About rLS Editing Services
Writers of novels and memoirs spend endless time and energy, crafting their words, revising them again and again, draft after draft, until they finally have in hand, a manuscript they feel proud to share with a publisher. But are you ready? Before you dash ahead, consider hiring an editor to help make sure you’re work is ready to be placed under the intense scrutiny of a Publisher’s spotlight.
For a writer to feel confident in submitting the best version of their manuscript, they need to work with editor(s.) There are close to a dozen types of editing services described on the internet. The type you need would depend in part on your genre and style. For fiction or memoir writers, I recommend two essential types of editors:
A) Developmental... substantive, content, story editing.
B) Copy... line editing, proof reading, formatting.
Developmental editor, will considering the following:· Are there credibility or continuity issues in the story? E.g. time, dates, place, etc.?· Are the characters well developed and engaging? Does the story make sense from start to finish? Is it over or underwritten? Does it grab the reader’s interest, and keep the reader wanting to read to the end?
Copy editor, for the final editing stages. It requires a focussed, astute eye on punctuation, grammar, spelling, and formatting. Line by line, word by word, they search for any and all concerns. These experts make the difference between a sloppy and a polished manuscript.
As we write passionately about a topic, we can lose focus and miss the fact that some creative concept we had envisioned did not actually make it onto the page. As a developmental, (substantive, content, story editor,) I have an unusual bit of advice for writers. I recommend your first step to be an evaluation. I will read your ms and provide you with a critical overview and the chance to do some revisions on your own before hiring any editor. It’s a kind of ‘mutual audition’ process.
Evaluations are far less costly to the writer, and they offer an opportunity to sample the wares before embarking on a long-term commitment. If the writer and editor are in sync, they can move on to an editing agreement, and then the real work begins.
To inquire about my editing services, please fill out this form.