Developmental Editing

Developmental editing is an aerial view of your work where we collaborate to prepare your draft for copyediting or proofreading. I’ll concentrate on structure and flow of your potential masterpiece. We’ll also solidify your target audience and make sure your content is compelling and appropriate for them.

Developmental editing is perfect for you if:

• You have an idea but don’t know where to start.
• You have a partial manuscript.
• You’re not confident that your work is organized effectively.

Copyediting

Copyediting is the line-by line/word-by-word view. This is the nitty-gritty of grammar, including spelling, punctuation, and word usage while maintaining the author’s voice. I also look for writing speed bumps that cause the reader to stop and say, “What?” Clichés, awkward or confusing wording, and vague phrases are often culprits. Style guides (Chicago Manual of Style, AP, APA, MLA) and the good-old dictionary (Merriam-Webster latest edition) often determine these decisions. If appropriate, this level also includes basic fact-checking and matching references and notes.

Copyediting is perfect for you if:

• You have finished writing.
• You believe your manuscript is well organized.

Types of Proofreading

Proofreading is done after editing. I am your last set of eyes before you publish. Traditional proofreading is the last look of pages (paper or PDF) ready for publication compared to a previous version. This is the final check for faulty spelling, grammar, and format. What about pagination, folios, photo credits, and captions? Were all requested corrections made? Were any new errors created because of corrections? Are all cross-references correct? Editorial or cold reading is simply reading the typeset pages without comparison to a previous version.