The thing is that editing is a hidden mystery. Readers never see the work of an editor, and they certainly shouldn’t be able to detect the work of a good one. But anyone who wants to be taken seriously as an author needs an editor. Just ask Seth Godin.

An editor is the person who takes a look at your draft with an objective eye and says things like, “This section is unclear and needs further development.” She asks questions like, “You say here that you were surprised by the outcome, but why were you surprised? There’s not enough information here for the reader to understand your reaction.” She makes suggestions like, “This section (chapter, paragraph, whatever) would make much more sense if we moved it to the beginning (or end).”

But why do I need an editor?

These days everyone is an author. Anyone can type some words, publish it as a blog post or an ebook and call himself an author. But do you really want to be that guy? The one who publishes the first or second draft of everything he writes?

Professional writers — people who want to be taken seriously as an author — know that all true writers need editors. They need someone who’s job is to take a sometimes jumbled up manuscript and hone it, shape it, fine tune it until it’s actually readable and ready for an audience.

As with any product, you test it before going to production and then again before further going to market. Every writer needs a test reader, and that’s what an editor is: your quality assurance.

Still need more convincing? Read this classic article from Salon.com: “Let us now praise editors.”

I offer 3 levels of editing services:

Manuscript evaluation: One read-through & a written evaluation with professional advice on direction and next steps. If, after my evaluation, you decide to work with me as your editor, the evaluation fee will be applied the the total project fee.

Developmental editing: Focus on manuscript structure and organization. Order, logical progression of information or story, transitions and overall development. Two rounds of editing. One initial edit where I may ask for more writing from you. You return a revised draft with any changes or additions and I give it one more edit. At the end of this stage, your manuscript is ready for copy editing*.

Copy editing: Also know as line editing. Focus on grammar, syntax, word choice, repetition, consistency and punctuation.

Anyone who tells you that editing can be done cheap is a liar. A good editor who takes her work seriously can sometimes spend up to an hour per page by the time she’s gone through a manuscript the necessary 2 or 3 times. That means there’s no such thing as a flat fee for editing. All pricing is per-project and depends on the length and depth of the manuscript.

If you’d like to inquire about working with me as your editor, please complete this questionnaire and I’ll be in touch within 24 hours.

*My editing policy is to not copy edit a manuscript after I’ve done the developmental edit, and vice versa. I can, however, refer clients to respected colleagues for either stage of the project.