Stop

Before we start, at the risk of appearing a little blunt, I need to get a couple of things out of the way.

This is an editing service. It is my livelihood. And it’s a very specialized and exacting skill.

If you decide you want to use my services—and anyone who writes anything, quite honestly, needs an editor or proofreader of some kind—then I want you to know something right off the bat, and before we go any further: this will cost you some money. Not a fortune, but not pocket change either. Just like when you choose to seek out a building contractor for house renovations or a mechanic for your car troubles, you will be paying someone a fair price for an important and (most would say) essential service.

Please have an idea of what your budget will be before you ask me to look at your work. If it’s realistic, I will be more than happy to give you an initial free sample edit somewhere in the 1,000-1,500 word range that is most representative of your current work, and we can take it from there. My quoted rates are only guidelines and I will work hard to find a fair rate we can both be happy with. But don’t approach me expecting to pay me—a ludicrous example, you’d think, but it’s happened—well under minimum wage. It’s not only insulting (to us both, since your work is also worth more than that), but it wastes your time and mine.

So, let’s not be shy talking about money. I’m not greedy and you’re not rich. We both need it in order to make the rent and to eat, and after those basics, I for one don’t think too much about the stuff.

Now, I’m a far more friendly person than this initial disclaimer might indicate, so let’s get onto the business of fixing your written work. I am good, I am conscientious and I will give your work the utmost in respect and close attention if I feel like you’re treating me fairly. Think of it this way: spending your hard-earned is relatively feeble short-term pain for the long-term gain of knowing your book won’t embarrass you in the marketplace, and will garner respect wherever it is read.

It’s a sales cliché of almost monstrous proportions, yet it’s absolutely true: you won’t regret it.

Ready?

The Web of Words

Why a web? Well, you could have the tiniest filament of an idea, one that may require a significant amount of spinning, or you may have a fully-developed lattice of the finest silk, one that only requires a few drops of dew and just the right light. I am able to do either, and everything in between. To switch metaphors, I will engage in your project at any stage, whether you need me to create (or help create) the recipe, to bake the cake or to merely add the icing.

In more concrete terms still, I can pore over your written work, fixing spelling and grammar, adjusting syntax, suggesting vocabulary, establishing tone and overhauling structure. Or, where appropriate, I can tweak the formatting (fonts, font sizes, tables, alignment, etc.) for consistency. And, plainly, the gulf between these requirements demands flexibility in pricing (in hourly terms, my average rate is in the $20 – $25 an hour range). You can be assured that I will discuss, ahead of any job, the criteria within which your unique project is confined, ensuring prior mutual agreement.