Bringing care to every level of editing
This page outlines the editing services I provide through this website. As an independent professional, I copyedit and proofread books on behalf of publishers.
Who do I edit for?
My main clients consist of book publishing companies, especially in the trade book industry (books for general readerships).
While trade publishers comprise my main clientele, I am open to working with other organizations and individual authors case by case. For instance, one of my long-running clients is an education nonprofit.
What topics do I edit?
My category, genre, and subject specialties include novels and nonfiction books written for general audiences.
Novels
YA (young adult) literature in any genre, but especially mystery, thriller, or contemporary fiction
Adult genre fiction
Mystery and thriller
LGBTQ literature in any category, with a focus on MLM protagonists, and the ability to edit sensitively with respect to characters of any orientation or gender (including transgender or gender-nonbinary characters)
Nonfiction books
Popular academic history
Psychology books incorporating academic research
Anthologies of academics and popular writers
Women’s and gender studies
Other critical studies, such as queer studies, race studies, and disability studies
Memoirs and family histories
Even if your projects don’t fall under the above categories, I am open to other subject matters: do inquire if your book falls under an adjacent category.
Need a different type of service? Don't be afraid to ask!
What types of editing services do I provide?
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My main service is book copyediting. This includes mechanical and language editing (grammar, syntax, and usage, and style), substantive and content editing (organization and presentation of writing), and responsibility over adjacent duties such as parts correlation, permissions, and manuscript markup.
I provide copyediting services on three main levels: light, medium, and heavy. This copyediting rubric is based on The Copyeditor's Handbook by Amy Einsohn and Marilyn Schwartz, and it’s informed by my clients who follow a similar system.
Light: Mechanical editing, correlating parts, language editing (correcting disputable errors, identifying egregiously wordy or convoluted paragraphs, and asking for clarification of unfamiliar terms), content editing, permissions, and manuscript markup.
Medium: All of the above, plus deeper language editing (correcting all errors of language, suggesting revisions to patchy paragraphs, and supplying definitions for unfamiliar terms) and content editing (verifying inconsistencies with references, querying faulty organizing and logic gaps).
Heavy: All of the above, plus even deeper language editing (correcting infelicities, rewording patchy paragraphs) and content editing (revising incorrect facts and fixing faulty organizing and logic gaps).
The more extensive the copyediting you hire me for, the more queries and rewriting I contribute to the assignment.
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I can also provide proofreading services for novels and nonfiction books. I’m trained and practiced in reviewing a manuscript’s typeset pages to mark up and query remaining writing errors, along with identifying any new errors that pop up from design and layout.
I’m equipped to mark proofs with Adobe’s digital markup tools. If your staff prefers the more traditional approach, I can also mark up with printer-friendly facsimiles of proofreader marks and written queries.
Do note that I’m most specialized in books with little or no graphical content, but I do have the ability to proofread graphical elements within a proof, including photographs, graphs, typography, and captions.
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Need a different type of editing? I can also do the following:
Developmental reading
Evaluation editing
Sensitivity reading
Beta reading
What tools do I use?
My primary style manual is the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). I’ve been academically trained and vouched in CMOS through the Denver Publishing Institute, followed by the UC San Diego Extended Studies certificate in copyediting.
My most readily available reference materials include CMOS, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, and Garner’s Modern English Usage.
I also have working knowledge of Associated Press (AP) style, and I can edit citations made with MLA, APA, and Chicago.
My software proficiencies include Microsoft 365/Office (Word), Adobe (Reader/Acrobat, InDesign), Google Workspace (Docs), and Affinity Publisher.
If your workflow requires different tools and apps, do inquire! My tech proficiency is top notch, so I can assess whether I can adapt to your setup. For instance, I have worked with Mac setups for years.
How much do my editing services cost?
Because the project scope of assignments can vary widely, and most publishers pay out a standardized rate, I typically establish my editorial rates during negotiation.
When negotiating rates, I refer to the Editorial Freelancers Association's survey results on editorial rates. With that said, I'm flexible with my rates, so I'm happy to negotiate!
Want to talk?
Visit my contact page for information on how to communicate with me so I can provide you with my editing services today.
If you need my services on a contract basis, I’m available to undergo your vetting process and negotiate the contract. I also welcome any opportunity to interview for a longer-term job.
I look forward to working with you!