Good writing is more than just words on a page – those words have to be the right words, in the right order, with correct spelling and grammar. This is where editing comes in – and this is another way I can help you, because I can substantively edit, line edit, and copy edit your text.
At its core, this involves reading your text in a thoughtful, focused manner and suggesting changes so readers can more easily understand and respond to it. There are many ways to do this.
Substantive (structural) editing means looking at a piece of text on a chapter-by-chapter or paragraph-by-paragraph level to make sure its central argument is clear. This means that when I review your text, I will focus on things like pacing, tone, format, and structure, and determine if parts of your text need to be expanded, removed, rearranged, or rewritten.
Line (stylistic) editing means looking at text on a line-by-line basis to make sure it reads smoothly and uses language appropriate to the reader. This means that I will focus on things like removing the passive voice, cutting repetitive phrases, and clarifying meaning.
Copy editing means correcting errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. However, it also means ensuring consistent formatting in text and fixing errors in non-text elements like photos and captions, references, graphs, and tables.
No matter what service you need, my goal is to be clear in communicating my comments to you, and to ensure that the final copy meets all the needs of your readers.