I'm an award-winning novelist with twenty years of experience teaching at the college level. CamCat Books recently published my debut novel, GIRL AMONG CROWS (ISBN: 9780744306552). Also during that time, I've edited journals, academic essays, short fictions, and novel-length manuscripts. Here are some of the services that I can provide:
Development Editing
An early draft of a manuscript can benefit from an editor who provides feedback on the narrative's development. That is, the story, characters, setting, dialogue, and pacing. The edit can ask questions such as: Are there any plot holes in the story? Are the characters/dialogue believable? Is the tone/style right? Is the world-building developed enough? If you choose this option, we will agree to a price. You will send me your manuscript as a Word.docx. I will provide in-text comments via Track Changes. And I will provide an editorial letter detailing my thoughts, responses, and suggestions on how to revise the manuscript. If you have any questions, we can also speak on the phone, or via Zoom.
Average time for a Development Edit: One month.
Line Editing
Once you're happy with the manuscript's development, I can provide a Line Edit, where I focus on sentence structure, phrasing, and flow. My goal here is to perfect your tone/style, and to enhance your manuscript's overall meaning and message. If you choose this option, we will agree to a price. You will send me your manuscript as a Word.docx. I will provide in-text comments via Track Changes. And I will provide a brief editorial letter explaining my line edit suggestions, and how I suggest you proceed in revising your manuscript. If you have any questions, we can also speak on the phone, or via Zoom.
Average time for a Line Edit: Two - three weeks.
Copy Editing
A Copy Edit prioritizes grammatical/mechanical issues, as well as spelling and punctuation, to ensure consistency and accuracy. In the words of the Chicago Manual of Style, "simple mechanical corrections (mechanical editing) through sentence-level interventions (line, or stylistic, editing) to substantial remedial work on literary style and clarity, disorganized passages, baggy prose, muddled tables and figures, and the like." If you choose this option, we will agree to a price. You will send me your manuscript as a Word.docx. I will provide in-text comments via Track Changes. And I will provide a brief editorial letter explaining my copy edit suggestions, and how I suggest you proceed in revising your manuscript. If you have any questions, we can also speak on the phone, or via Zoom.
Average time for a Copy Edit: One - two weeks.
Genres that I Write/Edit In
Suspense
Horror
Mystery
Thriller
Literary
If you are interested in a service that I have not listed, I am happy to discuss it with you. Thank you!
Book Editing
