All editorial work is done in full collaboration with you as the work must retain your style and voice. Any suggestions I make are to be used solely at your discretion.
Developmental Editing.
This is the essential first step in editing your manuscript. A developmental editor will look at elements of the bigger picture such as plot development, structure, pace, character, form, tense, narrative voice , readability and marketability.
Developmental editing will enable you to share your unpublished manuscript with third party readers and use their feedback to address plot holes and inconsistencies in character, tense, flow and structure.
As this is the most time consuming, and costly, part of the editing process, you may like to consider using beta readers in order to keep costs low and gather as much feedback and constructive criticism as possible before you move on to copy editing and proofreading.
Copy Editing.
Once you’re happy with your manuscript, it’s time for the final checks and polishes! Copy editing will address any issues at a sentence level. This includes sentence structure and flow, language choices, style, grammar, spelling, punctuation and factual accuracy.
Keeping Costs Down.
Editing is a costly, but essential, process. As well as considering using beta readers to identify problems, as outlined above, you may want to consider using an editing programme for the initial copy edit. This is a useful tool but won’t pick up all errors or inconsistencies effectively. A human editor is essential for the final polish so your style and voice are maintained and any subtle errors in structure, grammar and syntax can be identified.