Why editing?

Why should I get my work professionally edited?

Having your work professionally edited can be a stressful step to take. A stranger with a big red pen marking up all of your hard work? Anyone would be wary. However, rest assured that professional editors only want one thing: to help you put your best work out into the world. We really wouldn’t have chosen this job if we wanted anything else! When an editor gives you feedback on how to improve your work, that feedback comes from an experienced, nonjudgmental place. An editor will never seek to alter your voice or intended message, and will never make changes to your work based off of personal opinion or prejudice. Your relationship with your editor should be based on open communication, clearly defined goals, and yes, even fun! This is the kind of relationship we’d like to develop with you.

Whether you decide to work with us on proofreading, copyediting, or developmental editing, you can rest assured that your words are in capable, impartial hands. We can’t wait to hear about your next project!

A note on seeking publication:

The rejection rate from agents and publishers is notoriously high. The most common reasons for rejection are poor formatting, typos, and grammatical errors, alongside poor research and “shotgun” submissions to any agent or publisher instead of utilizing a careful, targeted submission strategy. Professional editing does not guarantee publication, but having your work professionally edited can greatly improve your chances of publication and/or agent representation.

On this note, please remember that a professional editor is not an agent or an acquisitions editor. We will not market, promote, or otherwise assist you in getting your work published. As the lovely ladies at The Mighty Pen say, “Terms like ‘slush pile,’ ‘query letter,’ and ‘synopsis’ belong to the world of acquisitions editors. ‘Serial comma,’ ‘back story,’ and ‘internal narrative’ are terms that are dear to a manuscript editor’s heart.” We will happily review query letters, supplemental marketing material, and synopses, but we do not provide book marketing services at this time.