EDITOR
smithwordsmith
I specialize in content editing, line editing, and copy editing.
Content editing is a comprehensive level of service that provides grammar and style review line by line, covering topics such as spelling, punctuation, verb tense, agreement, and sentence structure, as well as comments and actions regarding the content and organization of the manuscript. Does the time line stay intact? Does the story flow? Will the readers understand the action and the scene? Are there points where the reader might become lost or might trip over the language? A content edit provides a detailed review of many aspects of your manuscript.
I also provide line editing and copy editing (these terms are sometimes used interchangeably). Both services provide the grammar and style review covered in a content edit but are for manuscripts that do not require intensive adjustments to content, form, and structure. In both line editing and copy editing, the complete manuscript is still reviewed word by word, line by line.
Please understand that proofreading is an entirely different service, one that is performed on a clean (completely edited) manuscript before it is printed. Proofreading is often done twice before publishing.
I also provide basic document formatting for manuscripts, which standardizes a document early on, organizing the form for the writer in the middle of the writing process or cleaning up the form before moving to the edit stage. While formatting is included in my normal editing service, basic document formatting is available separately to help all authors organize their manuscripts as they write or as they prepare their manuscripts for editing.
GENRES
I accept short and long books, journal articles and other longer works, magazines articles, marketing and other corporate materials, and compilations and edited collections.
In addition to literary fiction and nonfiction, I accept most genres, including memoir, young adult, children’s, historical fiction and nonfiction, romance, humor, adult, self-help, true crime, thriller, science, natural history, graphic novels, and fantasy. If you don’t see your genre listed here, please ask.
I will not accept any work I consider to be inflammatory, racist or prejudiced.
THESES AND PAPERS
I accept academic papers that are intended for publication and doctoral theses for students attending institutions that permit their students to utilize outside editorial services.
Contact your institution for their guidelines and requirements. Editing services on academic papers and doctorial theses are limited to line editing and copy editing. Content is not addressed, and the edit will not include research, indexing, or the editing and formatting of bibliographies, footnotes, or endnotes.
I will not accept any academic work I consider to be plagiarized.
OTHER FORMS OF ENGLISH AND DICTATED TEXT
I work in many forms of the English language, including US English, UK English, Australian English, and Canadian English. Each of these forms has a specific style guide and dictionary.
Authors who use computerized dictation are welcome and may be quoted a higher per-word fee, which will be determined after a review of the manuscript.
Authors who are working in English as their second language (and, therefore, may need frequent help with word choice) are welcome and may be quoted a higher per-word fee, which will be determined after a review of the manuscript.
All amounts are quoted and remain in US dollars, regardless of changes in the exchange rate during the course of the edit, unless otherwise specified.
EDITING SERVICE FEES
Editing services on books and longer works range from two to five cents per word. The specific rate will likely fall somewhere in between (e.g., three and a half cents per word) and is determined in advance based upon a review of your manuscript. The total word count of the initial manuscript submitted for the edit is used for the fee calculation. Editing service fees are divided into two payments. See more on this under Invoicing and Payment Methods below.
Other works, such as articles or shorter academic papers, are billed on an hourly basis. The hourly rate, which will be determined after a review of the document, ranges from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars per hour. Unless otherwise specified, the minimum for an hourly service is two hundred and fifty dollars.
MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING
The first step I take in editing a manuscript is cleaning up the document so it’s easier to work with. One day, after a particularly complicated clean-up, it occurred to me that having a clean manuscript would really help the writer too.
A clean manuscript is a simple document: The headings are consistent. The spacing is consistent. The font and type size are consistent and easy to read. A navigation menu makes it easy to move from chapter to chapter. You get the idea.
Regardless of how we begin, as we write and edit and cut and paste, things seem to shift in our documents. I don’t know how it happens (I blame it on computer gremlins), but cleaning things up and establishing styles and navigation make a huge difference.
Manuscript formatting can be done at any time in the writing process. If you’re just starting, it’s a template to jump into. If you’re halfway through, it’ll help you see progress and keep things in order moving forward. And if you’ve completed your writing process, it will give your document a finished look before you send it along to readers, editors, agents, or publishers. This is an à la carte service, available to any writer.
Basic formatting of a manuscript is usually a flat fee of fifty-five dollars. If things are seriously out of whack, it might be a bit more, and the amount will be confirmed after a review of your document. Payment can be made by cash or check or by VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, or Discover through a PayPal link provided on your invoice.
INVOICING AND PAYMENT METHODS
Your first invoice for editing services will be available as soon as your project is scheduled. The total fee is divided into two payments. The first payment must be made upon scheduling; it is based on the estimated word count of the manuscript. The second payment must be made when your edited manuscript is returned. The second payment is the balance due after subtracting the first payment from the total fee (again, the total fee is based on the original word count of the manuscript submitted for the edit). Each payment is due upon receipt. Payment can be made by cash or check or by VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, or Discover through a PayPal link provided on your invoice. A project will not be locked into the schedule until the initial payment has cleared.
If you are requesting basic manuscript formatting only, your invoice will be available as soon as your project is scheduled and is payable in full before the work is begun.
All amounts quoted are in US dollars and must be paid in US funds (unless otherwise specified) regardless of the author’s location, the country where the book is intended to be sold, or changes in the exchange rate.
REALITY
Have you picked up a book, magazine, or newspaper and found an error? Most of us have. On one occasion, I found a misspelled word when flipping through a dictionary.
That being said, every effort will be made to bring your manuscript to the place where it is as free of errors as possible. You may still find one. You may find more.
Your publisher may provide further editorial commentary or may make other suggestions or edits on your manuscript. In addition, every edited manuscript should undergo professional proofreading before publication. Traditional publishers often have proofreaders on staff who provide a final review of each manuscript (usually twice).
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