Here are some of the most common questions that I get asked. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, feel free to drop me a message via the contact page.

What kind of editing do I need?

This will depend on the state of your project, what deadlines you have and what your ultimate goals are. But my advice is always to be conservative. Most projects benefit from far more editing than people imagine. Finishing your first draft means you’ve just started, not that you’re almost finished!

If you’re not sure what you need, send me a message via the contact form or arrange a free 15-minute Skype consultation so I can point you on the right track.

Why are some projects charged by the half-day, not the word?

Traditionally, editing is charged by the word, on the basis that longer projects take proportionally more time. While that’s often true for line editing, for developmental editing it really makes no sense. There’s absolutely no reason why a 100,000 word novel should require twice as much developmental word as a 50,000 word one. It might need much more, it might need much less.

This actually works out much better for both of us. If you’ve got a habit, say, of using too many adverbs, of over-explaining your plot developments, or of switching in and out of different types of POV, then you just need someone to point these things out and give you advice on how to fix them. Equally, there’s no point it me painstakingly going through an entire novel pointing out the same kinds of thing again and again, just because we’re locked into an old-fashioned method of working. It’s far better to focus on shorter sections and use the lessons learned from those to improve the rest of the project.

Charging by the half-day often means paying more per hour, but spending far less overall.

Do you offer proofreading?

Not on its own, although most of my services will involve some proofing, just as a matter of course.

However, I will say this: in my experience, 90% of people who think their project just needs proofreading actually need line editing or developmental editing. If you’re not sure what stage your project is at, drop me a message via the contact form and we can discuss it.

I’ve got a great idea. Will you help me write it?

It’s unlikely. Like most people, if I’m actually doing the writing then I prefer to work on my own projects.

If you’ve written something and can’t see how to improve it or finish it, I’d recommend developmental editing to put you back on track. If you’re having trouble starting at all, I’d recommend a few coaching sessions to help overcome those initial hurdles.

However, I have done some ghostwriting in the past, so if you really feel that’s what you need then I’m happy to arrange a free 15-minute Skype consultation to discuss your project. If it’s an idea that I’m excited by then we may be able to work something out.