Hire the Best Book Editors in Texas

Hi! Welcome to my profile. For more than 30 years, I have been a professional fiction and nonfiction editor and proofreader. In addition to six in-house years with a publisher, I have more than twenty years of freelance experience and have worked with publishers, companies, and writers all over the world. As a Chicago style expert, I edit and proofread fiction (all genres, children's, YA, and adult) and nonfiction (educational and marketing materials, business books, and self-help books). With a strong background in fiction editing, I am--unlike many editors--an expert at dialogue punctuation and paragraph breaks. I edit MS Word documents using track changes, PDF files using Adobe's highlight/note function, and hard copy using the old-fashioned red pen. If you hire me, you'll get a detail- and deadline-oriented editor and proofreader who is easy to work with.

Benefit from over a decade of wide experience in EDITING and WRITING! AVAILABLE NOW TO MEET YOUR NEEDS: *All levels of editing - developmental, evaluation, content, line, copyediting, proofreading *Editing all genres, including works for both children and adults *Writing for children and adults - blogs, educational materials, articles, stories, and books TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FOLLOWING: *Ability to focus on YOUR project to ensure quality and timely completion *Knowledge of the market gained through memberships in organizations for writers: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) *College background, including a bachelor's degree, teaching certification, and graduate work toward a master's degree in education

Thank you for taking the time to review my profile. A Little About Me - I have been editing on and off Upwork for the last four years, and I have been provided the chance to work with many authors, both new and experienced, from around the world as they aimed to get their stories and ideas ready for publishing. What I Offer - Content/Developmental Editing: The main focus is ensuring there are no inconsistencies or unclear areas within the story. Additionally, ensuring the characters and plot develop properly as the story progresses. I will also thoroughly review for dialogue structure, consistent world-building, story pacing and structure among other aspects. - Line/Copy Editing: The main focus is ensuring your material is grammatically sound. I adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style while editing to maintain editing style and integrity throughout. - Proofreading: The main focus is catching any minor errors that might have slipped the cracks to make sure your work is publishing ready. - Beta Reading: The main focus is reviewing your book from a reader's perspective. I thoroughly go through your book and note strong areas as well as areas that may need strengthening. *Additional Services - Ghost Editor/Writer: The main focus is cleaning up what the author already has to help convey the message of the material in a clearer and more concise manner. *Plot Outlines: The main focus is taking the general idea behind the story, and creating a cohesive structure writers will be able to follow. Genres I Edit/Proofread - Action Adventure - Autobiographies - Business/Entrepreneurship - Children's Books - Coming of Age/Young Adult - Fantasy - Memoirs - Mystery - Personal Development/Self Help - Romance of various heat levels (clean or spicy), tropes (lovers to enemies, age gap, billionaire romance, etc.), and subgenres (sports romance, mafia romance, romantic mystery, etc.) - Thriller I value communication above all else, as I regularly check my messages at least twice a day. I value your time meaning if a deadline is agreed upon, I will work diligently to ensure all work is completed in a timely fashion. If you've managed to read through all that, I'd like to express my gratitude for doing so. Should you have any inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach out to me, and I will do my best to respond quickly. In the meantime, thanks once again!

No AI; all work is 100% human! I have a love for the written word and a razor-sharp eye for errors! I’m the indie author and small publisher’s best friend, because my editing is a valuable combination of copy, line, and developmental. I look at the manuscript's ENTIRE scope, the viability of the storyline as well as the writing. I also offer storyline/plot evaluations. Romance publishers, in particular, need this service to prevent spending hundreds of dollars on stories that contain implausible and inaccurate situations that render them un-publishable. Romance is my specialty; however, I also edit nonfiction, business, and medical documents, as well as other fiction genres. I treat each client’s document as if my name were going to be publicly listed as the author. Contact me, and let's discuss what I can do for you! Here’s a brief summary of the services I offer: EDITING. In addition to making developmental suggestions regarding structure, pacing, plot, and characterization (the latter two for fiction), I check the entire document for typos, overused/misused/missing words, incorrect facts, inconsistencies, redundancies, contradictions, implausibilities, confusing narrative, pronoun misuse, adverb overuse, point-of-view (in fiction) errors, tense, transitions, clarity, syntax, and of course, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. PROOFREADING. Commonly believed to be the same as editing…it’s not. Proofreading should be done after editing is complete and before publishing or submission. This includes correcting missing or incorrect punctuation, incorrect word usage, misused homonyms, missing words, doubled words, irregular word or line spacing, inconsistencies in statements and formatting, typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors. PLOT/STORYLINE EVALUATIONS. Are you a small publisher who has spent hundreds, or even thousands, on stories that turn out to be worthless? Let me evaluate your ghostwriter’s storyline before you pay to have it written, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars. I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it and make suggestions for resolution (or inform you that it’s hopeless). I’ll also review the first 500 words of the manuscript. GHOSTWRITING. Anything I write for you is guaranteed to need little editing. However, I only consider ghostwriting if a) the client provides a story outline, b) there is a reasonable weekly output of 6-8k words, and c) I am paid at least 3 cents per word. TRANSCRIPTION/TYPING. Dictated or handwritten: random thoughts/notes, correspondence, medical reports, fiction or nonfiction manuscripts, and one-on-one interviews or conversations (I do not transcribe reports with more than two speakers). My experience: • Professional writer for over 20 years, nonfiction (newspaper columnist) and fiction (40+ novels of romance and women's fiction published under my pen name(s), plus ghostwritten titles). • Professional proofreader who worked for pharmaceutical giant Abbott Labs in that capacity. • Experienced editor with an 11-year history on Upwork. Top Rated. • Retired multispecialty medical transcriptionist; qualified to edit medical documents. • Romance specialist. With so many published romance novels to my name, I possess a thorough understanding of the genre and know what works and what doesn't. I am a book doctor who can clean up plots that contain outlandish elements and revise them into a plot that is both engrossing and *believable.* • Owner/operator of Red Pen Edits by BLU.

Hello! With over 30 years of experience in editing, proofreading, and content creation, I specialize in helping authors refine their manuscripts and prepare them for publication. I have spent decades refining my editing, writing, and mentoring skills, as well as editing books, articles, and website content for a diverse range of clients across multiple countries. I'm adept at editing in both American English, British English, and Australian English. Aside from private contracts and Upwork projects, I have been the Senior Editor at a publishing company since 2019. Their business model is pivoting from my book division, but I'll remain on board, writing and/or editing video scripts for their Captivating History YouTube channel; I look forward to new projects with them on a limited basis only. For the past few decades, I've partnered with private authors who want to polish their manuscripts, articles, blogs, and more. Whether you need developmental editing, line editing, or a detailed focus on punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling (PUGS), I'll ensure your work is clear, concise, and publication-ready. I'm a "mentoring editor" - if you wish - who hopes to leave you a little better of an author than when we started. In addition, I also format for Amazon's KDP, offering that service as an add-on to the edit. I reside in central Texas (CST); I am a native English speaker with a B.A. in English and a militant stickler for proper wording, grammar, punctuation, and concise written communication. As such, I have much to offer regarding editing, voracious research, and writing. Core Skills and Expertise Developmental Editing: Collaborating with authors to refine story structure, flow, and clarity while maintaining their unique voices. Copy Editing and Proofreading: Enhancing readability and ensuring error-free manuscripts through meticulous attention to detail. Content Polishing: Editing and revising website content, articles, and blogs to ensure clarity and professionalism. AI Fact-checking: Having worked extensively with AI-generated manuscripts for the last few years, I'm deeply aware of the strengths and pitfalls of this tool. To better understand this growing field, I've taken courses in prompt engineering and LLMs. Research: As an avid researcher of anything/everything, I don't assume much. I've had to delve into a wide range of subject matter, from neuroscience to philosophy to AI's federated language to digital or medical forensics... and I enjoy it immensely. If you're looking to ensure your text aligns with proven facts, I am naturally and enthusiastically your gal for the job. (For instance, the instructions for writing this profile include "keep it short," yet the character counter in this text box says I have 1,648 characters left!) Memberships and Education Member of the Authors Guild, Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), ACES: The Society for Editing, and Critique Circle. Bachelor of Arts in English, Sam Houston State University. Why Work With Me? I bring a wealth of experience and a passion for language to every project. With an eye for detail and a commitment to helping authors succeed, I take pride in delivering high-quality results that elevate your writing to its best version. Whether you're preparing your manuscript for self-publishing or submitting it to a traditional publisher, I'm here to help you achieve your goals. I look forward to hearing about your project!

Since 2000, I’ve been writing and publishing books—16 years with traditional publishers, then indie-publishing all my titles since 2017. Along the way, I’ve published more than 40 books under my own name. Publishing guidance is included in all of my developmental editing packages. ✨ My Developmental Editing Focus I specialize in memoirs as well as fiction: romance of all subgenres, fantasy, sci-fi, women’s fiction, historical fiction, gothic horror, both adult and young adult. Whether it’s personal history or imaginative worlds, I help authors bring out the strongest version of their story. Developmental editing is perfect for authors who want to refine and elevate their own work rather than hand it over to a ghostwriter. My role is to guide, challenge, and shape your book so it’s ready for publication and long-term success. I’m known for working closely with clients—because when it comes to developmental edits, I believe the best results come from conversation, clarity, and collaboration. ✨ What I Provide in Developmental Editing Outlines: Review before you write to catch plot holes, structural issues, or gaps—so the story builds on solid ground. After all, “Holes” worked brilliantly for Louis Sachar, but not every book needs them. Developmental Line Edits: In-depth feedback with margin comments on everything from character arcs to pacing, ensuring your book is as captivating, memorable, and (when needed) haunting as possible. Revision Support: If your manuscript needs deeper reshaping, I also offer developmental editing that includes rewriting sections to tighten, clarify, and strengthen your voice while keeping the story true to your vision.