we have had a chance to talk about your project via my Contact page. (If you do, it will be deleted.) Line and copy editing is the majority of the work I do. Proofreading, developmental editing, and/or read & reports are priced on an individual basis, based on manuscript length.
My rates are competitive and derived from accepted standards within the industry and start at $0.02/word for editing services. (For more info on what editors charge, please see the Home page of my website or visit the Editorial Freelancers Association rate page.)
American clients are billed in US dollars, Canadian clients in Canadian dollars, and international clients in US dollars. (Tips in Superman collectibles always welcome.)
For more detailed information about the process of working with me, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Developmental editing
Congratulations on finishing your project—and welcome to the next step! Developmental editing, also known as structural or substantive editing, focuses on content, organization, and presentation of your book. A developmental editor will help you shape your story so that major structural issues are addressed and rewritten. This is an intensive edit that will likely require a complete rewrite once the project has been returned to the writer. The developmental/structural editor’s job is to help you fix what is broken in a big-picture sense. They typically do not address the minutiae (grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.); that happens at the line and copy edit stages.
Line editing
A line edit is a line-by-line deep dive into the mechanics of the manuscript to address and remedy issues with grammar, spelling, punctuation, characters (arc), plot, dialogue, continuity, repetitive word usage (echoes), cliché and overuse, sentence structure and variety, tone, proper use of metaphor, verb tense, show vs. tell, basic fact-checking, point of view (POV) and head hopping, and voice. This is an intensive, microfocused process. My process is basically a line and copy edit concurrently.
Copy editing
A copy edit is a thorough review of your manuscript once it has gone through the line edit phase to check for spelling, grammar, and usage errors. These fixes are made in alignment with a style list or in-house style guide to make uniform unique spellings, handling of numbers and lists, and other author-specified preferences. Copy editing might not change the substance of the text itself but usually fixes technical issues missed or introduced during the post-line edit revisions. Copy editors tend to not provide global feedback on story but rather work to ensure your story is as clean as it can be before going to print or being sent to an agent or editor. There is some crossover between copy and line editing.
Proofreading
A proofread is a final review before publishing or sending out your book or project. The purpose is to look for errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and pesky typos that persisted through copy edits and/or that may have been introduced during the revision stage after copy edits were incorporated. It is amazing how those little mistakes make it through, but they are quite determined!
Mentoring and brainstorming
Are you a newer writer needing some one-on-one instruction? Are you a seasoned writer stuck on a plot snag or why isn’t this story working? I offer “shepherd” services at an hourly rate wherein we work together to find the heart of your story, strengthen weak structure, differentiate voice, blast in those sensory details, untangle plot knots — you name it, we can talk it out. Typically, this process starts with the writer sending me: an outline, detailed synopsis, pages written so far (at least fifty, if available, to get a sense of the story), and/or any supplemental information to help me understand the objective of the work. I read the sent materials and then provide feedback per your preference: within the manuscript document, via phone and/or video call, and/or via a cursory editorial letter. I charge an hourly rate for this service with time tracked and calculated with a desktop time-clock app.
Read and report
A read and report is exactly what it sounds like: I will read your manuscript with an editorial eye and provide detailed feedback in a Word document to address the strengths and weaknesses of your project. Writers find this sort of editorial read helpful when they finish a manuscript and need to know if it’s working but don’t have access to trusted critique partners or beta readers. This service does not include editing of any kind. It is a detailed report on the integrity of the manuscript and will include advice and tips to improve the project to assist the writer in the revision process.