1. How do payments work?
A) I use PayPal, the link to which is on both the Pricing
and Contact Me page.
2. Can I get a free sample to check out your work first?
A) Absolutely! I’m happy to offer a free five-page (but no more than 2000-word) sample edit. I want you to feel comfortable with my work!
3. Do you do short stories?
A) Short stories are considered on a case-by-case basis, but
I strive to accept all submissions. Flash fiction of 200 words or less is
structured at the dollar PER WORD price point.
3.1 A dollar per word? Really??
A) Gotcha! No, not really.
4. How long should I expect this to take?
A) This is always a variable. It depends on the length of
your work, the level of editing needed, and my current workload. This will be
discussed in depth at the time services are to be rendered. It’s worth noting
that once I’m working on a project, I move along at a fairly rapid pace. Years
of working for a newspaper and having to produce excellent work under strict
deadlines taught me how to get results quickly without sacrificing quality.
5. What qualifies YOU to edit MY book?
A) After earning my Bachelor of Arts in Screen and Media
from the University of Waikato (Hamilton, New Zealand) in 2002, and a Diploma of Journalism at Waikato Institute
of Technology in 2003, I went on to write and copy edit for the Waikato Times
for four years. Since then I’ve been a freelance editor of college theses,
novels, screenplays, and professional documents. Feel free to check out my
Testimonials Page to see what a few of my past clients have to say.
6. Is there a waiting list?
A) At times, yes. Feel free to contact me about my current
schedule. I will do my best to help you meet your deadlines.
7. Will you find every single error?
A) Honestly, probably not. No reputable editor is going to
guarantee to make an entire book completely error-free. Read through any
traditionally published book carefully and you’re bound to find one or
two small errors, and those books have been through multiple rounds of editing
and a final proofread. (I found an error in Amy Poehler's book. And Amy is FLAWLESS.) I'd like to think I catch around 98% of errors—but this means the more errors your book has, the more errors that are likely to remain. (That is, if it has a thousand errors, odds are I'll miss twenty of those. If it has ten thousand errors, I might miss a couple of hundred.) I'm nobody;s human, perfect. The best I can guarantee is that your book will be in better shape than when I got it, even if it's not 100% perfect. I always recommend SOMEONE else going through your book after me, even if they're not a professional. The more eyes on your work before publication, the better.
FURTHER DISCLAIMER (as if there aren't enough already): For the quoted rate, I do only go through the book once (carefully, mind you—I'm fast but not careless).
FURTHER DISCLAIMER (as if there aren't enough already): For the quoted rate, I do only go through the book once (carefully, mind you—I'm fast but not careless).
8. Do you offer different levels of service, like deep
plot/character editing, or ONLY a copy edit?
A) At this time, the rate is for everything. I don’t feel
comfortable doing anything but my absolute best work on each project, and this
entails me doing as comprehensive an edit as possible.
9. Does this give you any rights to my work?
A) Of course not! You retain all rights to you work. A
credit in the book is appreciated, but not required. It is the goal at
editing720 to do the quality of work that you will WANT to give me credit for!
10. Are you super mean?
A) That depends on if you cross me.
B) Ignore A). I'm nice. But I try to be constructive if I come across any serious problems with the work.
11. How can I avoid you being super mean to me?
A) I SAID I WASN'T MEAN. But the best advice I can give to any writer is to read Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Even if you're not a fan of King, it's full of solid, unpretentious tips on how to improve your writing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Or if you want a shortcut, try the great Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing.
10. Are you super mean?
A) That depends on if you cross me.
B) Ignore A). I'm nice. But I try to be constructive if I come across any serious problems with the work.
11. How can I avoid you being super mean to me?
A) I SAID I WASN'T MEAN. But the best advice I can give to any writer is to read Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Even if you're not a fan of King, it's full of solid, unpretentious tips on how to improve your writing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Or if you want a shortcut, try the great Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing.
Any other questions? Feel free to email me.
