Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know exactly what you’re going to do for me?
Before work begins, you will receive an editorial agreement spelling out all the details of the project, including the schedule, fee, and definitions of the services to be provided. We can resolve any questions you have at that time, before work begins.
Will I be able to talk to you on the phone?
Yes! After you receive your manuscript evaluation, I will schedule the follow-up call included in the Comprehensive Manuscript Evaluation package. This will allow us to discuss any questions you have about the feedback. We might also do some additional brainstorming about how to solve plot or character problems, or talk about feelings that come up around killing your darlings. The goal of this call is to make sure you have what you need to dig in on your revision.
Why should I pay an editor? My writing group can give me feedback.
Getting reads from people whose opinions you respect is a great idea. Whether they are writers themselves, or just avid readers, the feedback you get from another set of eyes can strengthen your book. But a professional editor’s feedback is informed by knowledge of the publishing industry, what agents and editors are looking for, and what needs to change about your manuscript to increase the chance it could sell.
But I’m planning to self-publish, so I don’t need an editor—right?
Writers planning to self-publish must become the project managers for their own books. A wise project manager knows she can’t—and shouldn’t try to—do everything herself. Instead, she must assemble a team of experts who can help her put together a polished finished product. A reliable, experienced editor should be at the top of the list.
How does payment work?
You will pay a 25% deposit at the time you schedule the project to reserve the dates. A second payment of 25% is due when work begins, and the balance 50% payment is due when I return the manuscript evaluation to you. I accept payments via PayPal.
Do you write with red pencil, just like all those famous editors in the movies?
I used to! But my red pencil days are behind me. The Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word is a great tool for writers and their editors. I make my comments in the margins, and then I create an editorial letter, a document that synthesizes all my feedback into a plan that will serve as your road map to revision.
Can you get me an agent?
Researching agents and following the steps of the submission process is up to you. What I can do is help you get your manuscript in tip-top shape so you have the best possible chance of finding representation.
I just know my book is going to sell. Isn’t editing it my future publisher’s job?
In the good old days of book publishing, authors formed partnerships with their editors at the publishing houses, working with them to shape a first draft into a finished book. But things have changed. Book publishers employ far fewer editors, and those editors are charged with working on dozens of books per year on a very tight schedule. At the same time, the number of submissions has skyrocketed. As a result, agents and editors have little time to help potential authors through the developmental stages of putting a book together—which means the editing has to happen before you send it out. Learn more about how the editorial process works.