Why Would You Need Copyediting?
You’ve worked tirelessly to craft your world, characters, and plot. You’ve been through several rounds of self-editing or even employed another professional editor for developmental/substantive steps. Now, you’re ready to get your book into the hands of readers.
Hold on, Turbo!
Even diamonds need polishing after being cut.
So, before you publish that book, let’s chat.
Copyediting does several things for your manuscript, including . . .
-
Save Syntax: Copyeditors improve the “flow” of the text and may change the syntax (word order) to ensure the intended feeling comes across.
-
Assassinate Ambiguity: Copyeditors provide clarity of meaning and can help clear up vague or confusing sentences.
-
Eradicate Errors: Copyeditors search for incorrect facts and continuity issues to ensure the reader is not pulled out of the text.
-
Revamp Readability: Copyeditors may adjust word choice and formatting decisions to enhance the readability of the text for your intended audience.
-
Correct Commas: Yes, copyeditors also correct spelling and punctuation by moving commas, replacing hyphens with em dashes, etc.
That’s a lot, and it’s what every copyeditor should be doing. Now, you may be wondering . . .
How Does Jeanette Do Copyediting?
It all starts with a dream . . . JK, it starts with your completed manuscript. I only accept manuscripts that have been through several rounds of self-editing or have been worked on by a developmental or substantive editor.
*NO first draft is ready for copyediting without more work.*
Once we connect, I will want to see the ten “best” and ten “worst” pages from your manuscript. Reviewing these will help me determine your:
-
Scope of work (what and how much I will do to the manuscript)
-
Timeline (how long it will take)
-
Investment (generally priced per word)
If we decide to work together, we’ll start with a simple contract and a down payment to get you on the schedule.
From there, the process looks like this:
-
You send me the manuscript
-
I spend several weeks making multiple passes over the text
-
You receive the manuscript back to make any final changes
-
I perform a final “cleanup” before returning it along with the style sheet
It’s that simple!
Ready to get started?