Remember when you were in school and a teacher graded your essays? I remember it vividly. They would point out all the spelling errors, poor grammar, and structural issues. And I would tell them that I checked everything—twice! Nobody can spot all their own mistakes, and it’s difficult to know how others will interpret our words. That’s where an editor comes in! Editors don’t work in opposition to writers. We are a team. You and I want the same thing; for your story to be absolutely the best most wonderfullest thing it can be.

“But Rebecca,” I hear you think, “wonderfullest isn’t a word. You’re an editor! You made a mistake!”

Did I though? There’s a difference between mistakes and deliberate choices. I like the word wonderfullest; it’s silly, the meaning is still clear, and it sounds just the way I want it to. You could call it “poetic license” if you want. What matters is intention. I might question it; I might ask you if you meant to make up a word or use a word in that way. In the end, they are your words and your voice, and I’m good with that.

There are many types of editing, and they do occasionally overlap. I provide developmental, line, and copy editing, as well as coaching and sensitivity readings. If you’d like to see details on those services, head on over to the What Kind of Editor? page.

Due to the way editing works, I won’t be able to give you an estimate without a bit more information. I need a sample edit of about 1,000 words so I can make a custom timeline that works for us both. I will very rarely take on a project with a rushed deadline.

A style sheet is a bit like an instruction manual for your book. I’ll let you know about global editing decisions, like using the Chicago Manual of Style for numbering systems. The style guide also includes explanations of specific editing decisions, like always italicizing inner monologues. You’ll get a handy dandy list of all the words that are special to your manuscript (if you write fantasy or sci-fi, this can be a pretty long list!), and you’ll also get a list of all the names you use in the book.

“Rebecca, I know all the names and words in my book. Why do I need all that?”

Well, what if sometimes you call your hero Jaspyr but sometimes you write Jaspir? I’ll decide that you used Jaspyr more often and change all the Jaspirs.

When you get the list you can say, “But it’s not Jaspyr, it’s Jaspir!” And I can do a very quick “Find and Replace” to fix it. Isn’t that nice?

If you are writing fiction of any kind, I will also keep track of settings and timelines. That’s mostly for me to make sure there aren’t any holes in the time/space continuum, but I share it with you because you might find it helpful in the future.

My starting rates are based on my level of education, certification, and experience and I also use the guidelines provided by the EFA (Editorial Freelancers Society). You can find my fees on the Editing Fees page.

Well, first thing you should do it fill out the form here. That way I know you are interested in working with me. Next I will respond—no matter what—and let you know if I’m able to take on your project. I will then ask you to sign a contract and send me 1,000-1,500 words of your manuscript, and a deposit of $50. After that we will agree on my fee and sign a contract.

Why a contract? A contract protects both of us. It gives you the comfort of knowing I will provide the service we have agreed to and that I won’t share your work. It gives me the comfort of knowing that you will pay what we have agreed for the work I do. It also gives us both protections if there is a dispute of any kind.

Why a deposit? It lets me know you are serious about hiring me and pays for my time editing the sample you send. If after I give you your sample back, you decide not to continue with the project then our work together ends there. If you are happy with our services, I will create a full estimate and we will agree on payment schedules and deadlines and that less fun stuff.