Listed services have limited availability. Some services require booking many months in advance. Please scroll to the bottom of the page for information about my current schedule.

Manuscript Evaluation

For writers who might ask: I finished the first draft of my book…now what?

Well, first and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS!

I get it. Knowing what your best next step can feel confusing. Maybe you’re wondering if you need an edit, or maybe you’re thinking it’s time to share it with your writing group, or perhaps you should just revise it…but where to start revisions?

I got you.

My Manuscript Evaluation takes out the uncertainty and confusion from this major stage of transition and gives you clear, focused direction so you can make a confident decision on your next steps.

I will read your full manuscript and give you a general overview of the shape your story is in—and suggestions for how to proceed.

STORYTELLING ELEMENTS REVIEWED INCLUDE:

• Genre requirements (including word count and audience expectations)

• Structure (beginning, middle, ending)

• Plot

• Character development / Character arcs

• Point of view

• Narrative tense

• Dialogue

• Scene structure (including transitions and cliffhangers)

• Setting

• Description

• Mood/Tone

• Conflict/Tension

• Pacing

• Reader emotions

• Author intrusion

• Show vs Tell

Manuscript Evaluations are done in MS Word track changes, and you’ll receive your document with my comments directly on your story, as well as a separate letter detailing my findings and my recommendations. We will also jump on a 30-minute Zoom call to go over my evaluation and discuss any questions or concerns you have.

RATE

Manuscripts 79,999 words and below = $600.00

Manuscripts 80,000-100,000 words = $700.00

Manuscripts over 100,000 words = $800.00 (Note: please send only the first 100K words, with a chapter-by-chapter outline of the remainder of your manuscript.)

For more information about my Manuscript Evaluation service, please read this blog post here.

Manuscript Editing

Developmental editing for writers who might wonder: Do I have a story in play?

A developmental edit focuses on big-picture storytelling concepts to make sure they work together for a compelling and well-executed read. Do you have engaging characters, a sound plot, and a unique voice? Are your events plausible and how do they align with character motivation? Is your balance of exposition and action appropriate for your genre? What is the quality of your writing?

I will scan the book’s content to ensure it is relevant, accurate, well-organized, and plausible on a storytelling level. Some issues I keep an eye out for include head-hopping, incomplete or implausible world-building, flat characters, misuse of literary devices such as foreshadowing, loose threads, unsatisfying or predictable romance or mystery outcomes, and plot holes.

Notes and suggestions are made to guide the author in revision strategies. I will add editorial comments in the margins or between chapters, and maybe do some light editing, particularly if issues need to be specifically pointed out. A separate editorial letter summarizing all the findings will be included where more feedback and suggestions could be offered, keeping within the author’s vision for the story.

For more information on my Developmental Edit service, please read this blog post.

Rates for Developmental Edit Service are based on word count and the shape of the manuscript. For authors new to me, I’ll request the first 25 pages of your manuscript to gauge its “storyability” so that I can provide you a quote for my fee and turn-around time.

Stylistic editing for writers who might wonder: Does my story flow smoothly?

Stylistic editing typically takes place after a developmental edit. It’s important that the author feels confident that their story is in the best shape possible before they dive into this editing stage. This process focuses on the paragraph level to smooth and polish sentences. I work on scene and chapter transitions, dialogue, sentence structure and length, tone, and mood.

I make edits directly within the content as well as flag questionable areas and leave comments for the author in the margins.

Copyediting for writers who might worry: Does my story read like I paid attention in Language Arts?

This type of editing addresses minor storytelling concepts such as detail and description consistency (flagging a child’s sudden hair color change, for example), accuracy, timeline and setting consistency, grammar, word usage, punctuation, formatting, and proper paragraph breaks, etc.

I address the prose and provide in-depth feedback on the style and language from scene to scene, chapter to chapter to ensure consistency, plausibility, and originality. Some areas I cover include syntax, word choice, awkward phrasing, word and phrase overuse, variation of sentence construction, resolving ambiguities, story beats, “showing vs. telling,” dialogue, five senses, description/details, eliminating clichés, and more.

If you hire me for a copyedit, I require a style sheet. This is a document I ask you to fill out ahead of time with your preferred spelling and grammar choices, as well as character details, name and place spellings, treatment of numbers, and more. I will add to the style sheet as I work on your manuscript, and there may be a few email or phone exchanges to clarify particulars. This helps me to ensure consistency across your manuscript.

Please keep in mind that copyediting can overlap with stylistic editing because of the finer attention to detail on the sentence level. Depending on the project, I can run stylistic & copyediting simultaneously. If you have any questions about this, feel free to ask.

While I include an editorial letter summarizing my findings, the majority of my suggestions are through markups made directly within the manuscript. If I find a recommended change could alter the author’s vision for the story, I will not change it but will mention the pros and cons of leaving it be in the editorial letter.

Proofreading for the writer who might say: All I need is a polish and I’m good to go!

Checks for grammatical, spelling, punctuation after the book has been formatted but does not attempt to improve the content.

Service Updates for 2024: I have no more client slots available for the following services:

-Stylistic Editing

-Copyediting

-Proofreading