What is a copyedit?

I offer copyediting for FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION, ROMANCE, and THRILLERS.

In bare-bones terminology, a copyedit is the process of polishing your manuscript. A copyeditor will correct spelling, grammar, inconsistencies, and basic formatting errors. This is the stage where all your big-picture changes have been made and you are ready to prepare for publishing. A copyeditor, and possibly a proofreader, is your final stop before design.

As your copyeditor, I will tackle the following tasks:

  • correcting spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation
  • enforcing style consistency across the manuscript
  • ensuring details about plot, locations, and characters match
  • determining the best spelling and idioms based on region and publishing market
  • bringing your style into a compatible symbiosis with convention and modern style guides
  • engaging in basic fact-checking (for example, traveling too far a distance in too short a time)
  • revising sentences and passages to maximize reading comprehension and flow

In industry terms, I am not a line editor and will not make invasive changes unless absolutely necessary. You can request a heavy hand, but this is not something I default toward. It is very important to me to maintain your voice and creative vision. However, if I do make subjective changes, I make sure that I offer a full explanation, and I make it clear when you can stet a change freely.

I am fluent in the Chicago Manual of Style, but I do not follow this style guide at the cost of all else. I ensure a smooth blend between author preference, genre convention, and the style guide. This way, everyone is happy: readers, editors, and author alike.

While I work, I offer comments alongside scenes to help you gauge a potential reader’s reaction (for example, an “Oh, I didn’t see that coming!”). This isn’t an inherent part of the service, but I find it makes things more fun and lighthearted if there’s more than just the red pen at work. Don’t like side commentary? No problem! Just let me know.

Let's talk about costs and timelines

It typically takes me between two to three weeks to finish a copyedit. This can differ greatly based on how much work is needed on the manuscript and how many words it is. I can offer a more specific estimate during the quoting process.

My copyediting rate ranges from 0.0055 USD to 0.0085 USD per word. Please note that this rate is for one round of copyediting.

This covers time spent editing, writing the editorial report hand-off, and creating and updating a style sheet made custom for your manuscript. It also includes Q&A after the edit has been delivered if you have any questions for me about a change I made.

I am also available for subsequent rounds of copyediting as well as proofreading. My rate for this is negotiable and dependent on the project. Please reach out if this is something you’d like to explore.

I offer free samples for copyediting projects. When we begin talking, I will request a short excerpt of your book from you and then return the sample edit alongside a quote and initial assessment.

Check out my portfolio! Or are you ready to see if we’re a good fit?

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