I love words and I love helping other people make their words shine.
Read more about me, check out my pricing, review my education, read what others have said about my editing skills, or review details below about how I work. You can also review my full résumé (available as a PDF).
Technology
I prefer to edit in Microsoft Word using Track Changes, but can also use Google Docs. I’m also willing to edit on paper or review PDFs on-screen if necessary.
Style and Dictionary
My primary style guide is the Chicago Manual of Style. I have access to the 15th, 16th, and 17th editions, and maintain an online subscription.
I also have an online subscription to the AP Stylebook and have experience with the AMA Stylebook.
My dictionary of choice is Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. I have an online subscription, as well, to look up anything that might not be in the print version.
For longer manuscripts, I will create document-specific stylesheet, that will document any specific choices that are made for your manuscript, as well as keep track of proper nouns and anything else special that needs to be monitored.
Regardless of the style chosen, it’s important to understand that many style choices are just that: choices. If you want to specify a particular convention that differs from CMOS, I will apply your choice!
Communication
My primary form of communication is via email, but I’m also available for phone calls or Skype conversations as needed. Please note that during the week, I am not available until after 2:00pm central time. I try to respond within 24 hours of receiving an email. As I edit, I may be in contact with questions to make sure that I’m not making mistakes that will need to be corrected later. Your document will be returned with a cover letter that highlights any critical issues or global details you need to be aware of. It will also include comments within the document itself, regarding specific issues that I felt needed to be pointed out.
In all of my adult experience, I’ve learned that communicating will fix most anything, and it is a two-way street. I’ll keep in touch with you, I’ll just ask that you do the same for me!
Sample Edit
Before providing you with a price quote, I like to edit a short (1-4 page) excerpt of your manuscript, preferably from the middle of the work. This is complementary and allows me to gauge how much work your project needs as well as allowing you to get an idea of what I will be doing for you.
What I do
My speciality is copyediting, which means making sure your manuscript is free from errors. I check spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, style, and usage. I will clean up wordiness, overuse of passive voice, and check for consistency throughout the manuscript — in fiction that means making sure a character’s name stays the same and that their hair color doesn’t change. I’ll query facts that I think are need to be checked, though I won’t check them myself. I’ll do minor rewriting for clarity.
What I don’t do
If your manuscript needs developmental/substantive editing, I will direct you to the Editorial Freelancers Association’s directory to find a more suitable editor. I’m also not an indexer, a proofreader, a fact-checker, a permissions expert, designer, or ghostwriter.
Ethics
I do not work on documents that are clearly plagiarized.
I believe in complete confidentiality. I may refer to current projects in very general terms on my blog or on social media (for example: “I’m working on a science fiction novel”) but I will not reveal any specific details about the title, subject, author, or other details of your work until after publication.
I believe in respecting the author and the reader. I believe in maintaining the author’s voice while applying the appropriate standards of style and usage.
