I’m an enthusiastic and detail-oriented professional editor and writer with a unique range of experience, expertise in multiple editorial styles, creative problem-solving skills, clear communication, and an eye for clean, concise copy. I am dedicated to supportive critique, to empathetic editing, and to the creative exchange of ideas. From substantive, developmental editing to copy editing to a nitty-gritty proofread, I’ve helped writers with a range of work across multiple genres. Whatever you’re working on, I’d love to take a look.
Why Hire an Editor?
Sometimes just changing the font isn’t enough to show you all the typos and inconsistencies in your own work—especially after you’ve read it and revised it and re-read it and re-revised it… Or maybe you know you’ve got a great story, but you’re feeling a little less sure about your own spelling and grammar skills. From a full-on line edit of a novel to a light copy edit of a cookbook to a proofread of a self-help manuscript, another set of eyes is always a good idea. And it’s not just books: Editors can offer valuable feedback on cover letters and resumes for a new job hunt, big academic projects like a thesis or dissertation, or even query letters, synopses, the first three chapters, or other common literary submissions materials.
Who I Am and What I Do
I’m a professional editor and writer with a master’s degree in creative writing and 10+ years of professional editorial experience. A working writer myself (see my writing page for more on that), I currently serve as the Head of Editorial a content marketing platform, helping writers and editors wrangle articles, landing pages, websites, and more for clients across industries. I recently served as Managing Editor at Prairie Schooner, a nearly 100-year-old quarterly journal of international creative literary writing published at the University of Nebraska, and before that I worked closely with indie writers at Amazon’s KDP and CreateSpace. With work experience ranging from traditional to commercial to indie/self-publishing to small-press literary journals, I bring a unique range of experience, expertise in multiple editorial styles, creative problem-solving skills, clear communication, and an eye for clean, concise copy to each project. I edit in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style unless you have another preference, and I can edit substantively or do a surface-level typo roundup or anything in between.
Editorial Evaluation
An editorial evaluation is a step-one overview of your manuscript. I read your whole book and offer thoughtful and detailed big-picture feedback. I look at things like plot, characterization, structure, consistency, and style. This evaluation aims to pinpoint your book’s strengths and weaknesses, and make sure you feel ready to dive into your next round of revisions to dramatically improve your book.
Developmental Edit
A developmental edit — sometimes called a substantive edit or a line-edit — is not for the faint of heart. It’s a thorough and in-depth edit of your entire manuscript from the top down. I’ll critique all the elements of your book, from the overall structure and plot on down to from single words and phrasing, keeping your target audience and industry standards in mind the whole time.
Copy Edit
Getting your manuscript copy edited is like taking your car to the shop to make sure everything’s OK under the hood and get you road-ready. I’ll check for typos, grammar, spelling mistakes, or glaring plot holes or strange inconsistencies, but I won’t be reading for characterization or overall story. I work line by line and page by page to make sure all the little things are in clean and working order.
Proofreading
Colloquially, we say “proofreading” to mean all kinds of things, but editorially speaking, it’s the last step and should ideally take place even after interior layout. It’s super detail-oriented work, and I strive to catch every last little thing — from typos no one can believe they missed to font inconsistencies — before your book goes to print or up for sale.
Timing and Availability
I’m currently taking on new clients! Each project requires its own timeline, and turnarounds can vary from a couple of days to a few months, depending on the scope of the edit and the other projects I have on deck.
I’m always open to inquiries about potential collaborations, so if you’re interested, please email me with a little more about your project, and I can get you a free consultation and quote. I love to have as much advance notice as you can give: if you think you might need an editor in October, starting asking around for editors in late August, if you can swing it.
Rates
I typically align my rates with the Editorial Freelance Association’s rate chart recommendations. I also find the Cost of Editorial Services by Genre calculator built by Reedsy (scroll down, it’s there!) to be quite informative, too. For a ballpark sense of rates, proofreading or copy editing typically starts around 2 cents a word, line editing around 3 cents, developmental editing around 4 cents, and so forth. Every writer and genre is different, though, if you can so give me a sense of what you’re looking for in your editorial collaboration and a sample of your work, I’ll quote you a custom rate based on your needs. If budget’s a concern but my experience and approach sound like a good fit for your project, I’m happy to talk about what I could offer at the rate you’re able to work with.
Let's Talk Shop
Like what you see? Have more questions? Want to work together? Let’s talk shop.
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