Freelancing Services

Writing and Ghostwriting ✧ Editing Services ✧ Beta-Reading

I work as a freelancer in the creative writing industry, and at the end of May 2020 I joined Upwork.com. I’ve been very relieved to let their system handle the payments and details. If you’re seeking me as a freelancer, I’m trying to condense everything there now, it’s just easier. I’m happy to discuss projects if you want to contact me first, but I will ultimately want to use Upwork for the actual contract (this does not require you to have an account there, but it can be easier if you do).

My specialty is speculative fiction of all types, whether I am writing or editing. I have the longest experience with fantasy novels, followed shortly by science fiction and everything else. My romance writing and editing run the gamut from sweet romance to explicit; clean romance is not something I write well, so while I am happy to edit it, I may not be the best person for the job.

Authors involved in National Novel Writing Month should look me up on the forums of the NaNoWriMo site for a limited time discount.

Writing and Ghostwriting

It’s hard to elaborate on writing projects due to the fact that every project is different. Ghostwriting a novel for a client who already has a detailed concept, characters, and setting is far easier than ghostwriting a novel where the client has some vague ideas, but nothing definitive as yet. Taking a vague idea and turning it into a concept on my own is easier than working with a client to get their concept detailed. I also charge differently for a story which will be published with my name on it than I do for a ghostwritten story which doesn’t get me the publicity.

When I break down my projects, they include the points below. Dollar values are assigned based on estimated time or effort involved. Since my projects involve more than just the writing, I can’t always guarantee that a straightforward price per word will be the total I am asking for a project. As convenient as it might be to charge a few cents per word, that doesn’t cover the time put into preparation and outlining before I write word one. Please inquire with project details for estimated cost.

  • Preparation: concept, characters, plot, setting
  • Fleshed-out Outline: chapter or section break-down, including narrator, characters, main points
  • Writing (generally in 5k or 10k segments)
  • Revision based on client feedback
  • Final Draft, formatted as desired

My writing varies enough that it is hard for me to provide a portfolio for potential clients’ perusal, as most prefer to see examples of writing in the genre of their project. Please ask and I’m happy to offer samples of my writing. My ghostwriting projects are protected by NDAs, so I am unable to provide samples of that work. (This affects my romance writing portfolio most.)

Editing Services

Depending on whose standards for editing you choose to follow, the terminology for the editing process can vary. I prefer to think of it in three phases:

  • Developmental editing is intensive, substantial, and likely to result in massive overhauls of a manuscript, possibly more than once. (Starting at $25/hour or comparable fixed rates.)
  • Copyediting includes comments on concerning spots, but probably no more than a scene or three that would need true overhaul, as well as notes on the flow of the story and some general grammar and typo fixing. Copyediting is the go-to for “standard” editing. (Starting at $20/hour.)
  • Proofreading comes last. This is the stage where the content is completed and ready to go to the publisher, but someone needs to confirm it’s free of errors. I include formatting advice in proofreading, but traditionally proofreading comes after formatting is complete. (Starting at $15/hour.)

Note: Until I have seen the document, or a sample of it, I cannot guarantee any estimated hours required or overall time spent. This is relevant to both hourly contracts and fixed-rate contracts. I won’t set a fee until I have seen at least a sample of the file. Copyediting can be an arduous process, and while a safe outside estimate for time is 4 pages (1000 words) per hour, that does not always suffice depending on depth or pervasiveness of problematic content.

Clients interested in developmental editing should please be aware it is usually more than one pass. You submit a manuscript to me, I mark it up and give you a huge list of developmental comments, then you work through it and start from the beginning again, submitting a new draft of your manuscript to me. While copyediting can involve more than one trade, usually only the newly written or rewritten sections need copyediting after a copyeditor is through with the manuscript. Developmental editing will follow a process similar to copyediting, but with a much more in-depth look and repeated steps.

Copyediting Services include:

  1. A read-through for overall clarity. Suggestions for revisions as necessary to improve readability.
  2. Light fact checking and querying of any suspected errors or inconsistencies.
  3. Discussing any areas of obvious concern.
  4. Editing for content, organization, flow, consistency, and word choice.
  5. Ensuring that the manuscript complies with guidelines for grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, formatting, and syntax.
  6. Editing electronically using the track-changes feature of Microsoft Word.

I am happy to use any stylesheet you would like, but my assumption is that the current (17th) edition of the Chicago Manual of Style is the correct way to mark up your text. Microsoft Word is also the industry standard, but not the only type of file I can accept. Other formats are viable (including Google Docs, Storyist, and Scrivener), just let me know what you’re working with and I can tell you how we can proceed.

Typically, the scope of copyediting work includes two complete readings of the manuscript for editing, which provide three files upon completion: editor’s notes for author, an edited copy of the text with tracked changes, and a clean copy with all changes accepted.

Proofreading Services include:

  1. Editing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, including consistency and accuracy of word choice, to comply with Chicago Manual of Style guidelines.
  2. Minor or superficial changes only, no content editing.

If work submitted for proofreading has any major concerns, I will stop work and contact the author for their decision on whether to begin a more thorough editing process or to continue with the content as provided.

Proofreading is typically the last step of the editing process, performed after the formatting for publication has been done. I will provide formatting comments upon request, and I can probably direct you to the proper guidelines for formatting manuscripts for various purposes and at various stages of the process of publication. Final deliverable is two copies of the text, one with tracked changes and the other clean, with all changes accepted.

Beta-Reading (Novels and Novellas)

As both a writer and editor, my beta-reading tends to focus on both. The steps I follow are simple:

  1. Read the book and make suggestions for revisions as necessary to improve readability.
  2. Provide big-picture commentary related to plot, characters, and story.

Beta-reading is a process many authors use to get feedback before they move ahead on the next step of their project, whether that is querying an agent or a publisher, or self-publishing the manuscript. Unfortunately asking friends and family for feedback usually results in various pleasantries, not constructive advice. Instead, get advice from me on the big picture of your book, plot holes, characters, any major concerns, and general feedback to guide you in whatever you choose to do next. If you have specific questions for me, I can answer them, if not, I’ll try to comment on everything I can. The final deliverable is my notes, typically two to three pages.

Beta-reading services start at $10 and rarely go higher than $25 except for exceedingly long or complicated projects.