General Information
I applaud all your hard work spent writing a book. I know it can be nerve-wracking to have someone else critique your work, so while I will be honest, I strive to encourage you along the way, acting as a beacon guiding your editing journey.
And since stories have the ability to transform lives, you too are a beacon, sharing your story with the world. I want to ensure that nothing stands in the way of that story by helping you strengthen your characters and plot and ensuring appropriate pacing. I can help you avoid author pitfalls like head-hopping and info-dumping and reduce your errors so your readers stay connected to the story.
Let’s build a partnership to make your book the best it can be in the time allotted.
Genres I edit
I offer both copyediting and substantive (developmental) editing.
These are my favorite genres to read, and as such, I have informally studied these genres for years. Now as an editor, I have read up and studied best practices for each of these genres.
As a mom to a toddler and baby and former 8th grade and 10th grade English teacher, I understand what teens and toddlers enjoy reading.
Resources for you
Visit my writer's resources center for articles and ebooklets focused on helping you. My resource center offers resources in a variety of categories:
Rates and Services
My rates include two and a half passes.
Rates depend on the depth of editing needed. After I complete a free sample (1,300 words or less), I will determine your rate.
COPYEDITING ONLY
- Rate: $0.013–$0.02 per word
- Deals with word- and sentence-level issues. My copyediting service includes stylistic editing, what some call line editing.
- Correct mechanical issues: spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
- Correcting all errors and infelicities in grammar, syntax, and usage
- Rewriting any wordy or awkward sentences according to best writing practices
- Conducting light fact-checking, names, places, dates (Complete fact-checking is the responsibility of the author.)
- Creating a style sheet to ensure consistency
- Pointing out and offering suggestions to fix info-dumping and head-hopping
- Pointing out and offering suggestions to fix too much telling and not enough showing
SUBSTANTIVE EDITING ONLY
- Rate: $0.018–$0.035 per word
- Deals with big-picture issues. Some refer to this as developmental editing.
I offer two approaches to substantive editing: hands-on and coaching. With hands-on, I make more direct suggested changes to the text and explain the changes whereas with coaching, I leave comments explaining issues and offering suggestions for how you can fix it.
- Ensuring it meets genre conventions and works for the intended audience
- Pointing out plot holes and commenting on pacing issues
- Strengthening characters: making sure they are fully developed, have clear motivations and goals, and stay consistent
- Ensuring story has a strong, compelling core conflict
- Removing head-hopping, unnecessary info-dumping, and point-of-view inconsistencies
- Ensuring story doesn't rely on too much telling and suggesting ways to engage the reader through more showing
COPYEDITING & SUBSTANTIVE EDITING PACKAGE
- Rate: $0.023–$0.05 per word
- This combines copyediting and substantive editing in one round at a discounted rate. I offer this to help meet authors' budget and deadline needs.
- Note 1: While I strive for high quality, combining them is a lot to focus on at once. I do multiple passes and have learned how to appropriately prioritize to ensure a good quality. But you will get an even better quality if you pay for each service as a separate round.
- Note 2: This does not include formatting, proofreading, or designing the cover. I will suggest colleagues to contact for those services.
Ready to discuss a possible partnership?
Just click the button below to get a quote, and let’s start writing your future.
Portfolio
Total to date: 6 Picture Books
- Grandpa’s Boots
- No Ballet for Lola
- Katie Lou and Maxie Mike’s Dragon Adventure
- Katie Lou and Maxie Mike’s Wild West Adventure
- Serena’s Vision Board
- Lola’s Balloon
Total to date: 3 Chapter Books
- The Pantry Door
- Jake and the Quest for the Five Stones
- Afraid (Not published yet)
Total to date: 1 YA Fantasy
- Kiara King and The Road to Emeraldo (Saguaro Books, not published yet)
I finished several fiction editing courses (I am continuing to take more), so I am pleased to now offer editing for YA novels. I have edited children’s picture books, middle grade chapter books, and two adult fiction novels, and in my editing training, I edited two novels.
YA Fantasy and Dystopian novels are my favorite to read, so I am hoping to start working with this genre.
Total to date: 1 mystery novel, 1 thriller novel
- Fletcher Boone, Motor City Episode 1 (Not published yet)
- Death’s Nightmare (Not published yet) Beta Reading
I just recently completed several fiction editing courses, so I am pleased to now offer editing for fiction novels.
Professional Memberships and Associations
