I’m here to help your voice come through clear and strong in your writing. My goal is to help you see not only the big picture but also all the tiny little details that can help bring your vision into focus. I offer a few different editing and coaching packages to fit your needs.
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Book Coaching
Have a book you want to write, but not sure how you’re going to do it? I can help. My favorite thing to do is coach writers through the content creation process. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of figuring out difference between pantsing and plotting, whether you should have an outline before you start, or how many words you need to generate to tell the story you’re trying to tell, you probably need a book coach. I can help make the process more manageable, provide motivation and helpful resources as you find the shape of your story, and give you encouragement and feedback as you find your voice and your particular writing style. Choose a package that fits your creative needs:
- The Seeker: writing coaching
You may or may not have words for me to critique yet at this level. If you do, you can send up to 8,000 words per month to have me give feedback on them. We will schedule one Zoom meeting a month and talk through your creative process, focusing on how to build a writing practice that makes you excited to return to the page each day. Or we’ll build outlines and story maps to get you from “Once upon a time…” to “The End” on the project of your choice. This level is for getting the creative energy flowing, and having some accountability with lots of space for figuring out just how and what and why you’re writing. Email me for rate information - The Apprentice: writing coaching
You’re probably already deep into the drafting process here and looking for someone to help you find your way again. Send me up to 10,000 words for review/feedback. We’ll schedule one phone call or Skype/Zoom session per month to talk about how you’re progressing with your writing goals and to go over edits or feedback you’ve received. In addition, where needed or desired, I’ll send along encouragement and/or exercises (or related articles) to help develop the writing or reading skills you need to achieve the desired effect with your scenes. Email me for rate information - The Artist: writing coaching
You’re serious about getting the writing done at this stage. You may already have a full manuscript that needs polishing up, or you may be close to executing an idea and just need the extra perspective and accountability to get you past the finish line. Send me up to 15,000 words for review/feedback. We’ll schedule two phone calls or Skype/Zoom sessions per month to talk about how you’re progressing with your writing goals and to go over edits or feedback you’ve received. In addition, where needed or desired, I’ll send along encouragement and/or exercises (or related articles) to help develop the writing or reading skills you need to achieve the desired effect with your scenes. Email me for rate information - The Querent: Query letter review
You have a manuscript ready to go, and now you’re working on building and polishing your query. This package comes with two phone calls or zoom sessions during which we’ll go over the magical elements you need to construct a query you’ll be proud of. Plus, I will review your query letter twice and offer feedback. Email me for rate information - The Magician: Social Media
You may just be starting to write, or you may have a complete manuscript ready to shop or publish. Either way, now it’s time to focus on your author platform. You know you need to have a social media presence as part of that well-rounded platform. But you have no idea how to go about building that presence without becoming consumed by it. This package comes with two phone calls or zoom sessions per month you sign up, during which time we’ll go over the magical elements (from Facebook to Twitter to email lists) you need to build out your social media presence. This includes instruction on content creation, feed curation, and engagement strategy. As part of that instruction, we’ll develop a plan to keep your social media accounts from taking over your life. Rate of progress and amount of content covered is determined by how much time and energy you wish to devote to each element. Email me for rate information
- The Seeker: writing coaching
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Developmental editing
Maybe you already have a manuscript that you’ve revised once or twice. You know it’s not “right” yet, but you don’t know what to do with it next. In a developmental edit, I take a deep, critical look at your writing. I assure that your voice is consistent, your characters are multi-dimensional, and your plot is air-tight. This process often involves line-editing, where I may rewrite portions of the text to fix any problems or to illustrate the direction I think you should take when you begin your next draft.
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Copy editing
By this point, you’ve gotten the plot, characterization, and structure correct and so I’ll only point out the most glaring developmental errors. This phase focuses on the grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and makes sure that your text conforms to the industry standards.
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Proofreading
Not to be confused with copy editing, proofreading is the lightest kind of editing out there. If developmental editing is a bulldozer and copy editing is a machete, proofreading is the feather duster of edits. In a proofread, my job is not to question usage or structure. I will check for typos and formatting mistakes, to make sure that there’s a period where a period should be and that you spelled “hodmandod” correctly.
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Editorial overview
An editorial overview works best on a manuscript that has already been heavily edited and reviewed by critique partners. I will read your manuscript and write an in-depth report, evaluating your manuscript’s character development, narrative arc, plot, and pacing. I will highlight areas of weakness, and help you build on your manuscript’s strengths. In an editorial overview, I do not alter the manuscript in any way.