Everyone who writes needs an editor—authors, academics, businesses, non-profits, students, teachers, newspaper-letter writers. Even editors who write books need an editor!
Whether you’re a budding author or a seasoned academic working on a manuscript with a view to self-publish or sign with a publisher, your chance of success will be greatly enhanced if you present a clean, clear, engaging, mistake-free document to the agent or publisher—and to the public.
Sloppiness just doesn’t cut it when it comes to the written word. Perhaps a chapter is out of place or a character is poorly developed. An editor will point this out to you. Or, you may have lost your way and need an objective pair of professional eyes to advise you on the way forward, nudge you out of writer’s block. Hire an editor.
All writers have their own personal “voice” and a good editor will ensure that your writing voice is respected and retained. They won’t make random or unnecessary changes, but will work with you on your manuscript within the parameters of your individual writing voice. They’ll stay true to your voice, not theirs.
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If you’ve labored over a letter, document, manuscript, thesis, term paper, website, you’ve probably gotten so close to the subject that you’ve lost objectivity. It may have become wordy, unclear, over-opinionated, hyperbolic—but you don’t notice as you’re trying to get your point across. And you’re unlikely to have obsessed over spelling, punctuation, and consistency. Did you use “acknowledgement” in the first paragraph and “acknowledgment” in the third but didn’t notice? Both are correct, but you need to use one or the other. Maybe you don’t know that a compound adjective is generally hyphenated before a noun (a well-read woman) but open when it falls after a noun (the woman is well read). Maybe you don’t really care about these pesky details, but you can be sure your would-be publisher, sharp-eyed reader, or red-pencil holding professor does.
Be it a business proposal, website content, cover letter for a job application, or research paper, misspellings, inaccuracies, inconsistent presentation of numbers, inappropriate figures of speech, errors in syntax could all lower your grade, lose you business, turn away clients or readers, fail to get you an interview for that job.
Whatever your line of work or writing requirement, put your best foot forward by working with a professional editor to ensure the writing you present to the public is clear, concise, consistent, fluid, and mistake-free.
For authors
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Are you beginning, or completing, a manuscript for self-publication or consideration by an agent, but have hit a wall? I can offer you a manuscript critique, and together we can devise a plan for going forward or restructure. Or if you’re getting ready for press or journal submission, I can edit your document or give it a final proofread.
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For academics
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Is your journal submission or manuscript in need of reworking? Are you stuck on chapter three and don’t know how to move forward? Are there lapses in your reasoning or shortcomings in your conclusions? I can review and evaluate your work, advise, rewrite, edit, or proofread, as required. I can also Americanize your spelling, punctuation, and word choice, if needed.
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For businesses/non-profits
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Do you need help with your professional or business writing requirements, such as reports, press releases, marketing materials, website content, cover letters? Give me the raw materials and tell me your goals, and I will generate the copy from scratch or revise what you’ve written. Or, I can professionally edit it, correcting everything from spelling and punctuation to paragraph structure and overall flow.
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For students
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Is your thesis or dissertation in need of a professional editor to check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, or consistency issues? Are your arguments structurally sound and cohesively presented? Are your timelines accurate and the transitions smooth? If not, I can help.
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For non-professional writing
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Do you have a family tree buried in your files that you’ve always wanted to turn into a narrative family history? Do you feel strongly about something and want to compose a letter to the editor? Has a relative recently passed away and you need to write an obituary? Do you want to write a condolence letter to a colleague but don’t know where to begin? Do you need to write a cover letter for a job application or a follow-up thank-you letter after an interview? I can help with these or any other personal writing or rewriting projects.
