Get Ready to Press "Publish"
You’ve poured everything you have into your manuscript. The world, the characters, the plot—all are carefully crafted. After your tireless self-editing, you’re ready to get your beautifully formatted book into the hands of excited readers who will leave glowing reviews.
Hold on, Turbo!
​Even the most brilliant diamonds need polishing after being cut.
So, before you publish that book, let’s chat.
Copyeditors examine multiple aspects of your manuscript, aiming to . . .​
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Save Syntax: I may improve the “flow” of the text by changing the syntax (word order) to ensure the intended feeling comes across.​
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Assassinate Ambiguity: I can provide clarity of meaning and help clear up vague or confusing sentences.​
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Eradicate Errors: I search for incorrect facts and continuity issues to ensure the reader is not pulled out of the text.​
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Revamp Readability: I may adjust word choice and formatting decisions to enhance the readability of the text for your intended audience.​
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Correct Commas: Yes, I will also correct spelling and punctuation by moving commas, replacing hyphens with em dashes, etc.
That’s a lot, and it’s what every copyeditor should be doing. Now, you may be wondering . . .
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How Does Jeanette Do Copyediting?
It all starts with a dream . . . JK, it starts with your completed manuscript. I only accept manuscripts that have been through several rounds of self-editing or have been worked on by a developmental or substantive editor.
*NO first draft is ready for copyediting without more work.*
Once we connect, I will want to see the ten “best” and ten “worst” pages from your manuscript. Reviewing these will help me determine your:
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Scope of work (what and how much I will do to the manuscript)
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Timeline (how long it will take)
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Investment (generally priced per word)
If we decide to work together, we’ll start with a simple contract and a down payment to get you on the schedule.
From there, the process looks like this:
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You send me the manuscript
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I spend several weeks making multiple passes over the text
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You receive the manuscript back to make any final changes
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I perform a final “cleanup” before returning it along with the style sheet
It’s that simple!
Ready to get started?