What makes you the best editor for my book?
It is imperative that you work with an editor who understands your project and spends time explaining their thoughts and discussing your ideas. We will start with a complimentary video call to get to know each other and discuss your concerns and goals for your book. This allows me to carefully analyze the story to ensure the core essence of what you want to express to readers comes through well.
I can review the blurb and an excerpt of your book to understand your writing style and provide a quote. Or if you’d like, I can complete a sample developmental edit or sample line + copy edit for $50 USD. The sample would be based on 5% of your manuscript up to 3,000 words.
My approach to editing is highly collaborative (for the authors who want that!). I listen to my authors and adapt to their needs. I’m often thanked for working as a team member and being available for a back-and-forth discussion, often with additional video calls. I’m happy to help brainstorm your ideas as you work through subsequent drafts.
I am selective in the number of clients I take on at any given time in order to truly invest in close collaboration with each author. See what previous clients have said here.
Beyond grammar-checking software, how does a professional editor benefit the author?
Today’s grammar checkers are amazing, but they do not possess human intelligence. Grammar-checking software can only check a document for small-picture, sentence-level grammatical and spelling errors according to pre-programmed rules that may or may not apply to your particular situation, genre, voice, writing style, and goals. While great tools for any author to have, and I do utilize them myself, their suggestions must be carefully reviewed in light of your specific project. I will not enter your content into AI.
In addition to combing the text manually multiple times and editing based on the training I’ve undertaken, I use Word’s and Google Doc’s analytical and grammar tools such as consistency checkers and macros, and ProWritingAid premium to study the text and make suggestions as appropriate for your story. Understanding the author’s style and intent is important in applying guidelines.
The author has a complex job of layering all the distinct elements of their story, keeping track of a huge amount of story information in the process, all while following the guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and maintaining a consistent voice. It’s a lot of work, and it’s easy to get lost in your own words and lose track of what a reader, who does not know your story as well as you do, actually sees and hears.
A developmental edit is needed to ensure elements such as plot and character development are working. A line + copy edit is needed to ensure the words are making the impact you desire and that the story is presented professionally. Our goal is for reader reviews to be positive and show potential readers why they should order the book!
How do you communicate with authors?
The first step is to email me at GetCarriedAwayEditing@gmail.com. See my Contact page for more details.
I’m available for discussion by video call, phone call, and email at your preference. We can collaborate in a shared Google Doc using tracked changes and comment boxes. I love collaborating with authors on their stories and figuring out how to make all the elements work together.
What is the difference between a developmental edit and a line + copy edit?
A developmental edit is a “big-picture” analysis of your book as a whole. It deals with plot, character development, etc., to ensure that readers are experiencing your story and understanding your themes and messages as you intended. I will tie out details to ensure the book is accurate and consistent (does a character have red hair on page six but black hair on page two hundred? Does the timeline make sense?). I advise authors to focus on getting their story down and revising it before worrying about the pesky typos. We will take care of that and more during the line + copy edit.
The line + copy edit is a sentence-by-sentence analysis where I offer suggestions to clarify the reader’s experience and for grammar, spelling, chosen conventions, punctuation, formatting, etc., to ensure that your book is a professional, finished product.
How many rounds of editing are typically recommended?
Although projects vary, a developmental edit is generally recommended first. It is best to develop the content of your book well before it is in its final form. Following my edit, I stay available for collaboration as the author revises the book. Depending on the scale of revisions, a second round of developmental editing may be requested.
Some authors then choose to do a round of beta reading with multiple readers.
The last step is a line + copy edit (which I complete at the same time). After a developmental edit, the author may choose to perform minor or even major rewrites, significantly altering the text as it exists. As soon as a passage of text is altered or rewritten, a line + copy edit of that passage becomes obsolete. The author should not pay for an editor’s time that wasn’t needed until a later stage of writing. Charging the lesser of an hourly rate or rate per word comes in handy here, as I can do the line + copy edit faster on books I’m familiar with.
What do you charge for editing?
Rates vary according to the type of editing you choose and the time your project requires. A quote is provided when we discuss your sample read. I offer pricing by word count or by hour to provide you with a discount for polished manuscripts and subsequent engagements that require less time. Rates are noted in USD. Short-form content such as articles, picture books, short stories, outlines, and marketing materials are charged at the hourly rate. Estimates break down as follows:
- Beta read plus—the lesser of $0.01/word or $18/hour.
- Developmental edit—the lesser of $0.03/word or $38/hour.
- Line + copy edit—the lesser of $0.028/word or $32/hour.
- Review of the draft physical book—$150.
Please see the Services page for details on the different levels of editing and rough estimates for an 80,000-word book.
How do you take payments?
Payments are made through PayPal. The payment schedule is: 33% deposit six weeks prior to the start date, 33% after sending the write-up, and 34% after sending the updated manuscript. I remain available for questions, brainstorming, rereading sections, and video calls as you revise your book.