Developmental Edit

A developmental edit is global, covering big-picture topics like narrative, structure, and language. A developmental edit is for when you’re in the early stages of revision after completing at least a first draft of your manuscript. You will receive an extensive, in-depth developmental edit letter detailing issues and suggestions for how to revise from here. I break down my major points into specific categories within overarching sections to help focus your revisions. DE letters are meant to bring out both large-scale strengths and weaknesses of the story and provide suggestions for how to solve these issues. A DE letter is not used to change the heart or purpose of your manuscript, the thing that makes this story yours. Instead, it is meant to help push your manuscript toward its most perfect form, keeping in mind all the while that this is your baby, not mine.  $45/hour

Line Edit

Line edits occupy the space between developmental and copyediting. The focus of a line edit is still global in scale, but I'll make in-line comments as well for more specificity. A line edit is best reserved for after the most extensive revisions have already been done. Why? There's no point in doing a line edit on a manuscript that still needs to go through major overarching global changes, which might make these more specific edits moot. $42/hour

Copyedit

Once more global changes have been made through several rounds of revision and major elements have been nailed down, a copyedit will clean up your manuscript on a sentence level. I never want to use a copyedit to leech your voice or style. Instead, copyedits are meant to make those elements shine. For copyediting, I generally use Track Changes in Microsoft Word, but can also use traditional editorial markings by hand. Along with the copyedit itself, you'll receive a style guide I will put together while working on your manuscript, as well as a short editorial note with an overview of the edits I made. $35–40/hour

Proofread

Proofreading takes place after layout and design, and generally comprises relatively small errors in grammar, spelling, and typography. Since this is the final editing step, I also keep an eye out for anything more major that might have slipped through the cracks. $30/hour

Query Critique

Writing a query takes as much marketing focus as it does writing skill. As an Acquisitions manager at Ooligan Press, I’ve seen countless queries—both good and bad, yes, but most of them somewhere in between, lacking that drive and direction that make them stand out. If you’re getting ready to query agents or publishers, or for a pitch event online, I can help make it one of the queries that really grab and hold attention. I’ll provide 2 to 3 rounds of line edits for your query draft. $25/hour