editorial services

developmental editing

If writing a book is like building a house, developmental editing covers your essentials and gives your project a strong foundation. Does the plot make sense? Is the pacing okay? Are the characters three-dimensional and believable? Is the rise in action organic and satisfying? This edit is for big-picture issues of coherence, structure, genre conventions, and audience awareness.

Reach out for a full list of titles I’ve edited and publishers I’ve worked with.

copyediting

Light
A light copyedit focuses on grammar, punctuation, syntax, consistency, and anachronisms. It assumes you’ve ironed out the big-picture concerns and focuses on the details of clarity and accuracy. You’d be surprised at how many details are inconsistent.

Heavy
A heavy copyedit (or line edit) is a sentence-by-sentence edit of your project, focusing on style, word choice, and flow. It also includes all of the items a light copyedit does. You might need a heavy copyedit if you’re looking to develop your voice or strengthen your prose. I’ll work with you to make sure your message is clear and your characters are resonant.

proofreading

Proofreading involves reviewing documents, either before or after design, for final typos, errors, and inconsistencies. I’ll also review text for awkward word breaks, spacing errors, design inconsistencies, and potential e-book issues.

For issues of style, design, and markup, I follow The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.