You have outlined the book, and you have a good idea of where to go with the story. Perhaps you have even written a first draft. Now, we work together to address character development, plots, and storyline, and create the perfect story. If nonfiction, I work with you to focus and streamline, ensuring you hit important points with impact. This is often a difficult experience for any writer, but it pays enormous dividends in the end. Throughout this cycle, I am constantly aware that it is your book. My job is to help you to perfect it.
SUBSTANTIVE/LINE EDITING
You have written the book, the characters are developed, the document is complete, and you have done a round or two of editing. At this stage, depending on the quality of the writing, I may suggest moderate rewriting and reorganization. My task is to help you make the writing as clear and coherent as possible, which means I will often question exactly what you meant to say in a particular sentence, paragraph, or chapter. This is nit-picking, but with purpose. Again, it often frustrates writers, but it is necessary if you want to perfect your manuscript.
COPY EDITING
The story is where you want it to be, and it needs only a mechanical edit. This involves correcting misspellings, punctuation errors, and formatting errors, as well as grammar, word usage, capitalization, and formatting. I will also check for any glaring mistakes in the story. This is where I polish your prose.
PROOFREADING
The final stage of the editing process, preparing the manuscript to submit to an agent or to a digital press. I ensure there are no spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Your manuscript will be polished when you send it into the world.
