The Process  
 

When you hire me to collaborate with you, you gain reassurance that your written words will be ready for public viewing. How does the process work? First, you contact me, describe your project, and send me a sample chapter or excerpt. I'll respond with a cost estimate and a timeline for completion of the editing. If my price and schedule meet with your approval, you book an editing slot, submit your deposit, and share the rest of your material with me.

 

For developmental editing, any format is fine (e.g., MS Word, Google Docs, PDF), since my output will be a letter to you outlining overall strengths and weaknesses and offering suggestions for rewriting. For copyediting, I prefer to use the Track Changes function in Word. For each change I suggest, you can scroll through the document and click either “Accept” or “Reject.” For proofreading, I can either edit or comment on a PDF or make corrections using Word. (Please let me know if you're unfamiliar with Track Changes so I can provide a quick lesson.)  

 

In the agreed-upon timeframe, for developmental editing or manuscript evaluation, I will send you a letter. For copyediting, I will return your material with corrections of errors in the text and comments in the margin about re-wording unclear sentences, reconciling inconsistencies, adjusting formatting, and more. If you've hired me for proofreading, my feedback will be strictly limited to pointing out errors. 

 

Please note that editing programs such as Grammarly and spelling checkers are handy tools, but do not take the place of a trained human editor. A computer program would not catch any of the incorrect words in the example below. Here's how editing using Track Changes looks: