1. What are your rates?
See here. If you have a more complicated project, email me here for a quote.
2. What if I need to cancel the project after you’ve started work?
I’ve already started work on this and allocated a slot in my calendar. This means you’ll pay the full amount.
3. What happens if you (the editor) must cancel a project?
If I must cancel (e.g., family crisis, illness, bereavement), I will email you to see if we can reconfigure the time frame or find an alternative.
4. How long will it take to finish an editing project?
For each editing pass, projects up to 10,000 words usually take two weeks. Larger projects usually take around four weeks.
5. What is an editing “pass”?
Each time an editor reviews a full manuscript, it’s called a “pass.” It’s similar to your own revision process: first, you review for structural and organizational issues, and then you review it for more granular issues as you continue. See also the next question about combined edits.
6. What does a “combined developmental and stylistic edit” mean in terms of timeline?
See the question about editing “passes” above. This combined edit involves two passes. The first is the developmental edit, and the second is the stylistic edit.
- You send me the manuscript for the combined edit.
- It takes me two weeks to complete the developmental edit.
- You take a few weeks (we’ll negotiate the timeline) to revise the manuscript based on my comments and suggestions.
- You resubmit the manuscript to me.
- It takes two weeks for me to complete the stylistic edit.
- You complete the final manuscript at your leisure!
7. When I send you the manuscript, should I send you anything else?
Yes, please! I love all the context and guidance you can provide. I have a brief author questionnaire here to help guide you.
8. Do you schedule phone calls to discuss manuscripts?
As a general rule, no. I’m a full-time nomad, so the internet and scheduling time zones make this challenging. If we’re working on a much larger project, we may occasionally schedule a brief call to check-in. If you crave a human voice, I’m always happy to send you an audio message of my comments—just ask!
9. What about confidentiality?
The work will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than you without prior written permission. If we use a cloud service to exchange files, we will agree on a date after which the files will be deleted. I will retain copies of the work on my computer, but these will not be shared. If you prefer that I delete them entirely after the conclusion of the project, please let me know.