Editing

Many writers love to have their writing picked apart for grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. And that’s just great – but, we don’t usually speak that way or that well and our inner voice (at least mine) certainly doesn’t. I for one, stumble just a hair when I read perfectly formed sentences. It just doesn’t sound right.

Please don’t misunderstand me, creating a grammatically correct manuscript is always smart. But with some pieces, having it written from a readers point of view can enhance your work, not detract from it. I’m suggesting consider having it read from the readers point of view, but with an editorial eye as well.

That’s where I can help you out.

As a developmental editor, my job is to provide a birds eye view of your manuscript. I’ll look for character development, pacing, consistency, even to be sure the promises you make on the cover of your book are fulfilled within its pages.

When most people hear ‘editor’ they think grammar. That’s the other type of editor. ‘There are more?!’ you might say. The truth is, there are three editors you’ll want to know about. Here’s who they are and a little about what they do:

Developmental Editing – Often the first stage of editing. Deals with the overall structure of the book itself, flow, pacing, message consistency. Developmental editors may suggest moving paragraphs or chapters to create a smoother read or more logical flow. Developmental editors do not often correct grammar or spelling.

Line Editing – Line editing is often skipped or presumed the same as copy editing. They are similar but line editing focuses much more on the words, grammar, and structure rather than including things like formatting and fact checking like copy editors do.

Copy Editing – The final phase. Copy editors take a fine tooth comb and pick through your entire manuscript to check for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, factual consistence, and formatting. This is extremely important if you are looking to publish. Copy editors polish your manuscript for publication, so you won’t want to miss this step.

So, with these brief editorial descriptions in mind, if you are in need of someone to read your work with a critical eye to find the typical errors that will trip up your audience – your intended audience – but still be able to check for flow, pacing, tone, and all that good stuff that make a book read well, I’m your person.

I will edit for you as a reader, and as an editor, just not necessarily as your typical editor. This again, is called developmental editing.

This can be done over email or in person as part of any writing package.

If that sound like what you’ve been looking for, let’s talk!