sERvices
Writer. Its as Simple as That
Manuscript Evaluation & Critique
Free to new clients
During an evaluation of a sample of your manuscript (no more than the first three chapters), I will read and assess your manuscript with careful attention to detail, then provide you with a written critique. My evaluation will include comments regarding some, or all, of the following:
♦ Punctuation ♦ Spelling ♦ Grammar ♦ Syntax ♦ Flow ♦ Style ♦ Structure ♦ Plot ♦ Structure ♦ Dialogue ♦ Characterization ♦ POV (Point of View) ♦ Pacing
If my evaluation is based on a sample of the work, I will require a detailed outline of the story or book to accompany the sample manuscript.
If you would prefer that I evaluate and critique an entire manuscript, please refer to the section on Book Review/Critique for pricing. If after receiving my complete manuscript evaluation you decide you would like me to edit your work, any costs incurred for the initial evaluation will be deducted from the editorial costs.
I value every writer’s creative process, so my critique will include praise and encouragement, but I do not pull punches. If I see something that needs work, I will tell you what I believe it needs. My job as an editor is not to simply stroke your ego. It is to make your work absolute perfection.
Creative CopyWriting
Words That Get Results
Copywriting is more than just fancy words. A well crafted message should be planned and deliberate. Every word, every sentence, and every paragraph must exist for a reason: Getting your prospect closer to the goal. And that’s precisely what we do – we’ll help you come up with the right message and write it using the right words to deliver it for maximum impact.
Book Review / Critique
In contrast to a shorter evaluation/critique on a sample of a work, this is a more thorough read-through and evaluation from a reader’s perspective as well as an editor’s skilled knowledge. The former is a basic yet detailed review of how well the story reads, what I liked and disliked about the story, characters, plotting, etc. In the critique, however, I will include the same things I would in the sample evaluation, as well as things that I might change (if I were the author) because those items might not please a certain type of audience, could cause people to want their money back, or give it a bad review, both of which could cost sales. While it is not necessary to provide me with an outline in addition to the manuscript, I may request one if I find it would be helpful in determining whether your work achieves the exact goals you had when you began writing it.
Blog Articles
Get high-quality white label blog articles written for your business blog. Regular blogging on your business website attracts new visitors through a variety of channels including organic search traffic (SEO), social media, email, and more. With each post, you’re investing in your business and your website. A blog post remains on your site forever and attracts more traffic over time.
Product Reviews
Convince Buyers With Quality Product Reviews
Product Reviews are critical to eCommerce Success.
Up to 85 percent of adults who research products and services online before making a purchase say they trust reviews on social and other platforms almost as much as they trust a personal recommendation from a friend. To start getting reviews for your products, you have to get them into the hands of real people — and that can be difficult if you don’t have any reviews yet. Using our professional review writing service might be the answer to this conundrum.
Transcription
If you can’t type or do not have access to a computer, don’t let that stop you from writing. Some of the most prolific and highest-paid authors of the last century dictated their work to secretaries or assistants or wrote their work out by hand using paper and pen. Most authors who started writing prior to the computer age (am I dating myself here?) began their writing careers with the latter method. I certainly did.
I can transcribe from either voice recording or handwritten copy if you have used either of these methods to create your book.
Also, if you have a hard copy (printed) manuscript that was typed in the pre-digital age (i.e., on typewriter or word processor, before PCs and floppy disks), I can scan and clean up the document, providing you with a clean digital copy that you can work with on a PC or tablet.
Fact Checking / Research
Fact-checking is an important editorial task in both nonfiction and fiction, requiring an editor who instinctively knows when facts may be incorrect or whether the presentation may be misleading to a reader. This step can be critical for an author whose written words can have impact on their readership. Sometimes this impact can be extremely negative and controversial, and may even result in a lawsuit.
Even though I may not know the facts themselves, many years of editing and various types of research (not to mention the law firms I have worked for) have taught me to know when and what to check, and how and where to look things up.
Proofreading
I offer this service to authors with a manuscript that has already been edited and which is more or less ready for publication. This is the absolute last phase of editing and should be done right before the manuscript goes to publication. This is NOT another edit.
A skilled proofreader should not look at the heavy duty construction of the story, but focus strictly on grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and typesetting. A proofread is basically a last run through to find anything missed on the other edits that have been performed on the manuscript. It may also includes any last minute formatting changes and is the most nit-picky part of the editing process.
I have an excellent eye for detail, but if I have performed a copy edit or developmental edit on your manuscript, I highly recommend getting another editor to do the proofreading on it. By the time I have gone through a couple of substantive and/or structural edits on a manuscript, I will be too familiar with the text to do it proper justice as a proofreader. It is really important that the proofread be performed by someone who is highly skilled, but they should also be able to look at the manuscript with completely fresh eyes. They need to catch whatever the editor – and the author – did not.
Audiobook Narration
Audiobooks are opening up a huge new audience for today’s storytellers. In an age when people find their time increasingly constrained by work and other activities (especially time wasted while commuting or at the gym), many people are reverting to the age-old form of communication and entertainment — oral storytelling.
I have recently started listening to audiobooks myself and have enjoyed listening to books so much, I have decided to offer the service to my clients. Since I have a background in drama, and I enjoy reading stories to my grandchildren and to children at my local library. So it seemed like a no brainer to extend this enjoyment to others.
I now have a studio set up in my home, which can save a lot on studio costs. At the present time, I record using ACX software and am listed with Amazon’s Audible narrators. ACX is the standard for audiobooks, so any books I narrate can also be used with other audiobook formats.
I charge based on the hours actually spent recording of the complete, published book, not the final runtime of the recording. This is an industry standard. Normally, my preference is to charge a standard hourly rate; however, I will consider a percentage of the royalties on certain books.
Content STrategy
Effective SEO Copy
Optimised content is one sure fire way of boosting search engine results. You can be a small business, and still pack a punch online with the right SEO strategy.
Your search results will climb the rankings with great content. In a digitally-driven world, having a solid online presence has never been more important, and it’s all powered by connecting keywords to your brand. With optimized content, you can drive more people to your social media pages and website.
Substantive/Structural Copy Edit
Ideally, your written work should captivate your reader’s imagination and engage his or her mindfully, without causing frustration or undue backtracking for clarification. Substantive editing requires heavy editing, whether structural, stylistic, or copy editing, and is typically a combination of the three. Structural editing focuses on the logical organization and flow of content to render your document clear, concise, and easy to read at the sentence, paragraph, and chapter levels. A structural edit will ensure your arguments make sense, your plot develops in a compelling fashion, and your information is conveyed accurately and logically.
Indexing
I can prepare an index for any document that will be in its final form when it leaves my machine (i.e., a protected Word document or PDF). By this I mean that pages will not be scaled as is usually done on ebooks (which changes page numbers and text size depending on the type and settings of the device on which the book is read). Under typical book publication, an index is based on the final form of the book and will not usually change prior to hard bound or soft bound publication.
Any index I would currently produce would likely be on a business or legal document that will not be subsequently processed through a publisher.
Ghostwriting and Copy Writing
I am a writer in my own right, so I am always happy to provide this service to an author whenever we have identified some problem areas in a manuscript that may need additional text or extensive rewriting to improve the flow of the book or storyline.
I also provide ghostwriting services to authors who have a great story to tell, but no time to devote to writing it. I specialize in historical fiction and non-fiction, including memoir, autobiographies and family histories; however, I also enjoy writing speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction and paranormal).
I am also available to write and edit copy for businesses that want their website(s) updated, publications revamped, or new documentation created. I have extensive experience writing for governmental and legal/law enforcement offices, as well as manufacturers, engineering offices, trucking and transportation businesses.
Book Formatting & Online Publication
For those who are not computer savvy or who do not have the time to invest in these services, I can also provide formatting and typesetting of the manuscript for digital upload, as well as book cover design, setting up an author page with ebook/audiobook sellers (such as Amazon’s Kindle Publishing, Apple’s iBooks, Smashwords, and other online formats). I can also help you with on-demand print sites as well as with small presses in your local area, to provide a well-rounded final product for your readers.
Why You Will Love Us
I’m ready when you are! Your beautiful content is right around the corner.