Frequently Asked Questions

I offer proofreading, copyediting and manuscript reviews. See my Services page for a more in-depth description of each type of editing.

I edit fiction, nonfiction, and memoir, as well as academic manuscripts on cultural history, language and linguistics, and history.

I did: after honing my editing and storytelling skills informally over a long career in theater and nonprofit administration, I obtained certification in copyediting and proofreading from Edit Republic and in manuscript reviews from the Professional Book Editors Association.

If your manuscript has already been through developmental editing or a manuscript review with another editor, I will quote you for copyediting and/or proofreading, based on your wishes.

If your manuscript hasn’t been through any form of editing, I will suggest we start with a manuscript review. Think of it as a 30,000-foot view of your manuscript, in which I evaluate all the elements of your manuscript: theme, narrative arc, character development, dialogue, descriptions/setting, pacing, and flow.

Well, there are differences of opinion on this, but I go with developmental editing, line editing, copyediting and proofreading.

I have a blog post coming up with more information on that, so sign up for my email updates to stay in the loop!

Like most other professional editors, I first read through your manuscript, then I save a copy under a new name, one with my initials and the date in it.

I then go through line by line (and sometimes word by word, depending on the level of editing I’m doing) making small corrections using the Track Changes feature in MS Word. That way you can see the changes I’ve made and you have the option to accept or reject them.

I sometimes use tools that help alert me to consistency or repetition issues.

I tend not to make larger changes, such as reordering sentences or paragraphs, right in the ms. Rather I will highlight the area and insert a comment explaining what I’m thinking.

When I’m done, I send that file back to you both as a pdf, which makes the comments and changes easier to read, and as a Word document where you can choose which changes to accept and which to reject.

Obviously, one factor is how long your manuscript is. The other is how many other projects I am working on at a given time. I typically book several months in advance.

The best way is to start by filling out my What’s Your Story?/Tell Me About Your Project form and I’ll get back to you to schedule a conversation.

I typically respond to new inquiries within 48 hours.

I don’t typically offer a sample edit, but I am open to discussing it if you would like to see an example of my work.

I charge by the project, and my pricing is consistent with editorial industry as shown on the Editorial Freeelancers Association rate calculator.(link) The rate I quote you may be lower if I am bundling several services into the same quote. Once we have agreed on the level of editing you desire, I will send a service agreement delineating exactly what kinds of editing I’ll be doing, the turnaround time on your job, and how we will communicate about the project. I require a deposit to book your slot in my calendar, but I am happy to negotiate payment terms that are comfortable for you.

The agreement will address the price, the payment schedule, the expected start and end date of the projects, and the scope of editing work agreed to. It will also specify how and in what format to submit your manuscript, and what you can expect me to send back to you on completion of the job.

If your question wasn’t addressed here, feel free to fill out my Tell Me About Your Project form and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! I typically respond to new inquiries within 48 hours.