Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need to perform every editing step listed in the editorial process?

It will depend on how you are planning to publish. If you’re going to traditionally publish and you already have an established deal with a publisher, your manuscript will likely go through every form of editing, but that process will be mostly or entirely handled by the publisher rather than being organized by you.

If you are planning to traditionally publish but you don’t yet have a publishing deal or representation by a literary agent, then you may want to have some editing done first. Agents and publishers won’t expect your manuscript to be ready for print before you even sign with them, but having performed a certain amount of polish can make it easier for them to see the potential in your manuscript and increase your odds of getting signed. Having a developmental edit and potentially a copyedit performed before shopping your manuscript around is recommended.

If you intend to self publish, then you have some decisions to make. On the one hand, with no publisher involved, you are now responsible for making sure all the editing gets done by finding the right people for the job. Any editing that isn’t organized by you doesn’t get done. The more that you can get done, the better your final book will be, and the best version of your book will be one that has gone through every step of the editorial process. But the full editorial process is expensive and time consuming, and you may find your budget just won’t stretch that far. In that situation, you’ll need decide if there are parts of the process that you’re okay with skipping, and the best way to do that will be to try to honestly self assess your writing to decide where you’re strong and weak. If you feel very confident in your voice and writing style, you might decide to skip line editing; if your budget is looking tight at the end, you may choose to count on the self review after layout to be enough and not hire a proofreader. The one thing that you will absolutely need to do, no matter what, is layout and formatting, as this is the step that turns a manuscript into a book. Do every editing step you can, but if you need to economize, make sure that the areas you perceive as your weak points are being addressed.

Do you only edit book manuscripts?

Most of what I work on nowadays are book manuscripts, but I have performed editing on other things, including web content and academic writing. So even if you’re looking to have editing performed on something other than a book, feel free to contact me and request a quote.

Do you specialize in any specific genres?

I have a love of fantasy, history, and historical fiction, so it’s always a pleasure when I get to work on those genres, and I consider them specialities. That being said, I’ve worked on a wide variety of genres, and happily accept clients writing in other genres, fiction and nonfiction.

What file types do you edit?

I primarily work in Word, but I’m also perfectly comfortable working in Google Docs, Apple Pages, and PDFs. Whenever possible, I edit using Track Changes, or a similar function, to make it easy for you to see what edits I’ve made.

What writing style guide do you use?

I principally use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS), which is the standard style guide for book publication in the US.

I also have some familiarity with the Associated Press Stylebook (AP), which is commonly used in periodicals, the Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA), and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), both of which are frequently used in scholarly and academic writing.

If you want a specific style guide used in your editing, just let me know; if I don’t receive a specific request, I use the CMoS.

How long will it take to edit a manuscript?

That depends on the type of editing being performed, the length of the manuscript, and the manuscript’s initial quality. Generally, I expect to manage 15,000–20,000 words a day on each editing pass.

How do you handle payment?

The cost of a project will be a fixed price based on the kind of editing being performed and the total word count of the manuscript, and will be established before work begins.

When taking on a job, I do ask that half of the agreed upon price be paid before beginning editing, with the remainder to be payed after the edited manuscript has been returned to you and you have had some time to review it.

Payment is handled through PayPal.