You thought your book might be done, but your beta readers have reservations.
You know you’re probably being too wordy. Overcomplicating things. Have you explained that thing too many times? You’re not sure what to cut and what to keep.
You’re not sure if your argument even makes sense at all. It usually comes together in the end – but not before you’ve spent far too long agonizing over every other sentence.
You loved writing the book, and now are ready for that final polish before sending it out into the world.
Proof-reading will help you find errors like spelling and punctuation, but a good copy editor will also make sure that you’re making sense. Your copy editor works with you to help you choose the strongest words possible, to help maintain your voice throughout the manuscript and to help you from making distracting errors.
Often we are too close to our own work to see what might be missing. We automatically read into the text our original intentions and meanings, regardless of what the prose ACTUALLY is saying.
The proof of your prose lies with the reader, not the writer – so you want to be sure the reader sees and understands exactly what you intend them to. For that you need another person – a copy editor.
How it works:
- You send me the best version of your manuscript. As close to ‘done’ as you can get it on your own. Copy/line editing assumes the content of the book is set, and just needs tightening on a sentence/language level. I can absolutely make your book stronger, but I’m even more effective when you do your best too. I recommend this book for self-editing.
- I will read your book thoroughly and carefully, on the way correcting word choice, spelling, sentence structure, and more. I’ll make comments indicating inconsistencies or questions/doubts I have as a reader. You’ll find suggestions throughout that you can ignore or incorporate as you see fit.
- I send you a fully marked-up document with all changes tracked, as well as a second document full of my notes and recommendations, and explanations for my thoughts.
Some of the things I look for include …
Word choice: Is the word or phrase you selected the strongest possible? Are you talking around an action instead of using the one-word alternative to describe it? Are you using passive or active construction?
Rhythm: How do the sentences sound? Are you using all short, snappy or all long, meandering sentences? Can we mix it up to balance? Do the sentences need to be cut or combined? Are your paragraph breaks in the best place?
Consistency: Did your character get beat up, is bruised and bloody but none of the other characters appear to notice? Is your character 37 years old in chapter one, but then 30 years old in chapter twelve? Is everything in the correct point of view?
Distractions: Do you tend to use the same phrase over and over? Do two of your characters have names that are just too similar and keep tripping me up?
Copy editing is charged by the word and the level of editing needed– so whether you’re writing a long fantasy novel or a short crime serial the rate is the same. The rate starts at $0.03 per word and up depending on the level of editing needed. If you are interested in booking, I’ll look at a small sample of your manuscript to determine how much to charge and we can move forward from there.
Copy/Line editing service includes:
- full mark-up of your document with ‘track changes’ so you can accept or decline any of my recommendations to match your personal style
- highlighting awkward sentences or language, with recommendations for words and phrases to substitute
- highlighting overused words, phrases or character mannerisms
- identifying inconsistencies (such as character description, proper nouns, etc)
- further resources or reading suggestions as needed
- proofreading for punctuation, grammar, spelling and consistency (as I notice them. You may want to hire a separate proofreader after you have revised)
- optional phone call or chat to discuss my comments, recommendations and any questions you may have after getting my edit back
Contact now for your custom quote
Amy Teegan’s editing has made me a much better writer. The joy of having a brain that can entertain and – I hope – successfully share all sorts of stories is that you get to transport readers away from reality. But even the best fiction needs to have some consistency or else you risk losing the reader in what they will see as a plot hole. Amy took my first novel and pushed me to dive deeper where needed, go shorter elsewhere, and stay consistent in my narrative. It’s also incredibly nerve-wracking to hand your work over to a stranger, and ask them to edit it. But Amy’s editing is always constructive and helpful. I would recommend her in a heart beat to any new novelist in particular.
Jake O’Kelly, author of The Smell of Good Decisions
Amy is delightful to work with, and I wouldn’t hesitate to trust my writing to her in the future. She catches and helps enhance the details and patterns in grammar, word choice, and storytelling itself that bring out the best in a story. Clear and enjoyable comments make Amy’s advice something a writer can look forward to!
Kari Kilgore, author of Until Death
Amy is a true joy to work with. The rapid turnaround took nothing away from the quality of her work. Her comments were concise, to the point, and made perfect sense. I’d highly recommend Amy to anyone who is serious about making their stories shine!
Jason Adams, author of Agonist
FAQs
How does it work?
After you contact me, I will ask for a small excerpt (about 5-10% of the full manuscript) to edit and assess how much is needed. This gives you an idea of how I work, what I notice, what I might recommend, as well as allows me to give you an exact quote on the full job.
I require 30% deposit to begin the edit, and the remainder due upon delivery. All writers will receive a fully marked up manuscript document (with all changes and edits indicated), as well as a separate summary my notes and thorough discussion of the strengths and weaknesses I have identified.
How much does it cost?
Depending on how much work needs to be done, you will be quoted from $0.03 per word and up depending on the level of editing needed. (most books fall between $0.03 and $0.07 per word). Full cost is based on the word count of the document you send to me, regardless of any deletions or additions I make during the edit. Payments go through PayPal.
How long does it take?
This depends on the amount of editing that needs to be done. I can generally edit about 40,000 words each week. Contact me to find the next window in my schedule (and be sure to book ahead).
What if I don’t agree with your assessment?
That is no problem at all. I act as a sounding board and guide. Being an indie author means that you get final say. You get to make the decisions about what edits go in the book and what are tossed.
I will be providing my strongest opinions (and why something is not working), as well as recommendations for correcting, but it is up to you to decide if you agree for your own manuscript.
I really only need a proofreader. Can you just do that?
I offer proofreading at $0.01/word for fiction or nonfiction.
I can also recommend the team at Nerdy Wordsmith, Julie Strauss, 5280 Editing or Jackie Dana.
I worked very closely with Amy during Beyond the Gate production and was continually impressed by her professionalism and organizational skills. She helped educate the authors (many of whom had never had a story edited before) about what a development edit was and how best to prepare for one. She developed a work stream to smoothly handle stories from 20+ authors, all coming in around the same 2-week window. Amy worked efficiently, turning around the edits in a matter of days, which was quite impressive considering some stories went to almost 10,000 words. Amy was also a part-time project manager, helping coordinate and track the editing process. And she provided valuable advice and guidance along the way, including how best to structure the book and market it. Amy was a huge part of whatever success Beyond the Gate enjoys, and it couldn’t have happened without her. As it happens, I also had a story in the anthology, so I have some feedback on Amy as an editor as well. My copy was fairly clean, but Amy still cataloged logic issues I’d never even considered, things like: whether one character should be using a briefcase or a suitcase, given what was inside; questioning how long an airship takes to fly cross-country, and then researching how long it takes a zeppelin to cross Great Britain as an example (yes, she really did that). Her comments helped ensure a level of internal consistency that will hold-up to reader scrutiny and keep them firmly in the story, suspending their disbelief. Amy also identified some tics that I didn’t even know I had. Turns out I love the em dash, but it’s an abusive relationship. Amy correctly pointed out that less is more, but often (okay, usually) it’s not needed at all. She doesn’t just point out what’s wrong, but suggests ways to improve it, and this feedback is given in a direct, non-offensive manner. If you get the chance to work with Amy I highly recommend it!
E.W. Pierce, coordinator of Beyond the Gate and author of the anthology’s Upon a Misty Morning
I love Amy (in the most professional way of course). When I finished the final draft of my story, I knew I needed an editor. This was not because of all the advice books and videos told me so, but because I learned grammar and punctuation from Moses. Not knowing any editors, I went to my imaginary buddies Sean and Johnny (they are not imaginary, but i imagine being buddies with them). Their website, SterlingandStone.net, had blog posts from Amy that I had read while I was learning. I decided that if I could afford her, then that and Sean and Johnny’s recommendation would be good enough. I submitted a sample to her. After reviewing the sample she offered a very reasonable per word rate. I sent her the entire story. She quickly edited the grammar and punctuation and gave suggestions on how to make the story better. I am much happier with the final version of my story than I was before Amy’s input. I have no reservations recommending her to my friends (real or imagined).
George Hogge
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