THINGS I DO
I work with academic writing (especially literary studies, history, and ecocritical humanities) and literary work--including memoir and poetry. I also work on trade-oriented books and game rules.
Manuscript Evaluation
This is the first stop on the editorial path. You have a rough draft and want some early feedback. Is this a good direction? Does it look like the manuscript is a viable book? I will read your manuscript and respond with a detailed evaluation of where the project works and where it doesn’t. I will consider structural, audience, and market questions. I will make some suggestions for further direction, but I won’t go deeply into those suggestions.
Developmental Editing
If you have a project that needs extra attention or support, this tier is the option to consider. I can help you find the best, most successful version of your project. Maybe you have a draft that needs to shift directions. Maybe you have a solid idea that needs a clear shape. Maybe you have a rough draft that needs to be molded into shape. The developmental edit will help the book find its best expression. This edit will not address paragraph- or sentence-level concerns in depth.
Content Editing
You feel good about the manuscript. All the ideas have found their home and you’re confident that this is going to be a successful project. But you know that self-editing is a difficult thing to get right, so you want someone who will help make some final adjustments—smooth the language, make sure that the structure across and between chapters lines up, look for stray moments that weaken the book. Content editing will involve some rewriting and reorganizing, and a fair bit of that will be at the sentence level, but this edit will not involve a systematic copyedit.
Dissertation to Book
This option is fairly specialized. Early career scholars are encouraged to publish their dissertation as a monograph, but very few committees are able to offer solid direction on how to transform a dissertation (your last work as a student) into a book (your first work as a professional). I have many years of experience with the process. For this service, I will go through your dissertation and offer extensive feedback in an editorial letter. Because the transformation process will take many steps, my assessment and direction will not involve line edits or extensive marginal notes, and I will not be able to offer expert feedback on your scholarship. But I will be able to give you insight into scholarly publishing and guide your revision toward a successful monograph.
Shorter Work
Are you working on short fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry, and you don't have a full manuscript yet? On a limited basis, I will evaluate your work and offer global assessments of what's working and isn't, give suggestions for further development, and include some line edits and marginal comments. I can't do that with individual poems, but I can with a small group of poems.
Copyediting and Proofreading
I have great, profound respect for copyeditors and proofreaders, and I will freely admit that I do not have their skills.