I’m a longtime writer, writing instructor, and a critique-group participant and facilitator. Editing others’ work is first-nature to me. Writing is hard, and I believe writers need fresh readers to help them revise in the original sense of the word, “re-see.”
My specialty area, gleaned from 20+ years working as a interpersonal violence-prevention and anti-oppression educator, is working with clients who are telling their story of survival of abuse, whether as memoir or fictionalized. I’ve been fortunate enough to be trained by some of the leading experts in our nation, and I have had plenty of my own learning opportunities in classrooms, courtrooms, and on the streets, about power, oppression, and privilege. Whether your topic is domestic violence, bullying, childhood sexual abuse, sexual harassment, racism, homophobia, or otherwise, I can help you find the arc of the story and deepen your narrative. You are, of course, the first authority on your personal experience; my job as editor is to help pull out that story by offering trauma-informed, kind, nuanced, and thorough feedback and encouragement. Your story is only yours to tell. I’m here to cheer you on.
I’ve critiqued and edited hundreds of manuscripts—from non-fiction student essays to in-progress memoirs, doctoral dissertations to crime mysteries, short stories to full-length novels. I offer a variety of services including proofreading, copy-edits, developmental edits, and manuscript evaluation.
My schedule usually allows a start time on an editing project within 2-6 weeks, and project completion within 3-8 weeks.
Deciding what services are right for you:
Whether you’ve been working on your project for ages and feel “mostly done,” or are in the middle of a project and need a boost, we can customize each job depending on your needs. After initial contact and description of your project, if I have availability within your time frame, I may suggest a sample edit to see if we’re on the “same page.”
- A sample edit is 10 editable pages for $60.00. (An “editable page” is the industry standard, which means 12-point font, double spaced, adding up to approximately 250 words/page. For example, a 60,000 word manuscript divided by 250 words = 240 editable pages.)
- I like to use Track Changes and Review in MS Word to make copy-edits and example developmental suggestions, but can also use Pages or Google docs if that’s what you need. I’ll let you know after a sample edit of your project what kind of services I recommend. If the sample edit process works for you, we can negotiate your full project’s goals, concerns, and timeline. If you like the feedback but prefer a hard-copy proof, we can make that happen, too.
Service Options:
Copy-Edit/Basic Proofreading: Includes correction of spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and other mechanical errors. Basic formatting will be addressed and corrected, such as paragraphing and page breaks. A short (1-2 page) summary evaluation (separate document) include stylistic and writing suggestions for revision. Rate: $6.00/page.
Development Edit (also called Substantive or Line Edit): Developmental editing includes all copy-editing services as listed above as well as substantial in-text comments and a 4-6 page written evaluation (separate document) regarding cohesiveness, structure, characterization, plot, conflict, sequence, etc. (depending on type of project). The final written summary of the manuscripts will include strengths and weaknesses of the overall project with suggestions for revision. Rate: $8.00/page
Manuscript Evaluation: If you know you need an overall read on your manuscript but you’re not ready for developmental edits, I can read your pages, making very little comments or changes as I go (I can’t say I won’t make some, it’s a habit!), and then offer you a “big-picture” take on your project. This final written summary, usually around 1-4 pages depending on the length of your manuscript, will be my overall sense of the strengths to enhance, and pieces to improve and develop, depending on your type of project. Rate: $8.00/page
Follow-Up Editing: If, after running through Track Changes and making revisions to your project, you want another run through to make additional changes and/or copy-edits, I will revisit the project if our time frames allow. Rate: $50/hour
All rates are competitive within the Editorial Freelancers Association Rate Chart. If services are needed that are not listed here, contact me and let’s talk. All projects come with an Editorial Agreement Contract that defines the terms and timeline and is signed by both of us. I look forward to working with you!