I provide precise, collaborative and exhaustive editing, mainly of book manuscripts, but also shorter prose and non-fiction. I also produce modern designs for print and digital platforms.
After 25+ years in the US publishing industry as a content, line and website editor and even a brief whirl as an executive editor, I now provide editing and formatting services for authors, publicists, institutions and, when pressed, my children.
I love working with self-publishing authors for it feeds my creative side and also the entrepreneur in me, for I enjoy collaborating with people with that enterprising spirit. I try to keep my ego out of the editing process, for it is my job to get the very best out of every client as a writer, storyteller and expert advisor.
If rewrite is needed, my hand is deft but always tempered to maintenance of the writer's style and voice. I've massaged a lot of copy in my career and I know I am not the star. I know how to make your work shine. My attention to detail is strict.
I offer a one-stop shop for authors, for I also format and design books and other manuscripts for printing and as eBooks, be they for Kindle, ePub platforms or direct download from a web site.
I believe a reader should be carried smoothly through any narrative, with emphasis and illustrations placed to add to the experience, not make it more cluttered or cumbersome. I've executed such book designs for authors of fiction and non-fiction, employing a variety of styles from modern to Art Deco.
I have produced print books for CreateSpace, Lulu, Lightning Source/Ingram and Blurb, as well as private printers, and put eBooks up on Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Nook and through Smashwords. I know the specs they all set down and the common issues self-publishers run into. I can help you through this process if it is at all new to you.
I work from a home office in Delaware, where I also serve as a cabbie, cook, maid and confidante for two college-age kids. I love golf and woodworking, though I am both tempo- and measurement-impaired.
Work Terms
My hours are fluid, though I attempt a 9 a.m.-6 p.m., M-F schedule. But since I serve authors from New Zealand to London to Silicon Valley, I adjust to allow for real-time conversations and exchanges.
My base hourly rate is $35, with each job customized to mesh with an author's needs. I am open to flat-rate contracts once I have a clear idea of the time and skills required to execute, and the timeframe.