Publishing your book will enable you to reach completely new readers and markets, and a copyeditor can help ensure your intelligence, innovation, and unique voice are accurately represented. An editor can guide even the most experienced writers through the process of writing and developing a book, cleaning up an existing draft, and making the words sparkle. If your words don't reach out to your readers, your book may not last in today's competitive market. And your readers will take their business elsewhere.
The benefits of hiring a freelance editor to work on your book or manuscript?
- A copy editor can provide a second set of eyes capable of viewing your book as an objective outsider would.
- Working with an editor can help you develop your writing style and voice.
- Enlisting the help of an editor will give you the confidence to approach agents and publishers with your book project.
- A copy editor can clean up errors and polish your draft to perfection.
- An editor can help you develop your book into a valuable, marketable product.
I offer freelance editing and proofreading services for authors and business leaders who want to create marketable book or e-book manuscripts. Whether you're an experienced author with several books under your belt, or a first-timer looking for the right way to express your thoughts and ideas in words, I can help you effectively reach your audience, establish your writing style, and turn a profit on the book you've worked so hard to create.
Editing encompasses a broad range services. Is your manuscript polished and nearly prepared for publication? Do you have a rough draft? Or do you just have a few notes and a head full of ideas? Your stage in the writing process will determine the level of services your project will require.
What kind of editing services does your project need? Consider the following definitions.
Developmental or Structural Editing -- If you've completed a rough draft, but need an objective set of eyes to help organize and develop your content, then developmental or structural editing will help ready your manuscript for publication. By asking questions about your material, I will point out unclear and confusing parts of your arguments and ideas, and highlight areas that need further development. If necessary, I will move chunks of text around to better organize your material, and I will rewrite sentences to make them easier to read and understand.
Editing -- Editing services work best for authors that need a little more than copyediting, but not quite a developmental overhaul. If you want feedback on how to improve the way your manuscript is organized and how your story unfolds, as well as copyediting services to check for grammar and punctuation issues, then editing is for you.
Copy Editing -- Copy editing is a must for every author who wants to create a successful book. I will carefully read your manuscript for consistency and accuracy in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other style issues. I will eliminate passive sentences, clean up prose, and standardize style throughout your manuscript. I will also identify inconsistencies and redundancies in the content, if applicable.
Proofreading -- If you've had your manuscript copy edited (either by me or another editor), and had your book interior designed and formatted, then you're ready for a proofread. I will carefully inspect your manuscript for design inconsistencies and accuracy, including headings, subheads, page breaks, bulleted and numbered lists, word breaks, page numbers, cross references, and art work, such as graphs and tables. I may also find grammar and other copy editing errors, but I will primarily focus on the design elements.
![Hiring an editor was a great decision. Melinda made my book clear and simple. She was quick, thorough, and professional.](/account/images/quote.img?version=1"e.text=Hiring+an+editor+was+a+great+decision.+Melinda+made+my+book+clear+and+simple.+She+was+quick%2C+thorough%2C+and+professional.&author.text=Dennis+Wetzel&title.text=Author%2C+Dennis+Wetzel%27s+Complete+Guitar+Method&begin.fill.color=D5EEF2"e.fill.color=000000&begin.font.size=150"e.font.size=18"e.text.wrappingwidth=215&stage.width.max=215&pid=1216755694343)
![If someone asked me if hiring an editor was worth it: absolutely! I'm so glad I decided to do this, and am proud to have had such professional services from you, Melinda.](/account/images/quote.img?version=1"e.text=If+someone+asked+me+if+hiring+an+editor+was+worth+it%3A+absolutely%21+I%27m+so+glad+I+decided+to+do+this%2C+and+am+proud+to+have+had+such+professional+services+from+you%2C+Melinda.&author.text=Martha+Moore&title.text=Author%2C+Doveland&begin.fill.color=D5EEF2"e.fill.color=000000&begin.font.size=150"e.font.size=18"e.text.wrappingwidth=215&stage.width.max=215&pid=1216755694343)
![Melinda Copp was enormously helpful in copyediting my first book, How to Rewrite Your Life Script. Melinda performed her job impeccably. She diligently and thoroughly scrutinized the manuscript, found and corrected the errors, made some very helpful suggestion based on her experience, and got the edit back to me right on time. She’s easy to work with and displays excellent professional judgment. I recommend her to anyone who needs a first-rate copyeditor.](/account/images/quote.img?version=1"e.text=_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_&author.text=John+Boswell&title.text=Author%2C+How+to+Rewrite+Your+Life+Script&begin.fill.color=D5EEF2"e.fill.color=000000&begin.font.size=150"e.font.size=18"e.text.wrappingwidth=215&stage.width.max=215&pid=1216755694343)
