April R.

You finished your manuscript! What's next? After many revisions and rewrites, are you pulling out your hair not knowing what more you can do? You may need some fresh eyes to see your story from another perspective. That's where I come in. With a bachelor's in English, a certificate of copyeditng from UCSD, and years of experience, I offer professional copyediting, proofreading, and book design for fiction and nonfiction. I value my relationship with my clients, and I will treat your work with the utmost care. It is important in my line of work to retain the author's voice, the part that sets your work apart from the rest. It is the key to making a piece of work into something impactful, relatable, and treasured. I'll come alongside and work with you to polish your piece to a shine, smoothing out wrinkles in grammar, syntax, and character or plot inconsistencies, eliminating any distractions so readers can fully appreciate your story. An editor is here to bridge the gap between artist (author) and consumer (reader). I work in most genres, but I especially love historical fiction, memoirs, romance, and fantasy. When publishing through a traditional house, a manuscript will go through many phases of edits before it's ready. Let me walk you through those steps. After you, the author, have revised your manuscript to your heart’s content (Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Martin Yates is a great resource for self-editing), then you will need to run your story through five or more beta readers. You can often find souls willing to do it for free through writing groups. Be aware, though, as they are not being paid and can flake out or not finish. It happens, don't give up or feel it is because your story isn't interesting enough. People have busy lives. *I offer a professional beta read (for a small fee) that brings my experience and expertise in story building, plot beats, character development, and voice to the table. I'm more than just a reader. See my packages for more details. The next steps after making your revisions suggested by your beta readers: Developmental editing - Some call this substantive editing. This phase looks at the manuscript from a zoomed-out perspective: Should this story be written in the POV that was chosen? Is there a hook in the beginning? Is the character realistic and dynamic? This phase often requires rewrites of certain sections, the addition of scenes, or large cuts of unnecessary parts, so this should be done before any line or copyediting is done. *I do not offer this service. Line editing - This phase zooms in and looks at each line (thus the name) to determine if word choice, phrasing, and rhythm are in line with the voice of the narrator or character (depending on which POV was chosen). *I offer a lighter line/copyedit combination. It is not as extensive as you might find with a full line edit. Copyediting - This is what most people think of when they are looking for an editor. This phase focuses on the consistency, cohesion, and clarity of the text. In all genres, it looks at grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling variations (e.g. making sure you spell gray and grey the same way throughout), and minor fact-checking. A copyedit points out redundancies, overused words, jargon, choppy or convoluted sentences, and word choice. It is the full deal. It also includes a style sheet--a document that keeps track of the author's spelling and style preferences--allowing anyone else working on the document to remain consistent with those choices. In fiction, it will also include a timeline and character chart to track inconsistencies. *This is my cup of tea. I charge by the word, so reach out and we can discuss a bid! Book design - This is not an editor's job but it is where the text is typeset and layout is designed to be ready for print and e-book. I've recently added this to my services. *I charge a flat fee depending on complexity. Check out my project catalog for more details! Proofreading - This is the final phase! And should not be touched or altered afterward. After the text is formatted and designed for print, the proofreader will do a final pass to catch any last errors. This includes typos, word choice (horde vs. hoard), formatting, and consistency issues in the body, headlines, images, and front and back matter (copyright page, title page, table of contents, acknowledgments, indexes, etc.). Literally every detail. It is much more than just another set of eyes. *I charge by the word for this service. Let’s chat! Now you're ready for print and e-book release! This can all be expensive and overwhelming, I know. I offer combination packages to help lower the cost. Reach out and let's begin!