• Editing & Stages of Production

    (Proofreading comes last.)

  • Early Stages

    Let's say you have a rough draft or outline and are now reviewing your writing plan.

    Ensure that the logic of your text flows well.

    For example, you've translated your work into English. Before you go on to refine the quality of your translated version, I can offer a structural edit. Or a substantive edit. That is, I can offer a broad survey of the overall balance of parts.

    I will critique your work and make suggestions.

    I may offer to:

    • Revamp your writing by shortening one section or expanding another.
    • Strengthen your work by adding new material that supports your logical structure.
    • Point out where more research is required.
    • Clarify the main points of your outline.
    • Evaluate your manuscript, assess your progress, and devise a plan to submit a later draft for peer review and publication.
    • Find a way to rewrite a rough translation and transform it into a "native" English version of your text.

    At early stages, we might talk about …

    • Developmental editing
    • Substantive editing
    • Structural editing
    • Manuscript editing
    • Content editing
    • Manuscript assessment
    • Manuscript evaluation
    • Writing critique
    • Rewriting

    How much?

    Each contract is negotiable. For work in this early-stage category, I often charge between four and seven cents (US) per word.

  • Middle Stages

    The structure is sound, but …

    Do your ideas sparkle in clear, meaningful, coherent prose?

    It's time to take the substance of your text and add some style and refinement. I'll help bring out your pages' full personality and flair.

    My suggestions may address several aspects of your work.

    • How do you engage with your reader? Are your ideas phrased to fit your field and purpose?
    • How well does your text match an appropriate tone, voice, mood, and level of formality?
    • How much more dynamic could your writing be? For example, have you tried creating variations in length among sentences and paragraphs?
    • How much care have you taken to avoid jargon? Clichés? Euphemisms?

    Call it stylistic editing, line editing, even copy editing.*

    Your text is more than just structure, and in the middle stages of its production I look at the mechanics that make it come alive.

    * Note: Like proofreading, copy editing is often used as a catch-all term. When a publisher asks me to copy edit a book or article, they probably mean something more specifically technical than some of the stylistic editing I've described here. However, when an author asks for copy editing, I take care to strike the right balance of services for the situation.

    How much?

    Especially in the middle stages of production, each text has its own unique needs. My fees for work in this category often fall between three and six cents (US) per word.

  • Late Stages

    Your text is ready to take its final, most magnificent shape.

    Is it really finished? Accurate? Consistent?

    This is where my concern with mechanics is not limited to language. I'll guard against all sorts of weirdness in the code underlying your pages.

    Let me, for example:

    • Enhance your accurate and consistent grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage.
    • Make sure your text meets standards for American, British, or any other English.
    • Ensure continuity in style as well as fact, including measurements.
    • Arrange correct heading levels and figure placements.
    • Maintain your citation system.
    • Revise tables, figures, and lists (including notes and references).
    • Verify hyperlinks.
    • Alert your designer when a visual element requires special attention.
    • Determine if you need permission to reproduce copyrighted material.
    • Use a style sheet.
    • Beware of any misleading or inaccurate statements of fact.
    • Examine front matter, back matter, and cover copy.

    Copy editing covers a lot of ground.

    Good style is one thing, but technical aspects are important too. It may take more than one round of work to get things right. I'm always excited to take on a project at this stage because it's a chance to redefine how I can be of service!

    Copy editing covers a lot of ground.

    Depending on your specific needs, for copy editing I'm likely to suggest a fee between three and six cents (US) per word.

  • Last

    This is where proofreading comes in.

    After all those revisions, even with layout and formatting decided, there may still be errors of some kind.

    • Are all elements of your design, layout, and formatting at their best?
    • Are there any mechanical errors like misspellings?
    • Are the hyperlinks, captions, references, and running heads consistent and accurate?
    • Are all figures and tables set up where they should be?
    • Are there any problematic page breaks? Line breaks?
    • Are the pages numbered and cross-referenced accurately?

    Note:

    In everyday parlance, maybe proofreading is the same as editing. But when an author asks me for proofreading, I often need to figure out what form of editing is required!

    How much?

    Proofreading is meant to be lighter work than copy editing. Accordingly, my fees for this service start at two cents (US) per word.

  • Helping Your Manuscript Reach Its Next Stage

    We can start working together at any stage. Here are some examples.

    Finished your thesis or dissertation?

    Congratulations! Let's develop a whole new book or article based on your research.

    Writing from an outline?

    I'll ensure your work's substantive elements are fully prepared for favorable peer reviews.

    Ready for a careful review of your full draft?

    Let me ask you about how your values are displayed, whether more information would be meaningful as well as helpful, or how you might summarize a topic or tell a story.

  • Advice

    Struggling with a list of references or works cited? Stressing out because your list needs to conform with a style like MLA or APA? Chicago or Vancouver? From among the tools and resources I like to use and share, here's a bit of free advice: Try Edifix. If you find its output confusing, you can always ask me to help tidy up and bring out your best results.

    When my work is finished, your prose will be clear, consistent, concise, and convincing.

    Ask me for a free sample and I will show you the difference I can make for your writing while you aim to make a difference in your field. Let me help you make a difference in the world!

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