Copy-editing is where we take your finished, final draft and clean it up. Maybe it’s full of typos; maybe you’ve changed tenses throughout the same scene, or your main character has blue eyes at the start of the story and by the end they’re a luscious chocolate brown… When you’re finished with writing and editing, it’s normal to overlook such things because you’re just too involved with the work. That’s where I come in.
How do I know if I need copy-editing?
Did you know that once you start reading over the material more than twice, your eyes automatically skip certain errors and your brain corrects them as you read? It’s not your fault, it’s just how the human brain works – but it means you could easily skip over a lot of errors while feeling like the book is done and good.
While you, the author, can feel a little ‘blinded’ after too much editing, I, the editor, with a fresh pair of eyes will pick out
- inconsistencies
- inaccuracies
- spelling and grammar errors
- poor turns of phrases or sentences that just don’t make sense
- style issues
- ethical and copyright issues
If you are considering self-publishing or want to get your manuscript squeaky clean before submitting to an editor or a competition, this is the perfect service for you. I always provide an editorial report with my copy-edits so you can learn from my edits and improve your writing every time you put pen to paper.
Rate
I charge fees based on a sliding scale, starting from £10 per 1,000 words up to 50,000 and reducing progressively. Please get in touch for a fee tailored to your word count.
Red Pen Vigilante 