Mainstream Fiction Editing
Services
Twenty years professionally editing Cozy Mysteries, Mystery/Crime, Science Fiction, Sci Fi Romance, LGBTQ+, Women's Fiction, Memoirs, and more. Gentle and detailed with clients. Most get published! Award-winning writer. I don't edit to change your story, I work with you to keep the beauty you have and enhance it to make sure you are published.
Many writers get tossed aside simply because they don't know what publishers want -- and spoiler alert -- they will never tell you. Most are just too busy. But I will.
Knowledge Beyond Just Editing
I've been working in the publishing industry for almost thirty years and am also a teacher. I don't just edit, I show clients how to succeed in their publishing journey, far beyond our collaborative deadline. Even originality needs a little help with genre formulas and experience to make sure you get published in mainstream fiction. From fixing pesky errors publishers look for to weed out new writers to filling plot holes clients didn't know they had and fixing character arcs, I do it all.
Don't beat your head against a wall trying to figure out what agents, publishers, and readers want - I have built the experience to help you in ways few editors can! I'm a grammar Nazi and have perfected the process. I format your manuscript for professional submission (there are rules!), help with query letters, and show you the ropes in getting your manuscript in front of publishers and agents. In other words, I'm not just an editor, I'm a kind and patient mentor.
See below for book covers of some of my published authors. I only feature those whom have agreed to allow me to show them on my website.
No Mystery to My History
Almost three decades ago, I edited three friends' manuscripts all the way to the New York Times bestselling lists - and that was my first experience! I've been a business owner, an award-winning writer and artist, and a teacher. I have attended and competed in writers' conferences all over the U.S. to learn the best ways to edit and write in order to succeed in the industry. Having grown up with geophysicists, chemists, engineers, and even an English professor while traveling the world and owning businesses, I've accumulated an interesting repertoire of knowledge to help you make sure your manuscript is believable no matter what the subject matter.
I'm ridiculously detail-oriented and have been told I catch things no one else has. I've been fortunate enough to have many repeat clients (see below for a few examples of published authors with whom I've worked). What I've learned over three decades: It's no longer up to the publisher to catch errors. In-house editors are a thing of the past. Writers who take the responsibility to make sure they're professionally edited have a chance at building a long and happy writing career.
Editing Levels and Information
Developmental Editing (DE): I focus on the manuscript's 'big picture' - clarifying the overall concept, sometimes restructuring its material, and delving into writing craft including plot, subplots, characters (main and supporting), arcs, pacing, believability, and the story's ability to sell.
Editorial Assessment (EA): This includes sentence flow, tone, dialogue, and writer's and character's voices. Are the characters and story appealing to readers? Are they relatable? Factual details, the ability to suspend fiction, how the manuscript meets genre expectations and formulas, and even successful foci for target audiences.
Copy Editing (CE): Once a manuscript's story, plot, characters, arcs, etc. are established, grammar, punctuation, style, dialogue, smoothness, flow, sentence and word variation, formatting, consistencies in characters' speech, actions, and how they drive the plot are all examined here.
Proofreading: Once the other levels of editing have been addressed, proofreading ensures the manuscript is squeaky-clean and ready for professional submission or digital publishing. At this point, any new errors are caught and old errors have been corrected and all is checked to meet publishing standards.
***All four levels must be addressed before submitting a manuscript. This isn't something editors use to make more money - each level helps make sure when a writer puts his/her hame on their work, it's professional-grade. Think back when you've read a book and encountered an error or something that didn't seem right. Were you thrown out of the story? These are serious problems which can often cost a writer his/her reputation.
Published Works
From new writers to New York Times Best Selling authors, I love my work and am proud to see my clients published.
Here are just a few examples of people who were published after I edited them:
