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Copy Editing & Proofreading

$35/hr Starting at $35

I provide a full range of editing – developmental, copy editing, line editing and final proofreading. I have been editing professionally for 25+ years, and I specialize in mystery/suspense fiction, and non-fiction books, articles, whitepapers and reports in the business, health, education and spirituality realms. Along with the hands-on editing of your manuscript, I provide advice on pacing, dialogue, transitions, word economy, narrative development, clarity and completeness, and voice. I've worked with hundreds of writers and they would tell you I keep my ego out of the editing process, for this is your manuscript and my task is to catch miscues and help you execute at the highest level, not substitute my style or approach. Unlike most, I do a minimum of three full passes when hired for a full edit: + A straight read to absorb the full story, style and pacing, with questions/suggestions relayed to you to enhance clarity, or propose structural changes to improve flow and how the piece tracks. These are returned in a text document with comments, along with an overview memo making more general points or expanding on those in the comments. + I then move to a thorough screen copy/line edit to catch and correct miscues, smooth wording, enhance clarity and shape the document up. All edit changes again are tracked in Word. + I then do a pencil edit of a printout. Anyone who doesn't do a final read of hard copy is going to miss things. That's just the way our brains work today because of all the surfing and skim-reading we do on display screens. We need to slow down mentally, and the hard copy just does that somehow. I stress communication in my editing work, for it must be a collaborative process. So you should anticipate some back and forth. I pledge to respond promptly and seek counsel when I think a non-mechanical change might be needed, but not to the point of being a burden. My a

About

$35/hr Ongoing

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I provide a full range of editing – developmental, copy editing, line editing and final proofreading. I have been editing professionally for 25+ years, and I specialize in mystery/suspense fiction, and non-fiction books, articles, whitepapers and reports in the business, health, education and spirituality realms. Along with the hands-on editing of your manuscript, I provide advice on pacing, dialogue, transitions, word economy, narrative development, clarity and completeness, and voice. I've worked with hundreds of writers and they would tell you I keep my ego out of the editing process, for this is your manuscript and my task is to catch miscues and help you execute at the highest level, not substitute my style or approach. Unlike most, I do a minimum of three full passes when hired for a full edit: + A straight read to absorb the full story, style and pacing, with questions/suggestions relayed to you to enhance clarity, or propose structural changes to improve flow and how the piece tracks. These are returned in a text document with comments, along with an overview memo making more general points or expanding on those in the comments. + I then move to a thorough screen copy/line edit to catch and correct miscues, smooth wording, enhance clarity and shape the document up. All edit changes again are tracked in Word. + I then do a pencil edit of a printout. Anyone who doesn't do a final read of hard copy is going to miss things. That's just the way our brains work today because of all the surfing and skim-reading we do on display screens. We need to slow down mentally, and the hard copy just does that somehow. I stress communication in my editing work, for it must be a collaborative process. So you should anticipate some back and forth. I pledge to respond promptly and seek counsel when I think a non-mechanical change might be needed, but not to the point of being a burden. My a

Skills & Expertise

Book EditingChicago Manual of StyleContent EditingCopy EditingDevelopmental EditingeBooksEditingForthHealthMechanicalPage & Book DesignProofreadingReportsRestSAPSpelling

10 Reviews

  • Greg 263 says,

    This is the 3rd book Doug has helped me with and he has been excellent to work with. Punctual, helpful without being overbearing, and guides the process. Will use him again soon.

    for Edit and Format Book on Aug 30, 2019

  • L 37 says,

    A must hire for your next layout/formatting job!

    for Book Layout on Feb 03, 2017

  • CloudCreative says,

    Products turned out nicely and in a timely manner.

    for Revise, Edit and Format on Jan 02, 2017

  • CloudCreative says,

    Excellent job. Learned a lot.

    for Ebook Formatting/Proofreading on Dec 04, 2016

  • Sarah 194 says,

    I'm so grateful to Doug for all his patience and guidance through the process of designing the layout of my book. He always responded quickly to any questions or requests, and the quality of his work is excellent. He exceeded my expectations in every way, and I would highly recommend him as a partner in bringing your project to life. Thanks Doug!

    for Ebook & Print Layout in Indesign on Nov 06, 2016