Developmental Book Editing

Developmental editing (also known as Book doctoring or substantive editing) focuses on structure, style, and content. The editor flags specific problems–structural difficulties, poor pacing, plot or thematic inconsistencies, stiff dialogue/writing, undeveloped characters and themes, stylistic troubles, flabby writing and other areas to ensure the strongest, most-engaging manuscript is groomed. The editor may rewrite and/or offer suggestions to alleviate these problems, as well as provide notations and detailed advice so that the author feels confident addressing them.

Editorial focus includes: Plot Sequence, Characters, Word choice/redundancies, Setting, Pace, Length, Point of View, Tense, Texture & making sure the story is multidimensional.

For editorial services, I offer a free 5-page (up to 1,500 words) edit with editorial notations in track changes along with an editorial letter. My goal is to establish trust, editorial excellence and authenticity in the editorial process to best serve the author and his or her publishing goals.

Rates depend on the length of the manuscript and depth of work required, schedule a free 15-min consultation to assess needs and learn more.

Manuscript Critique

A manuscript critique includes a review of the commercial potential, best target audience, next steps to extend the narrative and ways to do so. I present an overview of changes to the manuscript in order to make it stronger and help pivot the author in the right direction. This overview focuses on organization, pacing, characters, plot, texture and point of view.

All notes are compiled in an editorial letter to the author.

[Compared to the Developmental Edit, the Manuscript Critique is more of a broad overall assessment of the manuscript, pinpointing strengths and weaknesses. Specific problem areas may be flagged, and general suggestions for improvement made, however a Developmental Edit is suggested if the author desires in-depth editorial review, possible rewriting and scene- by-scene advice on revision.]

1-Hour Book Consultation

Are you just getting started? Finished a first draft and not sure what’s next? Self-publishing but daunted by the task? Not sure if you need an editor or publicist at this point? Want to talk through your book concepts with an industry professional?

In our one-hour consult, we’ll put a strategy in place to empower your publishing efforts. I’ll read your query letter, book proposal or the first 25 pages of your project before our call.

I’ve helped New York Times bestselling authors gain clarity around their book and positioning.

Digital (&Print) Media Content Strategy

Are you a digital-first publication looking to revamp your editorial strategy, target new readers and increase traffic? Has your content not resonated as strongly as in times past? I’ll conduct an audit of your current editorial strategy, pinpointing holes, missing markets and offer a three- month editorial strategy to help you reach your key performance indicators.

I’ve led media companies such as Moguldom Media Group and Black Girl in Om into increasing their traffic and readership in the first three months with continued growth.

With a M.S. in Publishing, focusing on digital and print media, as well as over a decade on publishing experience I bring a wealth of knowledge to help you reach your content goals. More importantly, to create a message that resounds and breaks through the noise.