Yellow Barn Creative
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BOOK EDITING AND MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATION

I've worked for several years as a book editor, editing more than 20 books for both individual authors and several U.S. and international publishing houses. I'm available for book editing and manuscript consultations for the following genres: literary fiction, general/mainstream fiction, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, short story collections, personal essay collections, young adult (YA) fiction, fantasy/magical realism, memoirs, biographies, narrative non-fiction, academic non-fiction, and travelogues. I ask all prospective clients to provide a brief description of the manuscript and its genre, a short sample of the work, and a list of goals you have for the manuscript itself and for my editorial services. 
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​Below you'll find a brief rundown of my manuscript services. I'm flexible and believe strong and constant communication underpin the best relationships between editors and writers. 
Developmental Editing

As a developmental editor I address the larger questions of plot (long and short lines of tension, throughlines, pacing), character development, structure, the balance between dramatic scene and exposition, voice, and theme. My goal is to highlight both the areas of strength and areas that are either underdeveloped, overwritten, or extraneous. My developmental edits package for a project always includes an editorial letter and substantive editorial comments.

The editorial letter begins with an overview of my feelings toward your project. Then I move from the general to the specific, summarizing what I see as key actionable items (fixes for plot consistency questions, ways to further develop characters, how to strengthen the atmosphere or mood through greater attention to language). I’ll address character, plot, structure, theme, language, and do my best to give you a blueprint for efficient revision.

Editorial comments will either appear in the margins of a manuscript or be inputted digitally using track changes. You can expect them on every page. I'll make suggestions regarding language, diagnose potential plot or character plausibility problems, and highlight particularly well-executed scenes and moments. I'm a huge believer in helping writers find what they do particularly well on the page. When we find our strengths, we find a place to return to and grow from in our writing. 

Details: Maximum 125,000 word manuscript. I'll provide a close reading with a 10-12 page detailed critique letter, page-by-page margin comments, and a 60-minute Skype or sit-down conversation about the manuscript.
Line Editing

Line editing focuses on your prose. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, a narrative memoir, or an exposition-heavy history text, I’ll improve your manuscript’s style, clarity, and prose rhythms. I’ll re-write phrases, move sentences, re-order paragraphs, and cut extraneous passages. I’ll also tighten up your dialogue and make editorial comments in the margins.

Details: 
Maximum 125,000 word manuscript. I'll provide a close reading with page-by-page line edits and editorial comments in the margins, and a 60-minute Skype or sit-down conversation about the manuscript.

Copy Editing + Proofreading

​Copy editing focuses exclusively on the grammatical content of your work. Here, I'm editing more for syntactical accuracy than content. I'll edit your work for parallel sentence structure, correct word usage, accurately placed modifiers, exact punctuation, and consistent presentation of style and formatting (when numbers are spelled out versus written, how to properly use abbreviations, how to denote titles for different mediums).

Details: Maximum 125,000 word manuscript. I'll provide a close reading with page-by-page copy edits to the manuscript, a 3-5 page stylesheet letter that address questions of style and formatting, and a 30-minute Skype or sit-down conversation about the manuscript.



​​RATES
Developmental Editing
Manuscripts from 50,000 to 75,000 words: $2,000
Manuscripts from 75,001 words to 90,000 words: $2,500
Manuscripts from 90,001 words to 125,000 words: $3,000

Line Editing
Manuscripts from 50,000 to 75,000 words: $1,000
Manuscripts from 75,001 words to 90,000 words: $1,500
Manuscripts from 90,001 words to 125,000 words: $2,000

Copy Editing + Proofreading
Manuscripts from 50,000 to 75,000 words: $800
Manuscripts from 75,001 words to 90,000 words: $1,000
Manuscripts from 90,001 words to 125,000 words: $1,200

For editorial work on personal statements and/or graduate school application packages, individual short stories, essays, or novellas, please contact me to talk rates.

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • SERVICES
  • BOOK EDITING
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • FICTION