WHAT I DO 

My services for non-fiction and fiction include: 

• critique
• conceptual/developmental edit
• content and copy edit
• proofread
• ghost write
• co-author

HOW I DO IT 

After our initial communication in which we determine a mutual interest in proceeding, I review your project, preferably a text file attached to an email. Within a few days, I provide an estimate for my efforts toward improving your work. I never prescribe services you don't need or you can do yourself.  There is no charge for this preliminary evaluation.

For short stories, novellas, and novels, I typically begin with a critique. I read the entire manuscript, then do an in-depth analysis that covers all the techniques of fiction: plot, character, point of view, conflict/resolution, dialogue, style/diction, pacing, setting, tone, climax/denouement, and most importantly, theme. 

For non-fiction, my approach focuses primarily on clarity and brevity, though the more fiction technique a writer infuses into non-fiction (storytelling, dialogue where appropriate, style, etc.), the more readable it will be.

For a conceptual/developmental edit, I work in the text file, but I don't edit line by line. This is a macro process: structure and shape, flow, style, cohesion, transitions, length, and the like. I often mark blocks of text (chapters, subsections, scenes) and suggest wholesale revisions, such as rearranging, reshaping, consolidating, and cutting. 

If the concept is sound, I can skip the developmental step and launch right into a content edit, a micro process that starts with word choice and expands out to sentence structure and paragraph configuration. I also deal with usage, grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency, etc., all of which are typically handled in the copy edit, but for me, those lines almost always blur. 

For content and copy editing, my estimate is based on a sample edit of 10-20 pages. I charge by the hour and work quickly and efficiently. I work in Word and edit in the Track Changes function. If you're not familiar with tracking changes in a manuscript, watch this video. In five minutes, you'll be up to speed.

After all the editing has been completed and the manuscript has been designed and laid out by a graphic artist, but before it goes to the printer and/or e-book formatter, all text — and I mean all — must be proofread. There's nothing worse for your publisher or your readers than a book full of mistakes. Proofreading is your last opportunity to find any typos, misspellings, bad punctuation, unruly grammar, inconsistencies, and ugly formatting, all of which jump off the page and besiege my eyeballs. Proofreading is the easiest and least expensive part of the process, and arguably the best bang for your buck. 

When my job is completed, your manuscript is ready for publication.

HOW MUCH IT COSTS

I charge $65 an hour.

Yes, it's definitely at the upper end of the editor pay scale; you can find plenty of editors who will work with you for less. But read this site's KUDOS page for a better understanding of what you'll get for your money. It's an investment in your writing success.

Below is a list of how many hours the different editorial tasks require. Divide your manuscript's total number of pages by the pages per hour enumerated below, then multiply by $65 to calculate an estimate for your job. 

For a critique, I read and take notes on 20 pages per hour. Add another few hours to write up my notes. 

A conceptual edit is 5-6 pages per hour.

Line editing is around 8 pages/hour.

For copy editing, plan on around 10 pages/hour.

Proofreading ranges from 15-20 pages/hour.

Please inquire for a custom quote on ghost writing or co-authoring, neither of which lends itself to a page-per-hour average.