What is the difference between copyediting and proofreading?

You can read more about this on our Services page, but, basically, each one is a different step in the editing process. Ideally, every manuscript would be both copyedited and proofread.

In the days before computers, an author would write the first draft of their manuscript either by hand or on a typewriter, then give it to their copyeditor to edit. The copyeditor would make changes by hand and leave notes in the margins. Once copyediting was finished, the marked up copy would be given to a professional typist, who would painstakingly transcribe the manuscript into a pristine final draft.

The proofreader’s job was to look over the proofs, the master copies from which the work would be typeset and printed, to find any errors (spelling or formatting) that had been introduced in typing. Any changes made at this point would be difficult and possibly expensive to implement (since you retype large parts of the manuscript), so only the most serious errors were corrected.
Nowadays, everything is done on computers, so the line between copyeditor and proofreader is less distinct. The copyediting is the serious cleanup and polishing of a manuscript to make it the best it can be, and the proofreading is the final check for errors before it goes out the door.

What is Developmental Editing?

The developmental editor is the first person you take your manuscript to after you’ve finished writing it. Developmental editors don’t check grammar at all, instead focusing on the big picture issues of a manuscript, such as story and characters. They’ll let you know about plot holes, timeline inconsistencies, underdeveloped characters, wordy exposition, confusing backstories, and anything else that might be holding your manuscript back. They’ll also make suggestions on how to fix these issues. They’re like a therapist for your story.

I am not a developmental editor, but I do offer manuscript evaluations, which are a less intensive variation—more in-depth than a beta read, but not quite a full developmental edit (which can often take months and multiple passes). A manuscript evaluation would be a good first step for someone considering hiring a developmental editor, but would like to work out some of the broad strokes issues first, before undertaking such an in-depth process.

What genres do you work in?

Well, what have you got?

While I would like to work on fiction—especially science fiction or fantasy (I love cozy fantasy!)—I would gladly consider working on just about anything. (I’d also love to try editing the script for a video game sometime.)

Some considerations:

• I don’t have the qualifications to work on medical, scientific, or legal texts. I can fix spelling and grammar, but I can’t help make something more readable if I don’t understand it myself.

• Likewise, I am unfamiliar with the conventions of erotica (which is actually more complicated to edit than one might think.) There are other copyeditors who specialize in this, however.

• I would prefer not to edit anything with intense graphic violence, particularly if it involves dogs or children, or anything weird involving meat (I am a very squeamish vegetarian). If I discover your manuscript contains graphic violence halfway through reading it, I will stop the edit and give the manuscript back.

• My copyediting rates are based on the length of the work: shorter works (below 20,000 words) are billed on an hourly rate, while longer works are billed based on word count.

Does your contract have a “kill clause”?

Yes. If, for any reason, our business relationship is not working out, either one of us can end it. If I am taking too long in my edits, you can fire me. If your book turns into Silence of the Lambs halfway through, I will quit. I will, however, in either case, keep the initial deposit and bill you for any work I may have completed over that amount.

Okay! I’m ready to hire you! How do I do it?

Just hop right over to our contact page and send me an email! You can tell me about your manuscript and we’ll decide together if I would be a good fit for your work. I’ll have you send me a short excerpt (around ten pages) and I’ll do a free sample edit for you. If you’re happy with the sample, we can get started! I’ll email you a contract to sign (which will protect us both) and then an invoice for an initial payment of around fifty percent of the total bill.

Once that payment goes through, I’ll get to work on your full manuscript! I’ll send you weekly emails during the edit to let you know how it’s going, but you can send me questions at any time (though I’ll only answer Monday through Friday, unless it’s an emergency).

Once I’ve finished the first pass, I’ll send the manuscript back to you. You’ll read it, accepting or rejecting any changes I’ve made. If you like, you can respond to my edits by adding additional content (using the track changes feature, of course). Once you’re happy, you’ll send the manuscript back to me for a second pass, where I’ll edit the new material and clean up the manuscript, resolving all the queries and accepting the remaining changes. I’ll send you both the marked up version and the “clean” version, with all the changes accepted, along with an invoice for the remaining fifty percent of my payment. If, afterward, you would like me to do another pass, we can discuss the additional cost.

How much does all this cost anyway?

I’ve posted my starting rates over on the services page, but copyediting, for example, costs two cents a word, which is the average rate for fiction copyediting, according to the Editorial Freelancers Association. This means, if your manuscript is 40,000 words, then having it copyedited will cost you around $800. However, I will not quote you a final price until after I have completed the sample edit, as some works are, by nature, more complicated and require deeper editing.

If you would also like a manuscript evaluation or proofreading, I also can quote you a price for a package deal once I’ve done the sample edit.