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Substantive Editing

$35/hr Starting at $35

Substantive Editing combines copy editing with light applied developmental editing. (See my Developmental Editing and Copy Editing services for more information.) As your substantive editor, I work with you collaboratively to edit your manuscript at a deeper level than copy editing. I reorganize and critique content more than would be called for in a standard copy edit. I consult with you about the largest changes to be sure that you are in agreement before they are applied. According to your preference, I will submit a clean, ready-to-use, edited manuscript or a red-lined manuscript with Word's track changes displayed so that you can review each edit before you accept it. If you are not familiar with track changes, I will provide a brief tutorial.

About

$35/hr Ongoing

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Substantive Editing combines copy editing with light applied developmental editing. (See my Developmental Editing and Copy Editing services for more information.) As your substantive editor, I work with you collaboratively to edit your manuscript at a deeper level than copy editing. I reorganize and critique content more than would be called for in a standard copy edit. I consult with you about the largest changes to be sure that you are in agreement before they are applied. According to your preference, I will submit a clean, ready-to-use, edited manuscript or a red-lined manuscript with Word's track changes displayed so that you can review each edit before you accept it. If you are not familiar with track changes, I will provide a brief tutorial.

Skills & Expertise

APA StyleBusinessChicago Manual of StyleCopy EditingCustomer ServiceDevelopmental Editinge-BooksEditingEditorial ConsultingEducationMagazine ArticlesMemoirsNewslettersNonfictionNovelsPublishingSpiritualitySubstantive EditingWebsite ContentWordWriting

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101 Reviews

  • Geoff246 says,

    Kay’s feedback on a short story of mine was generous and insightful. She grasped the emotional core—charged nostalgia and an undercurrent of loss—and helped me shape the narrative to heighten its impact while preserving its lyrical tone. Her suggestions aligned with what the story was already reaching for and showed me how to get there more effectively. I especially appreciated her encouragement to restore elements from an earlier draft that gave the story its raw intensity—her comments affirmed what I’d only half-admitted to myself. She was keenly attuned to voice and rhythm, offering edits that preserved the narrator’s childlike perspective while tightening the prose. Her feedback never felt generic—it was precise, perceptive, and clearly rooted in deep engagement with the text. Thanks to her guidance, the story became sharper, more resonant, and truer to its intent.

    for 1315-word short story on Jun 24, 2025

  • Melody 34 says,

    Great to work with. Valuable suggestions to fine tune my work.

    for Writer edutor a few short memoirs storie on Jun 11, 2025

  • Adele 11 says,

    Kay is a great partner in making my work shine, thank you Kay!

    for Ediitng Game Plans on May 02, 2025

  • 397647 says,

    She's great. I am glad I picked her to edit my book.

    for Need a copy editor for a nonfiction book on Apr 24, 2025

  • 397647 says,

    She does great work.

    for Need a copy editor for a nonfiction book on Dec 26, 2024

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