Personalized Editing Support

The editing process can be overwhelming. Let’s break it down:

There are three primary phases of editing. Some professionals do it all, others specialize.

Developmental: Developmental editing, often referred to as “content editing” or “substantive editing”, is a comprehensive and in-depth editing process that focuses on the overall structure, content, and coherence of a written work, such as a book, manuscript, or other large pieces of content. The primary goal of developmental editing is to help the author shape and refine their work to ensure it meets its intended purpose and effectively communicates with the target audience.

Line Editing: Also known as “stylistic editing” or “content editing”, this is a meticulous and detailed editing process that focuses on the language, style, and overall readability of a written work. This type of editing goes beyond the structural and developmental aspects of a manuscript and delves into the finer details of the prose. Line editing aims to enhance the clarity, coherence, and impact of the writing while ensuring a consistent and engaging writing style.

Proofreading: The final and critical step in the editing process, focusing on the correction of errors and inconsistencies in a written document. The primary goal of proofreading is to ensure that the text is free from typographical, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors.

As a line editor and proofreader, I review completed drafts with a proverbial fine-toothed comb, ensuring the tone and voice of the work are consistent, the sentence phrasing and paragraph to paragraph flow is clear, and the grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct.

Once the initial edit is complete, I provide a fully marked up document that contains corrections, suggestions, and feedback on sections that I loved—and those that fell flat. Whether someone enjoys a book is very based on personal preference, so I aim to differentiate between what is your individual style of writing, and what objectively is not working in your manuscript, whether due to clarity of voice or awkward phrasing.

The entire process lasts between 1-2 months, depending on the length of the manuscript and how much work is required. After you receive the edited document, we can work together for a few weeks to address any questions you might have. Follow-up reviews of changes you’ve made can be arranged for an additional fee.

Policies and Preferences

Most editors have specific genres and topics they like to work with. Please review the following details thoroughly before reaching out for an initial evaluation!

Preferred Genres: high/epic fantasy, fairy tale adaptations, dark academia, classic horror, YA supernatural, new adult contemporary, cozy mystery.

Wish List: uplifting stories with diverse characters, chilling and spooky atmospheric tales, positive representation of disability and mental health, twisted fairy tales, fantasy that blends classic tropes with new ideas, epic adventures, intricate magical systems and/or world building, vivid descriptions and witty dialogue.

Please No: erotica, religious books, non-con romance, glorified abuse, explicit sexual violence, excessive self-harm, real-world politics, autobiographies.

Length: currently, I will accept manuscripts up to 80,000 words.

Mental Health: if your book features mental illness, please ensure it is realistically depicted and not used for sensationalism. Mentally ill heroes and villains are cool, inaccurate representations of serious conditions are not.

Disability: if your story features a disabled character, please ensure they are well-developed and not reduced to “the disabled one” trope.

Discrimination: there’s a difference between judgmental/bigoted characters, and an author’s personal bias or agenda. Please make sure you know that distinction as well. I’m here for nuanced characters and challenging subjects—as long as the book itself does not glorify those ideas.

LGBTQIA: authors of any flavor are welcome, but if you are a straight author writing queer characters, consider having a sensitivity reader (or readers) look over your book before submitting it for editing.