After months, sometimes years, of writing and editing your book, you save the file that you labeled “final draft” or something to that effect. And now what? What type of professional editing does it need? Most authors, including myself, mistakenly think it will require only a proof because we have spent so much time tinkering, getting it fine-tuned. Still, realistically, it needs a fresh set of objective eyes at each stage of the publishing process. In traditional publishing, every manuscript usually goes through four separate editors; some manuscripts have a dozen rounds of editing.

Self-publishing usually takes three rounds. Typically, with my clients I do a manuscript review, line edit, and proof.* But my proofs are more like a copy edit in most cases. With fewer rounds of editing than the big house’s dozen, there’s more to catch on that last round. 

My manuscript review is like a mini developmental edit. Over the years, I have learned the art of seeing what works well and what could use some additional help. It differs from a developmental edit because I don’t edit your manuscript; I provide feedback and a report, and you make the changes. I find it helps authors to hone their craft. 

Then we move on to a line edit. I am a poet—I love words. Line editing is where I shine. I look at your writing line by line, focusing on improving the flow, style, and readability of the writing by looking for ways to improve sentence structure, word choice, and overall clarity. I help you refine your writing on a sentence level to boost it up to reach a broader audience.

Then the proof, which is not the time to revise and rewrite. Your proof comes after you have made sure your plot is solid or, with nonfiction, your ideas come across clearly with your intended vision. You’ve tripled-checked everything. I’d say a proof catches the “little things,” but really, too many “little” errors add up and make your book look unprofessional. If you scroll through Amazon, many one-star reviews are for too many errors. Investing in professional editing is an easy step to making your book more polished. Editors spend hours scouring punctuation and words to find the one that does not belong because we want you to have the shiniest version of your ideas out in the world.

*There are editorial industry standards, which can be seen here. My rates are in line with those listed. Please reach out for specific editing rates for your book or blog.