You’ve got your project out of your head and into print. Now you are looking to polish and perfect it to get it out into the world. Maybe you’ve got an outline for something you’d like to produce and not sure where to start. Or perhaps you’re a business that needs critiquing on your content. Read on to learn more about my services with an overview and objective of each stage.

Developmental Editing: A.K.A. Big-Picture or substantive editing. The focus is on the foundation of the entire story rather than the writing itself. Emphasis is on plot structure, point of view, characterization, dialogue, pacing, etc. This is ideal for those who are in the beginning stages of developing their project and are open to possible major changes within the project if necessary. Developmental editing’s mission is STRUCTURE. (Rate: $.03 per word)

Line Editing: Line editing’s focus is on writing style rather than errors within the project. Well-designed sentence structure and flow are the focus here. Overused words, run-on sentences, lack of flow in transitions, confusing sentences, and lack of clarity are some of the areas addressed. This service improves a well-developed plot or project and is aimed at preserving the authentic voice of the author. Line editing’s mission is STYLE. (Rate: $.02 per word)

Copyediting: Your work turns extremely technical here. Think of this as a high-end proofread. Spelling, typos, grammar, punctuation, consistency of total content, and descriptions, etc. are emphasized here. This service is a fine-tuning of all of the above mentioned edits. This is the phase before final proofreading is done and is recommended for clients who are in their final stages of project completion. Copy editing’s mission is POLISHING. ($.0175 per word)

Proofreading: Your work is structured, styled, polished, and ready to go out into the world. You need a keen eye for detail to catch any last minute oversights. This service provides catching those missed errors before someone else sees them. Proofreading’s mission is PERFECTION. ($.01 per word)

(The rates quoted above are for projects greater than 2,500 words in length. For work less than 2,500 words there will be an hourly fee assessed depending on the time and complexity of the project, ranging $35 – $75 per hour. Clients wanting a combination of the above rates should contact Laurie Daly for a project estimate.)