Judy C.

Copyediting is my passion! My expertise includes line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. I focus on reducing wordiness, improving readability, sharpening clarity, and ensuring accuracy—all while preserving the author’s voice. For over sixteen years, I’ve served as the copy editor and final read for numerous authors across genres—including New York Times bestselling author Dianna Love, who writes romance, YA fantasy, and crime thrillers. With Dianna, I handle the copyediting. Others proofread. Then I conduct the final review to ensure the manuscript is fully refined. For all other authors, I provide two thorough reads—copyediting and final proofreading/finalization—ensuring manuscripts are polished and error‑free. In addition to copyediting and proofreading, I’m a strong writer, which makes me a more intuitive, sharper editor. I’ve worked closely with two first-time authors whose stories needed a sentence-by-sentence overhaul to become editorially sound. That’s one end of the spectrum. By the time we wrap up, my clients are ready to publish. I’ve been fortunate to build a strong rapport with each of them, and I believe excellent communication is key. With a sharp eye for detail and unmatched efficiency, I deliver on time. My knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style and AP Style, coupled with my bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech, ensures quality and professionalism. I offer two pricing options, each including TWO COMPLETE READS: a flat per‑word rate or an hourly rate. My standard rates are $0.04–$0.055 per word and $35–$55 per hour. I'm glad to tailor rates to suit your needs. Most people do better by the hour unless the project is highly labor-intensive. My structure provides the best of both worlds: if my hourly total exceeds the flat-rate quote, I’ll split the difference—so you receive the lowest possible rate. This is my process. In the FIRST READ (line editing and copyediting), I resolve about 95 percent of the issues using Word’s Track Changes. I use comments when I have questions or need clarification. After this pass, I’ll send the file to you so you can accept or reject edits and respond to comments. You don’t need to accept every change—just reject the ones you don’t want and reply to any questions. Once I receive the file back, I’ll accept remaining edits and begin the SECOND (usually FINAL) READ (proofreading) with a fresh copy. After that second pass, your document will be polished and error-free, aside from any final refinements. Completion time for TWO COMPLETE READS depends on word count and how quickly you return the FIRST READ. I strive to deliver promptly while respecting your work. I have copyedited and proofread over nineteen novels by New York Times bestselling author Dianna Love. Here’s a partial list of other titles I’ve edited: • Sun Tzu’s Art of War in the Battlefield of Project Management—NYT Bestseller—Puneet Kuthiala • Qualified, So I Am Justified—Dr. Kevin Tyson • The Leadership Code—Devyani Patel • 70 50 10: The Journey to an Entrepreneurial Legacy—Mike Russell and Visionary Writing • From Profiles to Partners—Edward Jones • Ghost Protocol—C.R. Burnett • Breathe, Eat, Poop & Grow—Brian Heilig • Black Diamond: The Fourth Missing Bullet—B. Frank Hall • Five Indelible Men—S. Z. Mustafa • The Sales Engineer’s Playbook—Darel D. Ison II • Money Laundering and Compliance in Football—Ibrahim ElOraby • Happy Monday: Designing Your Dream Career—Nathan Stuck and Visionary Writing • Original Human Beings—Dr. Tim White • A Café in Paris—Glenn Ritt • The Hypocrisy of the Church—James E. Allen • The Prescription for Overcoming—Dr. Annetta Alexander • Speak, But Not For Me—Enock Menge • The Art and Science of AI in Education—Branson Adams • Can God Use Me?—Kristine Kimmel • Courage for America—Jackie Arnold • Mulberry Creek—Harry Bach • Practice Pathfinder Blueprint * • Lifemap for Teens * • The Best Adventure Ever * (*All three titles by Mathew Jensen) • Ikhla’s Butterfly—S. Z. Mustafa • Farty Friends: A Stinky Story About Friendship—Kiki Stewart • The High School of Low Blows—Rosie Medero • People and Plants—Desiree Delcourt • Castle Vale Publishers Ltd.: Stop Overthinking It, Sky Soldiers, The Great UN Reset • Twenty-five Ruthless Romance novels If you send me a message, I can send you my resume, which includes a book dedication from New York Times bestselling author Dianna Love and heartfelt acknowledgments from other authors Please feel free to send over a few pages—I’d love to show you how I can help. Copyediting is second nature—I help authors shape meaning, one comma at a time.