I have concerns about losing control of my novel…

Rest assured – your work will remain completely under your control and authorship. Preserving your unique voice as the author is a key principle of the editing process, and the editor’s role is to grasp what an author is trying to achieve and help them to reach their goal.

How is copyediting different from proofreading?

Professional proofreading takes place after a copyedit has been completed, and is used for books that are being printed. A proofreader typically works from pages that have already been typeset, and looks out for lingering typos and confusing word-breaks. I don’t currently offer a proofreading service, but may do so in the future.

What if I don’t like the changes you suggest to my manuscript in your Line & Copyedit?

Hopefully you will, but if you don’t – no problem! I carry out the edit in Word using Track Changes. This means that when I return the manuscript to you, you’ll be able to review my suggested changes and either accept or reject them as you see fit. I can also provide, if it’s useful for you, a ‘clean’ version of the edited manuscript with all my changes already accepted.

Do you offer a full Developmental Edit service?

Not at present. However, my Editorial Assessment service is designed to offer the same kind of ‘big picture’ feedback as a Developmental Edit, but at a more affordable price. A Developmental Edit marks up suggestions directly onto the manuscript, while an Editorial Report is a stand-alone document.