Copyediting
I prepare your text for your reader
In book coaching, I guided you to do the work you need to write your book.
In copyediting, I take the strain right off you.
When you need a copyedit
You are feeling confident that your manuscript or book proposal is pretty much the best you can make it.
It’s about to go out into the world. To be read by people who don’t know you. Who won’t make allowances.
Like all good writers, you are honest with yourself.
“To err is human”
You have a niggling doubt that you might have misspelt, or misused, some words. Maybe you don’t feel 100% confident using commas or hyphens.
Or maybe you worry you have overlooked some errors. We all make them. We’re human.
Don’t mess with it!
You don’t want someone changing your words because they think it “sounds better”.
You want the things that are wrong to be put right.
You want the grammar, spelling, and punctuation to be correct, line-by-line.
You want accuracy and consistency.
That’s the way you make sure your reader will enjoy what you’ve written. They won’t be distracted by mistakes.
This is how we get started.
You tell me what your deadline is, and what you need, on this form and I will check my book of work, to make sure I can help you in your timeframe.
If so, we meet for a free fact finding call by Zoom so you can ask me any questions about the process.
Click on the button to pull up the form.
How I carry out a copyedit
You email me your manuscript in MS Word.
I work on it in several phases.
I assess your use of language and draw up a Style Sheet. A Style Sheet acts as the ‘rulebook’ for the edit to keep it consistent. It sits alongside your manuscript, on my screen, at every phase of the job.
I clean up the manuscript and get rid of all sorts of gremlins that will have crept in during the writing process, both technical and linguistic.
I go over the document in an iterative process, working methodically from the large to the small scale.
I am expert in the use of MS Word, so I don’t waste your time and money on mechanical things.
The whole reason you hire me to be your editor is because you want my brain to spot errors, exercise judgment and bring my deep knowledge of the English language to polish your work.
Keeping you informed
I email you regular updates on progress.
It would be unusual if I didn’t have questions for you as I work through the manuscript.
You can choose if you want to get all the questions in one go, or if you would rather get a weekly email.
At the end, if you wish, we have a call so that you can ask any remaining questions.
“How much?”
The Yorkshire War Cry. (I was born in Yorkshire. I can say that.)
My copyediting service is expensive.
I am trained in copyediting and, as a lawyer for well over thirty years, I was responsible for ensuring contracts and court documents were free from error.
You really don’t hire me if you are on a tight budget and just want to go through the motions of hiring an editor.
If you want to do it as cheaply as possible, you need to look away.
Now.
Or, if you would like to see my current charges, click here.
