My Services
What kind of editing do I need? And what will it cost?
These two questions are often at the forefront of authors’ minds when they’re looking for editors. Below I’ve detailed the three types of editing I offer, and it should give you a general idea of what editing you need for your manuscript.
I don’t quote rates on my page because each manuscript is unique, but I offer affordable book editing, and my rates are in line with the EFA’s rate chart for editorial freelancers.
I hope this page answers some of your questions. But if you still need help or aren’t quite sure what service you need, get in touch.
Proofreading
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Proofreading is the very last check before a book is published, usually happening after the manuscript is typeset. Proofreading is concerned with
▸ catching any typos that have slipped through previous rounds of editing or that were introduced when typesetting and
▸ ensuring that the format of the designed manuscript is correct.
Because the manuscript is usually laid out, only serious and egregious errors are fixed during this stage in order to prevent costs from climbing.
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Proofreading is a great fit if you need one last and absolutely final check before you send your (probably typeset) manuscript to the printers.
Proofreading is not the next step for you if your manuscript hasn’t been through any other rounds of editing.
Copyediting
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Copyediting is concerned with the 4 Cs: clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness. I will do a thorough edit that includes
▸ fixing grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, and typographical issues,
▸ ensuring consistency in usage, spelling, facts, names, places, etc.,
▸ correlating all parts of the manuscript, like tables, footnotes, endnotes, and cross-references,
▸ engaging in basic fact-checking or querying information that should be double-checked,
▸ ensuring the manuscript adheres to the preferred style manual, your organization’s style guide, and/or your manuscript’s style sheet, and
▸ adding to or developing a style sheet for the job.
If a heavier copyedit is desired or required, I may also leave notes on style and organization and suggestions for rewording unclear sentences.
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Copyediting is great fit if you have a final draft of your story that needs some eagle-eyed review before being typeset or sent to potential publishers.
Copyediting is not the next step for you if you require substantial editing or rewriting (look below for line editing).
Line editing
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Substantive or line editing can also be considered a heavy-handed copyedit. Along with the tasks listed in a basic copyedit, I will suggest sentence-level changes to
▸ ensure that the voice and tone is consistent throughout and appropriate for the intended audience,
▸ promote clarity and coherence for the reader,
▸ eliminate wordiness, jargon, and cliches,
▸ enhance style, cadence, and flow, and
▸ reorganize sentences and paragraphs as necessary.
Unlike copyediting, line editing involves providing significant suggestions for potential rewriting at the sentence (not story) level.
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A line edit is a great fit if your want an editor to take a deep dive into the sentence-level nitty-gritty to ensure your prose is perfectly polished.
Line editing is not for you if you want suggestions on the overall story arc, plot, characterization, or themes. (If so, I can recommend other excellent editors who do developmental editing.)
If you’d like more information on the different types of editing, here are some of my favorite websites and blog posts.
“What are the different types of novel editing?” by Louise Harnby
“Definitions of editorial services” by the Editorial Freelancers Association
“Hiring an Editor: A Guide for New Authors” (pdf) by the Editorial Freelancers Association
“Proofreading or copyediting?” (pdf) by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
“Proofreading or editing? A quick guide to using editorial professionals” (pdf) by Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
“Definitions of editorial skills” (pdf) by Editors Canada