Editorial &
Educational Services

When I perform an Editorial Assessment (EA) of your manuscript, I look at your story’s plot, your writing style, the structure of your manuscript, characterization, consistency of language/voice, and pacing. I share my perspective on how your work might fit into the marketplace and tell you what needs to be done to prepare it for publication. My editorial letter will let you know what’s working and what’s not and give you a plan for moving forward. EAs are great for writers who aren’t ready to commit to a full Developmental or Substantive Edit. An EA comes with an editorial letter, a revision strategy, and a live Q&A session.

A Developmental Edit (DE) evaluates every aspect of your writing, from overall structure, organization, and style, to words, sentences, punctuation, and grammar. I’ll look at all the major elements of craft, including plot, structure, voice, POV, setting, character, dialogue, pacing, stakes, and theme. I’ll provide in-line editorial notes on your manuscript as well as a long-form Editorial Letter. This letter will summarize my thoughts and provide you with in-depth comments on a chapter-by-chapter basis. A DE includes a revision strategy and a live Q&A session.

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A Substantive Edit (SE) is a multi-draft edit. After I complete a full Developmental Edit, the writer revises the draft and resubmits it for a second round of editing. The second edit includes line edits (edits at the sentence/paragraph level), a brief Editorial Letter summarizing the current state of the manuscript, and a live Q&A session. Many writers prefer SEs because they are so comprehensive in nature.

When line editing your work, I’ll focus on readability, word choice, tone, style, and use-of-language at the sentence and paragraph level. I’ll help you say what you want to say, clearly and concisely. I’ll fix confusing passages, get rid of cliches, vague references, and misused words, resolve punctuation and grammatical errors, smooth out shifts in tone and tighten dialogue.

When you’re ready to submit your work to agents or editors, you’ll need a great query letter. We’ll work together, focusing on format, content, and delivery. I’ll help you highlight your work, so that it appeals to industry gatekeepers. A Query Critique includes up to 4 edits/revisions.

If you are new to writing and in need of guidance, author coaching can help. This service is totally customizable, so you can get exactly what you need in terms of craft lessons, reading suggestions, manuscript outlining, brainstorming, drafting, goal-setting, and accountability.