I do not take rush orders because I care too much about the quality of my work to cut corners.

I do not make priority bookings because I only focus on one project at a time, so I must complete jobs in the order that I book them. The first day I’m available to begin your project is the day after I finish any prior jobs I’m committed to.

I will frequently finish a project before the deadline and deliver early, but I do not shorten my timeframe prematurely because I always want to leave a wide enough cushion for “life,” in order to avoid late deliveries.

I am not willing to put myself or my clients in the unpleasant and stressful situations of skipped sleep, dropped family obligations, and missed deadlines.

I work in Microsoft Word.

Your manuscript should be formatted in Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced, no Tabs before paragraphs, only one space between sentences. Please do not change fonts for different character voices or special effects. My preference is for each chapter to be a separate document, organized numerically in a folder, but I will accept a single document with page breaks separating chapters. Please include numbered chapter headers and numbered pages.

Do not send me your only copy of your manuscript. You should retain your own separate copy to compare or revert to as needed.

I will use Track Changes to indicate recommended alterations to the text. I will use Comments to leave notes explaining my recommendations, impressions, and ideas.

All documents will be shared via email.

Editing is a collaborative effort, and keeping the lines of communication open helps the process.

I prefer to keep most information documented through email for ease of reference, but I am open to contact through Facebook Messenger if time is of the essence, since I don’t sit in front of my inbox all day, and you probably don’t either. I often have a few questions regarding style decisions and your intent as the author when I’m familiarizing myself with a new project. After the initial questions, I will keep you updated periodically.

You are free to contact me at any time for a checkup, question, or concern.

I provide a contract that defines the scope of the work you are hiring me to do, the manuscript’s beginning word count (which is the number used to calculate the project’s fees and timetable), payment terms, any applicable discounts, and deadlines. Your time slot for my services is booked after you have presented me with a copy of your manuscript, you have paid the initial deposit, and both you and I have signed the contract.

The purpose of the contract is to protect both of us. It is not a gotcha or a snare. It’s there to hold us both accountable for our end of the agreement and to ensure we both know what we are agreeing to. The goal is to minimize confusion, frustration, and disappointment. If there are terms in the contract you’re uncomfortable with, let me know, and we can work out something that works better. I’m also happy to make changes to our contract after I’ve begun working on a project. Just let me know if you’ve had a change in circumstances or a new concern arises. Everything is negotiable.

I require a 50% non-refundable deposit, which is payable when signing the contract. This payment books your spot in my schedule and ensures completion of your project by the stated deadline.

If I do not notify you of the project’s completion by the deadline in the contract, I will pay back 2% of the deposit for each day that my delivery is late.

The remainder is due when I notify you of the project’s completion. After you pay the balance, I will release the final document to you.

Editing is not cheap. I get it. If you can’t afford a big lump sum all at once, please communicate with me. We can work out an extended payment plan in which I work through your manuscript in installments according to your means. Everything is negotiable.

I accept payment through Zelle and Venmo, but I charge an additional 2% fee for Venmo.

If you hire me for a Line Edit on the same manuscript after I have completed a Developmental edit, I will apply a 20% discount to the Line Edit fee.

For example:

Developmental Edit (with included Manuscript Evaluation): $.025 per word.

Line Edit: $.02 per word - 20%

———

If you initially hire me for a Manuscript Evaluation, then later decide you want a Developmental Edit, the price already paid for the Manuscript Evaluation will be subtracted from the cost of the Developmental Edit because a Manuscript Evaluation is already included in my Developmental Edits.

———

If you are a repeat client with a new project, I will apply a 5% discount on the first service (whether Manuscript Evaluation, Developmental Edit, or Line Edit) of the new project.

———

If you have been referred to me by another client I have worked with, tell me their name and the name of their project, and I will give you a 5% discount on your first project with me.

I am happy to provide a free sample of my editing style, applied to 1,500 words of your manuscript, preferably taken from somewhere in the middle of your book. (Why the middle? Most writers spend a lot of extra time buffing and polishing their opening and closing chapters. I want to get a sense of what your writing looks like on an average day.)

Steam. Spice. Hot. Heavy. These are subjective terms. Personally, I can’t imagine anything more erotic than a fully-clothed man with his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow. (If you’re attracted to men at all, you know I’m right.)

So let’s work out some definitions for sex ratings.

I will work with manuscripts that contain content up to Level 4. Anything beyond this is not my kind of book, and you should want an editor who appreciates your work. Furthermore, I am not the right editor for same-sex pairings between main characters. I’m not well-acquainted enough with same-sex relationship dynamics to do justice to it.

Level 1 - Sweet and wholesome. Handholding, the occasional caress, and chaste kisses only. Jane Austen’s flinty-eyed chaperones would find nothing to reproach in this courtship. These lovebirds are definitely waiting for marriage. The greatest danger here is getting a cavity.

Level 2 - Closed door. Characters may be engaging in sexual acts off the page, but the reader never sees more than the barest hint of it. Characters on the page behave as they would in front of company. Kissing, touching, and cuddling allowed, but no descriptions of contact with private body parts. Clothes stay on.

Level 3 - A little steamy. Impassioned kissing, petting, fondling, bodies making contact. Private body parts are referenced and may be touched, but clothes stay on.

Level 4 - Fade to black. Can get quite steamy. Clothes coming off, but not full nudity. Touching, bodies in motion, but the scenes stop short of acts of penetration and explicit descriptions of private body parts.

Level 5 - Spicy. The lovers are going all the way and taking the reader on the ride with them. Nudity, private parts, penetration, orgasm, it’s all on full display. Sex is consensual.

Level 6 - Erotica. Sex play, BDSM, and rape. May or may not be consensual.

My editing style is suited to readers in the Young Adult (Teen), New Adult (20’s), and Adult (30+) categories.

I have plenty of exposure to books for Middle-Grade and elementary-level readers, but I have received no training in analyzing the structure and language of books for children at various developmental levels.

If you want my best work:

I pay meticulous attention to detail. Line Editing is the type of editing I enjoy the most. My clients have generally agreed that this is the type of feedback where I do my best work. If you want to get the most bang for your buck and you’re only hiring me to do one thing, it should be a Line Edit.

———

My favorite and least favorite types of book:

Regardless of genre, I’m drawn to stories that feature strong character arcs and relationships. If your story features a lot of interpersonal connection, soul-searching, family dynamics, romance, social commentary, and personal growth, it’s going to be right up my alley. The cozier, quirkier, more romantic, more intimate, and more people-oriented, the better. Think cozy mysteries, comedies of errors, true love’s kiss, ruined reputations, found family, discovering one’s place and purpose in life, growing as a person, and relationships, relationships, relationships.

If your story is all about battle strategies, odysseys across the stars, complicated scientific theories, a lone man battling against nature, or the politics between alien species, that’s not really my wheelhouse. If your story is more about the journey than the friends made along the way, I may get a bit lost in the trees.