I work on both fiction and non-fiction. I have a particular affection for and deep experience in science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, and contemporary romance. I also have considerable experience with literary and historical fiction. I’ve edited a wide variety of non-fiction as well, but unless your book is a memoir or non-academic history, there are better editors for you to work with. (If you don’t know how to find them, let me know and I’ll see if I can help.)

I offer two basic services, developmental editing and line editing.

Developmental editing: If you’ve written a novel and you don’t think it’s as good as it can be, I will read your manuscript and write an editorial letter, a long and thorough explanation of what’s working and what isn’t, and general suggestions about how to fix things. It will probably address plot, characters, structure, themes, pacing–all the macro issues. I will also cite specific instances of these problems and specific solutions, as well as specific instances of less general issues–a problem with a given scene, for example, or some bit of narrative logic that’s breaking down, or a drift in perspective. If there are issues of style that need to be addressed, bad prose habits you might have fallen into, I would discuss them as well, giving you examples, telling you what the problem is, and what you need to do to improve. I work in Word and tend to provide many notes and comments in the manuscript using Track Changes. If you are not familiar or comfortable with Word, let me know and we’ll figure out the best way to do this.

Line editing: When you feel your book is largely in the shape you want it to be–the plot works,  the characters are fully realized, the scenery and furniture are arranged to your satisfaction–I would do the line editing. Line editing is actual hands-on editing: fixing sections that aren’t working, moving passages as necessary, cutting things that aren’t helping, reworking sentences that could be doing their job better. Most first drafts benefit from some trimming, and it often takes an outside eye to see what’s essential and what’s excess. Again, this process is done in Track Changes, so let me know if that might be a problem for you.

Ideally, a book will go through both of these stages, but lately, I’ve found many authors are looking for a combination of these two things. Working in Track Changes, I’ll go through the book doing the line editing, as above, but will also give notes on plot and character, or any other relevant global issues that need attention. While this isn’t the most efficient approach (you’ll probably be writing new material that now needs line editing, or you might be getting rid of material that we’ve put time into reworking), it’s fine with me.

I’m also available to work with you on an ongoing basis as you write your book, if that’s what you think will help you most.

Finally, you can trust that I will not abandon you when we are done. In most cases, I remain available for consultation in perpetuity. If you want to discuss my notes after you receive them, or want me to look at your query letter, just let me know; if you have a question about writing or publishing five years later, I will help you if I can. This is all at my discretion, of course. Reading a few pages that you’ve rewritten is almost never a problem, but if you want me to read a few chapters or more, I might want to charge you for my time.

Fees

I usually charge between 5 and 10 cents a word, depending on the manuscript. Line editing can take a lot of time, and that is reflected in pricing. When I’ve had a chance to look at your book and see how much work is involved, I’ll be able to give you a specific price. I’m open to some negotiation, and if you already know what your budget for editing is, it’s helpful and saves time if you let me know from the start. When it makes more sense to charge for my time, I usually bill at $100/hour.

You can pay me with (in order of preference) Venmo, Zelle, or Paypal, but you are responsible for any transaction fees. Checks work too. I will also consider cash in a brown paper bag, but you cover my travel expenses getting to the seedy diner on the wrong side of town.

I generally communicate by email, but I’m available to talk on WhatsApp or Zoom or if you’re more comfortable with that.