Susan’s Editing Services
With a true love for the written word and an equal passion to make the world more literate, I’ve decided that retirement was fun, but working is better. If you’re in need of a good editor — content editing, line editing, and proofreading/copy editing — I’m the woman for you.
I got my start in this line of work back in college, staffing the copy desk for The Pitt News, the student-run newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation, I spent five years working for a New Jersey-based textbook publisher and for individual writers. Along the way, I earned a BA in English Writing (journalism, PR, and fiction) from the University of Pittsburgh, and an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Bowling Green State University and have worked in fiction ever since, as a writer and editor.
My rates are low:
Content editing (looking at plot, pacing, characterization, tension; etc. The big picture)
$.009 (or, $2.25 per 250 words)
Line editing (looking at your language and your sentences. Do they match the voice? How’s your word choice? Can you reword something for better meaning?)
$.006 (or, $1.50 per 250 words)
Proofreading/copy editing (sticking straight to mechanics — are words used correctly? How’s the punctuation?)
$.003 (or, $.75 per 250 words)
Quick read-through to check for errors before you hit publish:
$25 per 100,000 words
I don’t merely seek to correct your work. I seek to teach you how to avoid making common mistakes once our partnership is done.
I expect payment up front, and always encourage a five-page sample before we agree to work together.
Other things you ought to know:
1. I work in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes
2. I use Webster’s dictionary (online) as my primary source. For style, if you don’t provide your own style sheet, I’ll default to the formality of the Chicago Manual of Style. I also refer often to the AP Stylebook. I’ll be glad to explain my reasonings, so feel free to ask.
3. I work in almost any genre for line editing and proofreading. See this list if you’d like to know what level of work I do in which genre.
4. I prefer to avoid anything that preaches religion, other than the religions of ice hockey and cats.
5. Per publishing industry standards, a page refers to a double-spaced sheet of paper with one-inch margins all around — and an average of 250 words per page.
6. I am generally not effusive with my praise. If you’d like me to be, say so; it’s always nice to hear what you’re doing right.
7. Yes, I have a Dropbox account. If you’d prefer to work that way, let me know. I will not go back and look over any corrections you’ve made, however, unless we have agreed to this arrangement up front.
Contact me for further details, to ask questions, and to book a spot on my calendar.
Need more? I have built a page of reference material for you. As authors, we owe it to our readers to put out the best book possible. Check it out, and let me know if there’s anything I should add to the page.
