Quick-Look Assessment
Includes:
- evaluation of readability
- evaluation of marketability
- evaluation of general direction
I provide written comments and am available to discuss by email, phone, in person, or via Skype/Zoom.
Copy-Editing
Includes:
- proofreading (typos, grammar, punctuation)
- flow
- tense
- point of view
- sentence structure
- dialogue
- word choice
I make changes in the manuscript using the track changes function with supplementary comments where necessary. I am available to discuss by email, phone, in person, or via Skype/Zoom.
Content Editing
Includes:
- copy-editing (for final ms)
- critique of organization
- story structure
- transitions
- character development
- description
- voice
- consistency
In addition to making changes in the manuscript using the track changes function, I provide written comments and suggestions, and am available to discuss by email, phone, in person, or via Skype/Zoom.
Click on each of the boxes for a description of the editing service.
Bogged down in the middle of your book?
Need help with structuring your story?
Wondering if your manuscript is ready to send out?
Need to make sure all typos and grammar errors have been caught?
Writing can be a lonely business. If you’re lucky, you have a good critique group to help you spot consistency errors and offer advice. Even then, every writer gets to the point where he or she needs the help of a professional editor.
You may just want a quick-look assessment, a thumbs up or down. You may have a lot of pieces but aren’t sure how to put them together to create a compelling story. Maybe you have a completed manuscript but suspect there are some weak spots. Perhaps you need another set of eyes to proofread it.
I can help. I have been editing and critiquing manuscripts of all kinds for over thirty years and can help you bring your writing project to fruition. Whatever the level of editing or book coaching you need, I will provide supportive but honest comments and suggestions. Whether we’re talking about fiction, non-fiction, poetry, academic articles, technical reports, query letters, a novel synopsis or a nonfiction book proposal, I can help you achieve your writing goals.
Customer Endorsements
“Barbara’s hand on my biography has been gentle but firm—ruthless when needed—and her attention to nuance comforting. Like all great editors, she helps make what you want to say better. Relief was my reaction to her edits on one chapter. She hears dissonance in language and structure and suggests alternatives. But she is also a careful wordsmith. Her calm support is just what a writer needs to bring a book to the publisher.”
—Patricia Meisol, veteran narrative non-fiction writer for newspapers
“Barbara’s feedback has been indispensible. She has an eye for spotting cliché, anachronism, and the unauthentic—which she uses as effectively with my writing as with her own.”
—Andrew Craven, author of Moshiah, The Curse on Long Autumn Valley, Wintercity, and Cloudbreak
“Barbara had the patience to read my entire manuscript twice. She provided excellent comments about the story arc, and gave me resources to consult about the craft of writing. She provided encouragement and support in just the right dose, and her critiques allowed me to think about a particular story element in a new way. When she made comments about usage or style, she explained her reasoning. Thank you, Barbara, for giving me the support I needed to finish my memoir.”
—Eva Sullivan
“I’ve read all Barbara’s feedback and in it is some great guidance and guidelines that I intend to put to use. Moreover, her suggestions have really provoked some creative ideas in me.”
—Keith McMullen, Sr., author of Out of Control