Editing Services

Gimmicky rhymes aside, just about every serious writer comes to need the aid of an editor. Deadlines often don't leave enough time for a writer to achieve the distance necessary from a work in order to see what needs fixing. Some writers want to improve, but don't see their own weaknesses, or see them and have no idea how to fix them. And in all cases, writers know what they mean, which can easily result in a failure to communicate with the intended audience. 

A second set of eyes is always helpful. If that second set comes with knowledge of the written word and suggestions for problematic issues, all the better! 

There are two kinds of editing: the content edit and the copy edit.

Content editing is focused upon improving the content of the work, not just clearing it of typos and grammatical errors. This is the kind of editing you take to a first or second draft. When I do a content edit, I ask questions, find holes and point them out, perform minor fact-checking (excluding academic and nonfiction work–that is the writer's responsibility), check for consistency and realism, and offer suggestions for clarification. The point is to unite the work as a whole, to weed out its weak points and strengthen the writing. A content edit often, but not always, necessitates a rewrite, whether it be of a portion or the whole piece.

Copy editing is what you use to polish up a piece. This is the step where I focus on grammar, punctuation, misuse of words and improving readability and flow. It is fairly simple, compared with the comprehensive content edit, but no less important.

What I will edit: academic papers and essays, nonfiction, fiction of all lengths and genres.

What I will not edit: journalistic pieces, scripts, and poetry.