FAQs
updated 8/28/24
I am no longer accepting clients or edits.
What kind of editor are you and what services do you offer?
I am a developmental editor. I specialize in character-driven fiction and broken things.
What can't you do?
I will not correct your grammar or sentences unless the structure of the sentence is important to a particular change. I'm a big picture person (unlikable characters, plots that go haywire, bad openings, unsatisfying endings, lack of emotion or buy in, etc). I also can't make you sell, get you an agent or land you a publishing contract. I can help you produce a great story, but everything else is on you.
How many years of experience do you have?
I have worked as an editor since ’08. A developmental editor since ’09. I have worked on literally hundreds of books and short stories, and presented tons of workshops all over the place. Right now I work for Savvyauthors, although I've scaled back and only do a few workshops a year including a free one for savvy's yearly writercon.
What kind of editor are you and what services do you offer?
I am a developmental editor. I specialize in character-driven fiction and broken things.
What can't you do?
I will not correct your grammar or sentences unless the structure of the sentence is important to a particular change. I'm a big picture person (unlikable characters, plots that go haywire, bad openings, unsatisfying endings, lack of emotion or buy in, etc). I also can't make you sell, get you an agent or land you a publishing contract. I can help you produce a great story, but everything else is on you.
How many years of experience do you have?
I have worked as an editor since ’08. A developmental editor since ’09. I have worked on literally hundreds of books and short stories, and presented tons of workshops all over the place. Right now I work for Savvyauthors, although I've scaled back and only do a few workshops a year including a free one for savvy's yearly writercon.
What do you specialize in, and what won’t you handle?
I specialize in romance, mystery, YA, MG and lit, experimental and commercial. I don't handle hard sci-fi, bully/slave/daddy romances. I also don't handle torture porn, grimdark, or really graphic depressing stuff. But I do handle one-off stuff like feedback on a synopsis or partial, and random questions about openings, endings, particular scenes, etc on a flat feee basis, please inquire if interested.
Do you have a pet peeve (or is there something that annoys you so much you can't be impartial)?
I've mellowed out over the years--time does that to you. However, I can't handle being sent angry defensive letters or letters that ask for clarification on basic craft. Please be aware developmental edits potentially include changes to your manuscript, and basic craft is required.
What is the hottest rating you can handle?
Whatever you can throw at me. I have no problems with menage, BDSM, alternative lifestyles, m/m, mpreg, lesbian, poly or most forms of kink. And I love the whole fated mates/insta-love/lust thing. No slave/daddy or mafia.
Do you have experience with authors outside the US (spelling, slang, usage, etc)?
I’m familiar with UK/Canadian/Australian spellings, slang and usage. However, I edit slang in context.
Do you do free trial edits? *
No. I work for pay. Talk to me and we can work something out.
What is your normal turnaround?
It really depends on what you have and how long it is. Come talk to me and I'll be able to give you a better answer.
What is your policy on second reads and future questions on the same project or future projects?
Totally free, although additional edits on a story submitted for a second read (which is scheduled as time allows) are “free within reason”. There is an additional fee for a complete set of second edits, as well as a rush second read. Usually I can turn things around in a day or two. It takes longer if it was a difficult edit.
If you are my client and have a series, all inquiries or pre-edit trouble-shooting are also free within reason.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel, just let me know. If I cancel, I’ll give you what I’ve already done, and credit toward a future edit. If something comes up, it's my fault, and edits on a non-difficult edit drag out past the two week (14 day) mark, I'll give you a twenty-five percent discount. Difficult edits take whatever time they need. However, once we get past that two week mark, they run into other projects and have to be done as time allows.
What's your fee schedule?
All stories are billed at .005 a word, half up front, the remainder on completion. There is no wiggle room on this unless we are already in an editing relationship. No checks. I accept Paypal and all other forms of digital payment. If you would like the security of a third party payment system, please check out my profile on Reedsy.
Thank you.
I specialize in romance, mystery, YA, MG and lit, experimental and commercial. I don't handle hard sci-fi, bully/slave/daddy romances. I also don't handle torture porn, grimdark, or really graphic depressing stuff. But I do handle one-off stuff like feedback on a synopsis or partial, and random questions about openings, endings, particular scenes, etc on a flat feee basis, please inquire if interested.
Do you have a pet peeve (or is there something that annoys you so much you can't be impartial)?
I've mellowed out over the years--time does that to you. However, I can't handle being sent angry defensive letters or letters that ask for clarification on basic craft. Please be aware developmental edits potentially include changes to your manuscript, and basic craft is required.
What is the hottest rating you can handle?
Whatever you can throw at me. I have no problems with menage, BDSM, alternative lifestyles, m/m, mpreg, lesbian, poly or most forms of kink. And I love the whole fated mates/insta-love/lust thing. No slave/daddy or mafia.
Do you have experience with authors outside the US (spelling, slang, usage, etc)?
I’m familiar with UK/Canadian/Australian spellings, slang and usage. However, I edit slang in context.
Do you do free trial edits? *
No. I work for pay. Talk to me and we can work something out.
What is your normal turnaround?
It really depends on what you have and how long it is. Come talk to me and I'll be able to give you a better answer.
What is your policy on second reads and future questions on the same project or future projects?
Totally free, although additional edits on a story submitted for a second read (which is scheduled as time allows) are “free within reason”. There is an additional fee for a complete set of second edits, as well as a rush second read. Usually I can turn things around in a day or two. It takes longer if it was a difficult edit.
If you are my client and have a series, all inquiries or pre-edit trouble-shooting are also free within reason.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel, just let me know. If I cancel, I’ll give you what I’ve already done, and credit toward a future edit. If something comes up, it's my fault, and edits on a non-difficult edit drag out past the two week (14 day) mark, I'll give you a twenty-five percent discount. Difficult edits take whatever time they need. However, once we get past that two week mark, they run into other projects and have to be done as time allows.
What's your fee schedule?
All stories are billed at .005 a word, half up front, the remainder on completion. There is no wiggle room on this unless we are already in an editing relationship. No checks. I accept Paypal and all other forms of digital payment. If you would like the security of a third party payment system, please check out my profile on Reedsy.
Thank you.
