Editing

You’ve done the hard work of drafting your book, but you’re not sure about its structure, tone, or all of its content.

That’s where an editor can help you. I’ll analyze your book while maintaining your voice and style, and make recommendations for big-picture changes when needed.

My Editing Services

Developmental edit

What is a developmental edit? It’s a comprehensive analysis of your book’s structure and content. I’ll help refine your ideas, shape your story or narrative, and point out any thematic or other inconsistencies. While line edits will be light, I will provide guidance on style with line editing on a few paragraphs, as well as plenty of marginal comments and a multipage, in-depth editorial letter. After you receive the edits, we can discuss any questions or thoughts you have over a complimentary 1-hour Zoom call.

If you’d like a developmental edit, please email me a one-paragraph description of your project. If I think the project is a good fit, I’ll provide a free sample edit (up to four double-spaced pages in Word) and will send you a message to set up a complimentary thirty-minute Zoom call so we can discuss your project and vision in more detail and work out possible schedules.

I can also do a separate line edit—please see my FAQs for more information.

Manuscript evaluation

What is a manuscript evaluation? Also known as a manuscript assessment, it’s a high-level edit of your manuscript that highlights its strengths and suggests structural changes. It’s less detailed and takes less time than a developmental edit. 

With a manuscript evaluation, you’ll receive 1-2 pages of overall feedback on structure, strengths, and areas to consider improving in an editorial letter from me. While there won’t be any line edits or marginal comments, the editorial letter will give you a good idea of the next best steps for revising your manuscript, and I would be available for one week to answer any questions by email.  

If you’d like a manuscript evaluation, please email me a one-paragraph description of your project. If I think the project is a good fit, I’ll provide a free sample edit (up to four double-spaced pages in Word), and I’ll also send you a message to set up a complimentary thirty-minute Zoom call so we can discuss your project and vision in more detail and work out possible schedules. 

Memoir, narrative nonfiction, or academic (humanities) proposals

I’m happy to provide a developmental edit on your book proposal and related sample chapters.

If you’d like a developmental edit on your proposal, please email me a one-paragraph description of your project. If I think the project is a good fit, I’ll provide a free sample edit (up to four double-spaced pages in Word), and I’ll also send you a message to set up a complimentary thirty-minute Zoom call so we can discuss your project and vision in more detail and work out possible schedules.

Book Coaching

You dream of writing a book, but aren’t sure how to start or continue.

Should you begin with a memory or image or an illustrative story? Should you write the book from beginning to end or another way? Should you outline or discover your ideas as you write them? Or maybe you’ve written a first draft and are wondering where to go from there. How should you tackle revision? How many more drafts will be necessary? A book coach can help you with these and other questions. 

If you’ve never written a book before, I can also help you generate material for your first draft.  

Read on to learn more about my book coaching services.

As your book coach, I’ll support you throughout your process as you write the first draft of your scholarly book, novel, memoir, or short story or essay collection from the idea generation stage to the finished first draft, or wherever you are in your process. Whether I’m your memoir coach, fiction book coach, or scholarly book coach, you’ll receive the following:

  • Weekly 1-hour video or phone calls to review your progress, address manuscript or task questions and/or feedback, and set goals for the next call. During these calls, I’ll help you stay on track and tackle any major roadblocks or bumps that you experience during the writing process.

    • Each call will end with tasks for you to complete before our next call, whether that be a word-count goal, a page goal, or nonwriting assignments.

    • Manuscript evaluation: Each call will include overall feedback on your writing and its ideas, tone, and structure. You can send me up to 50 double-spaced pages in Word per month. After our meetings, I’ll also email you my 1-2 page manuscript evaluation. This will help you address common issues as they arise and strengthen your manuscript as you go along.

    • Email communication between calls. If you have a question or feel stuck, I’m here to help you through it with up to two email communications per week. I’m also here to cheer your progress on with you, so email away!

If you want to explore working with me as your book coach, please email me and describe what you’re looking for, and I’ll send you a message to set up a free thirty-minute Zoom call so we can explore your needs.