It can be a challenge to know what kind of editing your book needs. Here is what I can do for your book; Editors Canada offers more information about the different levels of editing here.
Services I offer
- Substantive editing, also known as developmental editing, is “big-picture” editing. For fiction, this can include looking at plot arcs, characters, and setting; asking questions of believability and research; and examining voice and dialogue. For nonfiction, this can include ensuring that your chapters and sections fit together into a coherent whole, that your arguments are clear and well supported, and that the writing is appropriate for your readers. Reorganizing and adding or (more often) cutting out material are common at this stage.
- Stylistic or line editing involves suggesting rewrites at the sentence and paragraph level to keep your narrative flowing smoothly, concisely, and compellingly, without repetition or ambiguity. My goal is to maintain your unique authorial voice while ensuring that the text serves the reader in its clarity and readability.
- Copyediting includes looking for inaccuracies, typos, grammatical errors, problems with charts or captions, and inconsistencies. I create and maintain comprehensive style sheets to ensure that your book is as error-free as possible and that your main character’s eyes, described as sky-blue in Chapter Three, are not slate grey in Chapter Twelve.
- Proofreading is usually the last pass before your book goes to print. I do not proofread books I have worked on previously, because I believe that “fresh eyes” are crucial for spotting stray commas and missing page numbers, as well as noticing where you used “principal” when you meant “principle.”
- Manuscript evaluation is the process of reading a book, usually in an early draft form, and offering a one- to three-page report highlighting areas where you might best focus your rewriting efforts to bring the book to the next level. If you’re not sure if your book is ready for substantive editing or if you’re stuck and not sure which direction you want to take your book, let’s talk about a manuscript evaluation.
- Rewriting and ghostwriting are useful when you have wonderful ideas or extensive notes but are not able to get them down in a way that you’re happy with. I can help you turn your ideas into a story or a book.
- Canadianization of foreign works is a crucial step when bringing an international work to a Canadian audience. I can help you narrow down what style would be most appropriate for your audience, make sure your translation is readable and cogent for Canadian readers, and put all the extra u’s into “neighbour,” “colour,” and “favourite.”
- Photographic research is the process of finding and obtaining rights for photography or illustrative materials such as maps for a book. As a photographer with a decade of stock photography experience, I am familiar with a wide range of sources for stock and archival materials as well as photography rights and copyright and fair dealing laws in Canada.
- Author headshots (yes, really)
Services I do not offer, but for which I can recommend a colleague
- Indexing
- Cover design
- Book layout
- Ebook formatting