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Full Line Edits and Critiques:

This is the most complete editorial service we offer. It is a good choice for writers who have already reworked their manuscripts on their own and perhaps again, with the help of a good critique group.

It provides the writer with a line-by-line edit as well as a general critique.

Sherry Wilson has a deep understanding of the craft of writing and a natural gift for the art of writing. As an editor, she uses both these attributes. Her editing is thorough and precise, encompassing all the craft issues: grammar, sentence structure, active voice and so on. But she goes beyond the basics to find the heart and soul of the story, helping the writer to capitalize on his unique assets. Being an editor myself, there are not too many people I would trust with my own work. Sherry is one of them.

Sandy Tritt, editor and CEO
Inspiration for Writers

First Chapter or Editing Sample

You’ve finished reworking your first chapter and you feel good about it but wonder if other people will feel the same way. Have you chosen the best perspective for your story?

Your first chapter has the most important job of all. It must grab the reader and pull him into the story. It has to raise questions and tweak the reader’s curiosity. Have you set your story up in the most dynamic way possible? Does the first chapter do its job of setting the story in motion and allowing the reader to identify with the hero?

I will read your first chapter and the brief summary of your story (a synopsis) and then:

evaluate its strengths and weaknesses in terms of establishing character identification, setting the story in motion, and creating a vivid setting.
edit the chapter and identify any necessary corrections or consistent problems in the writing.
provide input on problems I see and offer helpful suggestions for ways to strengthen the chapter and story overall.
suggest alternative directions the story might take you with reference to the underlying themes you are dealing with.

This is an excellent opportunity to get a sample edit at a reasonable cost. A chapter will give you a good feel for the edit you would receive, should you choose to contract me to edit your entire manuscript.

Cost:

*special rate of $45 for an evaluation and sample edit of a first chapter of 10 pages (or 2500 words) and $4 a page for any additional pages.

(*this is a little over half the regular rate)

Sherry is a thorough and insightful editor who not only edited, but counseled me through the final editing of my middle-grade historical novel. I was on a tight timeline, and she was willing to meet it with me. Not only were her reviews professionally done, but she forwarded them to me as she finished each few chapters so I could meet my own deadlines. Talk about competent and reliable! I highly recommend her!

Ann Marie Mershon
BRITTA'S JOURNEY
AN EMIGRATION SAGA

Full Manuscript Line Edit and Critique

The publishing business is extremely competitive. Staff is limited. Gone are the days that an editor discovers “raw” talent and hones it, offering extensive feedback so that a writer can polish and publish their work. There is simply too much choice available to the publisher with successful authors competing with first-timers. Editors cannot afford to spend precious hours, days and months reworking a story with an author when there are good stories, well told, that need little effort to be publishable in their current state.

A good edit can make all the difference.

You have worked on your manuscript for months or maybe even years. You’ve seen it improve. Your friends applaud your efforts. Your critique partners have provided input and you have rewritten it several times. Yet, you suspect that it isn’t as good as it could be. You need unbiased and knowledgeable help.

Perhaps you continue to get rejection slips. You know that your manuscript needs work, but you aren’t sure what to do to improve it.
Perhaps you are intent on self publishing and you want your book to be as good as it can be. You need an extra set of eyes to review your manuscript and eliminate any errors.
Many of vanity presses will offer copy edits, but not full substantive line edits and you want your book to be grammatically correct and a pleasure to read.
Or maybe you are writing to preserve a story for your family, and you want it to be memorable for its content; you want to produce a strong, readable story.

What a Full Line Edit and Critique entails:

I treat every manuscript I edit with respect and offer constructive criticism designed to both improve the manuscript and equip the writer with more effective writing tools.

First, I read your manuscript all the way through, looking at the big picture. I look for flow, pacing, character motivations and story structure. In this pass, I analyze the way the story works as a whole and how well the pieces fit together.

I do more with the structure than simply point out the weak areas though. I actually suggest different ways that you might strengthen the story, providing you with a relevant writing workshop of sorts. The general knowledge that you gain from your critique can be applied to your other writing projects.

Then, I go through your manuscript one sentence at a time and look for pesky grammatical errors and typos. I ferret out weak verbs and helping verbs, weak nouns and modifiers. I strengthen imagery and parallelism. I point out character and point of view inconsistencies and suggest ways to correct them.

I highlight areas of the manuscript that are particularly well done and explain what makes it effective. Knowing what you’ve done right can be just as helpful as learning what needs to be improved.
I return your line edit to you by our pre-arranged deadline together with a 2-8 page critique. I perform my edits with MS Word’s tracked changes feature unless we arrange some other method of mark up for your manuscript.

My job doesn’t end with the return of your manuscript. I like to stay in contact with my clients as they work through their edits and promptly answer any questions or concerns about the changes and suggestions I’ve made.

Cost:

3 cents per word --$40 minimum

(You can calculate your word count by going to Tools menu at the top of your page and clicking on Word count. This works in most word processing programs.)

Submission Package Edit and Critique

You’ve spent a season or a year or maybe several years writing your novel. You’ve poured yourself into the pages, giving them the best you have in you. Then you spent endless hours reviewing, rewriting and polishing. It can be a bit daunting to realize that getting your novel read by the agent or editor depends entirely on that query letter or submission package.

You may be tempted to just gloss over the query and synopsis, but don’t fall into this trap. Your query and synopsis have to be perfect if you want the agent or editor to request a full manuscript. In fact, without investing your time and energy into that submission package, your novel may never be read at all.

If you have limited funds to spend on editing, I highly recommend that at the very least, you have your submission package edited. Lack of attention here can result in your manuscript never getting a chance to be published.

What does a submission package edit include?

Query

I will edit your query letter focusing on proper formatting, grammar, spelling, typos, syntax as well as content.

Have you presented yourself and your writing experience in the best possible light?

Have you researched the agent or editor and is that research reflected in your letter?

Does your summary of your story intrigue your reader and get the flavor of your story across?

These are all necessary components of your query letter. I will point out any essential points that may be missing

Synopsis

Constructing a synopsis of 1 to 3 pages summarizing your entire novel is a difficult task--some find it more difficult than writing the book. I will edit your synopsis for grammar, spelling and syntax according to the Chicago Manual of Style as well as editing for content.

Have you included all of the major plot points in your story and does the summary flow logically from beginning to end with no gaps or extraneous subplot points?

Have you included subplots in your summary?

Does your synopsis reflect the voice of your story accurately?

Does your summary communicate your character arc as well as your story structure?

Sample

I will read your first three chapters or up to 40 pages (10,000 words) and:

evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the writing in terms of establishing character identification, setting the story in motion, and creating a vivid setting.

edit the chapters for grammar, style and syntax according to the Chicago Manual of Style so that you can see any necessary corrections or consistent problems in the writing.

give input on problems I find and offer helpful suggestions for how to strengthen the chapters and story overall.

suggest alternative directions or twists for the story considering the underlying themes you are dealing with.

Costs

Query = $35
Synopsis = $50
Sample 1 to 3 chapters up to 40 pages (10,000 words) = $150

Special package rate:

Complete submission package review including all of the above $200

WOW! I have had a quick read of your comments and I must say they areawesome! You are thorough, I like that. Yes, I agree with all of yoursuggestions for they definitely improve the story. I'm eager now tocommence corrections.
I really appreciate the work you've done so far. I'm glad you didn't rush. You provide excellent value for your services.
--Lena Jones

novel editor

Editorial Services Available

Manuscript Development -- Brainstorming

Manuscript Evaluation -- Critique

The Writer's Craft -- Editorial Services

We would be happy to help you with your editorial needs. Please fill in the following form and we will contact you within 48 hrs.

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