I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a slow editor, but I don’t believe that clients should have to pay more just because I’m taking my time to provide better work. I’ve learned over the years that reading the text slowly, carefully, and multiple times yields better results. I read through manuscripts three times before […]
Why I Don’t Charge Per Hour Read More »
I was recently chatting with an author searching for an editor for her debut novel. One of the questions she asked was what she could expect an average turnaround time to be for her manuscript. I thought sharing some of what I told her could be helpful to other new authors who may have never
I realize it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but here’s what I was up to in the first quarter of 2024. I did a copyedit on the first book in a planned fantasy series. These are my favorite projects to work on, and I’m really looking forward to books 2 and 3, which are
The First Quarter of 2024 Read More »
Do you know the difference between a “fiancée” and a “fiancé”? As an editor I’m always learning new things. For instance, did you know that a “fiancée” is a woman engaged to be married, whereas a “fiancé” is a man engaged to be married? According to Merriam-Webster these two words are pronounced the same way,
Fiancée or Fiancé? Read More »
As the year approaches its end, I find myself looking back on all the projects I’ve worked on in the past twelve months, and I want to send out a quick thank-you to those I’ve worked with. If you’re a client who has hired me to edit your book this year, thank you. If you’re
One of the first things I check when receiving a manuscript is my client’s use of dashes. Here are the three I look at. 1. Hyphens. The simplest dash, usually used in compound words such as “self-sustaining.” If my client wants me to follow CMOS guidelines (most do), I consult those tables at the end
Last year I had the honor of proofreading “The Host” by the wonderfully talented T. C. Westminster, and it’s finally coming out on December 9th! “The Host” is a carefully crafted psychological thriller that has stuck with me ever since working on the story, and I’m so thrilled that it’s finally being put out into
I read eight books for fun this year, which isn’t bad considering I edit books for a living and I tend to gravitate toward video games in my spare time between editing projects. I thought it would be fun to share this list of personal reads, so if you’d like a chance to get to
My Year in Reading Read More »
One of the most common mistakes I come across while editing is incorrect dialogue tags. Remember that in order for something to be correctly considered a dialogue tag, it should be about the mechanics of speaking, not what the speaker is doing. Here’s an example: Incorrect: “Catch me if you can,” he smiled. Correct: “Catch
It’s the last day of NaNoWriMo, and I hope everyone participating found the month to be productive. If anyone is looking for an editor, I’m a copyeditor and proofreader working primarily in fiction. My current rates are $.013 USD per word for copyediting and $.01 USD per word for proofreading. I offer a free sample
That’s a Wrap for NaNoWriMo 2023 Read More »