Frequently Asked Questions
What genres do you edit?
I specialize in romance but will edit any genre I read frequently: historical fiction, humorours realistic fiction, time travel, fairy-tale remakes, action/adventure, and fantasy/science fiction. I also do select nonfiction books, including anthologies, business books, and memoirs. Your genre not listed? Drop me a line and we can chat. I may be able to help or recommend another editor.
What types of editing do you do?
I do copyediting and proofreading and work with content that is already on the page—I am the final step between you and the reader. If you need developmental or line edits, I do have a few editors I can refer you to.
How does the process work?
If we decide to work together after the sample edit, we will look at the calendar and find a date that works for both of us. I will send you a contract to sign that includes the price and scope of the work and invoice you. A $50 nonrefundable deposit (applicable to your total fee) will reserve your date in my schedule. Half the total fee is due before work begins. The remainder is due when I email you that your manuscript is complete. Once payment has been made in full I will return your manuscript and style sheet. If you need a payment plan, please reach out.
What can I expect with your edits?
I use Track Changes and Comments in Microsoft Word so you can see every change and suggestion I make. You can then accept or reject each one.
What file formats do you accept?
I accept only word documents.
How do I make payments?
I accept PayPal or Wise from authors with a Wise account.
As an editor, how do you respect my voice and writing style?
I never forget that this is not my book. This is your book that you are sharing with me and asking for my help polishing. I will make edits, comments, suggestions, and even explain grammar rules throughout your manuscript, keeping in mind your writing style and the voices of your characters. But it's always your choice to accept or reject any changes or suggestions.
Are there guarantees on your edits? Refunds?
Much like editors at brick-and-mortar publishing houses, I am human and can't guarantee that your manuscript will be completely error-free. I can certainly aim for the same 95% accuracy rate they achieve, though, and I think my clients will tell you that I have done better than that. I do not offer refunds, though I do want my clients to be satisfied and will work with you to try to come to a solution agreeable to us both should there be an issue.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you cancel your editing date before editing beings, you forfeit your $50 deposit. If you choose to cancel your edit after work has already begun on your manuscript, you will be responsible for paying for the work already completed. Since word count will not be an accurate reflection of how much work has gone into the edit, you will be billed based on how many hours have been spent on the project at the rate of $45 per hour.
What is your availability?
Please contact me about your project—include type of editing, genre, word count, and desired editing date/deadline—and I can give you an idea of when I can fit it in.
What's your turnaround time?
Turnaround time varies based on the type of editing, how much editing is needed, and the word count of the manuscript. Two rounds of copyediting back to back typically take a week for a short story or novella (under 30K), two weeks for a longer text (30K-60K), and three weeks for the longest manuscripts (60K+). If you choose to make edits between my two rounds (there's an upcharge for this service), you'll need to add your time with the manuscript plus the wait time to get worked into my schedule again to the total time the copy edit will take. These timelines, of course, are based on an ideal world and are not guaranteed, but I do my best.
How do you protect my privacy?
Neither your identity nor your work will be disclosed to any third parties without your permission.
Do you accept feedback?
I will actively ask you for feedback, positive and negative! I want to know not only what you appreciated about my work, but what I could have done better.
Tell me about your website's Feedback page.
References and word-of-mouth referrals are vital for freelance editors. You are welcome to send me a review and a book cover image to add to my Feedback page and use on social media. In return, I am happy to link to a page of your choice where your book is for sale.
Talk to me about Artificial Intelligence (AI).
I do not use AI in my editing. When you hire me, you are paying for my experience and my expertise, not a computer's. I also will not run/feed any portion of your manuscript through any AI program. I have also recently changed my contract to add a place for the author to initial testifying that no part of their manuscript was written by AI. (Editing programs like Grammarly are fine. Those don't generate your content.)
If I hire you to edit my book, will my typos show up in your ads?
No. My ad material comes from books I read for fun, not books I read for work, and I reword things I use in my ads to disguise the author and book. I also have some editor friends who send me material and some authors who make suggestions for my Troublesome Words posts, and I am a member of several funny typo FB groups. My intent is never to embarrass or poke fun at folks (I was one of those people reading Her-me-own for Hermione in the Harry Potter books—we're all human and make mistakes)—my aim is to educate authors and point out the importance and value of human editors.