So, how will it work when I send you my manuscript?

My usual process is described in the Terms of Service section. If you need a different method to what I’ve described, you can contact me to discuss your requirements. If I can accommodate you, I will.

I use Google Docs to write. Can you just edit it in the shared folder?

Honestly, it’s better if I download a .docx copy and edit it in Word. Not only does Word have a better interface for reviewing and commenting, but if the document is in a shared folder, authors can be changing things while I’m working. This gets to be very confusing for all concerned about what’s original, what’s been edited, and what’s a new addition. In order to make the best use of my time and your fees, the manuscript needs to be in a complete and stable format. If the edits initiate changes, that’s fine, but those should be looked at in a separate round.

Do I really need an editor?

I strongly believe that every writer benefits from having a second, fresh set of eyes, looking over their work before it gets published. It’s far too easy for an author who has read over their own work countless times to miss something. The brain gets bored. I have a friend who calls it “creative blindness.”

Whether the extra set of eyes is a professional editor, a friend or colleague or relative, is up to the author and the needs of the project. Who is your intended audience? How many people will you be trying to reach? Can your friend or relative be objective in their assessment of your work? Objectiveness is key - although flattery is lovely, it won’t help you improve.

Can’t I just use Spell Check and Grammarly for editing?

You could. Those are all very useful tools. Please bear in mind though that programs can’t appreciate the subtleties of writing that humans can. A good editor will take into account your unique voice better than a computer is able to, recognizing when rules of grammar or style need to be followed, maybe bent a little, or ignored. The more tools a writer has at their disposal, the better.

Can you make my AI-generated book more “human”?

No, I can’t.

My job as an editor is to help bring out the best of YOUR authorial voice. AI-generated text doesn’t have a voice, because it’s an amalgamation of all the texts that the AI has trained on. Text generated in this fashion tends to be flat and mechanical sounding. The technology is no doubt getting more sophisticated, but my interest is in working with human authors.

There is a lot of debate going on about the value of AI in creative work: concerns abound surrounding the ethics, legality, and environmental costs. Everyone should educate themselves and seriously consider how they feel about these issues.

My personal stance is that I do not condone the use of generative AI in creative pursuits, including writing and art. I’m not going to run your book through an AI detector (these software are notorious for inaccuracies anyway), but I will not knowingly take on a project that relies on such technology. I don’t use AI and I encourage authors who are looking to improve their writing to avoid it as well.

What kind of editing do I need?

This is a very broad question. The scope of work for each type of editing is described in the Services Offered section. If you read through there and are still stuck on what you need, drop me a line and we can discuss your project.

You can fill out my project questionnaire telling me the details of your project and send me a sample of your work, and I can make some recommendations. Please see the Contact section of this website.

Do you work in French?

I’m afraid not. I understand French very well, and can help you in translating French into English, getting the rhythm and sentence structure rearranged, but if your manuscript is intended for French publication, you would be better served by a native-speaking francophone editor. I recommend looking at the Réviseurs Canada site.

How much will editing cost me?

To give you a firm quote I will need to have you answer the project questionnaire and send me a sample of your work. General pricing guidelines can be found in the pricing section of this site.

How is a manuscript evaluation different than beta reading or developmental editing?

I’m glad you asked! I wrote an explanation of it in my blog, here.

Will you change my author’s voice? What if you disagree with what I write?

I will not change your authorial voice. My job is to ensure that the message you want to send out is clear and well-presented. There are plenty of times that I’ve privately disagreed with what an author writes, but it’s their book, and what they write is their opinion. If I see material that’s unclear, or assertions presented as facts that aren’t backed up, I’ll highlight that section and recommend the author clarify or strengthen their assertion.

If an author makes an assertion that might hurt/offend others, I’ll add a comment stating that concern. When the work is fiction, characters behave and speak in ways that reflect the character, not necessarily the author, which I keep in mind. I’ll point out if some of your book might benefit from including a trigger warning, or if having something might jeopardize the book’s chances at being published (like content that’s not appropriate to a certain age group or genre, or including copyrighted material like song lyrics, or offensive content, which many publishing companies, including Amazon, will ban). In the end though, the work is the sole property of the author, and it is not the editor’s place to dictate what opinions can be expressed.