Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is my book ready for self‑publishing?
  • How can I hire you to edit my book?
    Use my Contact Form to tell me about your book and request a quote. When I reply, I will ask you to send me a 4,000-word portion of your manuscript to review to determine the extent of editing required. After reviewing the portion you send, I will create an invoice and client agreement.
  • How can I hire you to edit my short story, poetry, or children's picture book text? (under 7,500 total words)
    Use my Contact Form to tell me about your project and request a quote. When I reply, I will ask you to send me your short story, poetry, or text from your children's picture book to review to determine the extent of editing required. After reviewing your writing, I will create an invoice and client agreement.
  • How can I hire you to edit my hard-copy, physical, unedited manuscript?
    Visit my Hard-Copy Revision page to read instructions then download and fill out the form. You may also use my Contact Form to tell me about your project and request the form. Once I've received the form from you along with a 4,000-word portion of your manuscript, I will create an invoice and client agreement for you to accept or decline.
  • How much do you charge for electronic editing?
    The minimum per invoice is $45. As a basic pricing guideline, a  Short Story/Poetry Upgrade of 4,000+ words starts at $75. For collections of stories or poetry that will be self-published in book form and require formatting, please request my Book Overhaul. A  Book Overhaul of 15,000+ words starts at $365. An Overhaul of 50,000+ words starts at $995. The Overhaul includes both eBook and paperback formatting. Several factors will influence my editing quote. After reviewing your stories or manuscript, I'll send you an invoice to look over.
  • How much do you charge for hard-copy editing?
    Use the form on my Hard-Copy Revision page to calculate editing, printing, shipping, and scanning (optional) costs. Costs will vary depending on your choices and several other factors. A  Hard-Copy Revision of 25,000 words plus printing by the editor, scanning of the edited manuscript for temporary backup, and priority mail shipping for delivering the edited manuscript would start at $620.
  • What types of books do you edit?
    I edit both Fiction and Nonfiction Books from many genres. Books I work on can range in length from a children's picture book of 1200 words to a novel of 130,000 words. Some of my favorite fiction genres to edit include science fiction, mystery, historical, and adventure. My favorite nonfiction genres to edit include business, nutrition/health, instruction/how-to, and poetry. I welcome the chance to edit books in numerous genres.
  • What types of clients do you work with?
    I’ve worked with novelists, blog writers, business owners, publishers, non-profit organizations, poets, administrators, college professors, and many other kinds of clients. Read some of their Testimonials about my editing services.
  • Do you rely on automated proofreading software?
    No. I do not use automated software to correct grammar or proofread. My Book Editing Process is direct, personalized, professional and based on years of knowledge, experience, and research.
  • Do you have any advice for new clients?
    Contact me as early as possible to ensure that I will be available to work on your manuscript or short story within your desired timeframe, allowing time for discussion and revisions. Know the total word count. Throughout the editing process, be prepared to respond to questions and participate in revisions in a timely manner to prevent delays. Additional details can be found on my Terms page.
  • Can I hire you to write new content or to ghostwrite?
    I do not provide ghostwriting or write new content for clients' books. However, editing almost always entails reworking phrases and sentences.
  • My book or short story includes content written by an English-second-language (ESL) speaker. Will you still edit it?
    Probably, but before making a bid I would need to review a large portion of it to determine the extent of editing required. Additionally, I have experience editing both American and British English. I do not provide translation, and edit English content only. I do not edit ESL poetry.
  • My book/story content was generated by an AI (artificial intelligence) program. Will you still edit it?
    If the AI-generated content is poetry, no, I will not. If only minimal AI assistance was used during the process of writing your book/story, yes. If the majority of content was AI-GENERATED, I must be informed prior to my quote and I will add $100 to the quote, regardless of length. If I am NOT informed and run the book/story content through an AI-detector after purchase and discover it IS AI-generated, then I will decline the job and refund your deposit MINUS a $50 inconvenience fee.
  • What education or training have you received that relates to your work?
    I have over 30 years of experience in editing acquired through several freelance editing platforms, various business administrative positions, college course training and writing, website creation and management, and personal use. Please read My Story to learn more about my professional and editing background.
  • What payment methods do you accept?
    Accepted payment methods include debit, credit, PayPal and Square. All payments are processed securely through either PayPal (account not required) or Square. After discussing terms for your book, I will email you an invoice through PayPal or Square (your choice). Additional details can be found on my Terms page.
  • I have a question or comment not addressed on your site.
    Please connect with me through my Contact Form.