Inquiry
I’d love to hear from you! Contact me and tell me a little about what you’re working on. Include genre, brief summary, target audience, where you are in the process, and your main concerns. Feel free to tell me a little about yourself as well—whether you’re a first-time author, what other writing you’ve done, and what kind of help you’re looking for. You can send a sample at this time or after I respond to let you know if it’s a project I’d like to take on. I edit in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Sample Edit
You can choose to send me a 3000-word sample from somewhere in the middle of the manuscript or the whole manuscript. If you send the whole thing, I’ll sample edit a random 3000-word block from somewhere in the middle and give you a price quote for your different options as well as a time frame. The reason I sample from mid-manuscript is that the first chapter is usually more edited than the rest and not a good representation of the amount of editing that will be needed.
While I’d like to be able to tell you whether or not you need a developmental edit or not, it’s impossible for me to tell you that from a sample edit. I recommend a developmental critique for every manuscript, no matter how much great feedback you’ve received from beta readers. I’ve been told more than once that the developmental feedback is exactly what the writer needed, and they all have me do it for their next manuscript.
Scheduling
I make my schedule a month in advance (January for February appointments, etc.) so that we’re not scheduling so far out that you can’t be sure whether you’ll be ready or not. My hope is that this takes away the pressure of feeling like you need to book an appointment several months in advance to guarantee a spot.
I am now working from a waiting list, so email or text me anytime to let me know when you anticipate being ready, and I’ll put you on the list. I do all my scheduling through email and on a first-come, first-served basis. If you don’t get in the month you want when I make my schedule, I’ll let you know and keep you on the list, then reach out prior to scheduling the next month so you get priority.
Contract
We will agree to a contract through email outlining price, timeline, and expectations when you book your appointment. Along with that, I’ll collect a deposit through PayPal or Venmo, which is refundable until 2 weeks before your appointment date. The evening before or morning of your appointment, you’ll send me your manuscript in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Editing
Depending on the length of your manuscript and the type of edit, I’ll have your manuscript for 1-4 weeks. (For more on the different services I offer, see Services and Pricing.)
If I have any questions or big concerns during editing, I’ll contact you for clarification or for a heads-up on any major changes I’m suggesting. I try to be thorough and clear in my comments and edits.
I’ll use the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word or Suggesting Mode in Google Docs to edit your work. For a developmental edit, I won’t edit the manuscript itself but rather write up chapter notes and in-depth developmental feedback and suggestions. When I’m done, I’ll send your manuscript back to you with edits, suggestions, and notes, along with an invoice for the balance due.
Revisions
Be prepared for revisions when I send back your work! For a developmental critique, you’ll receive a document outlining the strengths and weaknesses I see in your writing and specific suggestions for improvement. For extra help with brainstorming for manuscript overhauls, we can schedule a 30-minute phone or video call. Help beyond that will be charged at my hourly rate.
Line editing will give you concrete edits as well as suggestions that will be up to you to reject or implement. Line edit revisions will include considering suggested grammar and style changes for flow and readability, making your sentences more concise, or choosing more effective words, in addition to fixing mistakes. After finishing these and having any beta readers look over your work, you’re ready for a proofread! I don’t offer proofreading anymore, but I can refer you to another editor for that.
I’m always available for questions or clarifications during your revision process!
The Writer's Assistant 