Editing
Taking text and turning it into a finished document.
Developmental: Provides a big picture critique of the narrative or manuscript and suggestions for dealing with content, organization, and genre considerations.
Line: Editing at the sentence or paragraph level, focused on improving the language and style of the text.
Copy: Correcting spelling, grammar, usage, punctuation, and preparing a style sheet that will guide consistency and accuracy across the document or manuscript.
Proofreading: Checking final proofs for typographical errors and formatting mistakes before going to print.
Writing
The foundation of all other editorial work.
Work-for-hire: Producing articles, blog posts, web content, advertising copy, newsletters, and even full-length works.
Ghostwriting: Writing on the behalf of someone else using that person’s voice.
Reading
Reviewing texts to offer feedback and insight.
Beta: Serving as a test target audience to identify errors, plot problems, inconsistencies, or unclear sections in the work.
Authenticity: Looking for statements, portrayals, or perspectives that might misrepresent people from a given group. I do authenticity reading for queer, trans, Mid-Atlantic, mixed race, and working class works. Authenticity reading may overlap in many instances with sensitivity reading.
Sensitivity: Looking for statements, portrayals, or perspectives that might offend readers. Generally best performed by members of communities other than the author’s own so that the reader can provide helpful perspectives on language, characterization, and other aspects of the writing to help ensure that it is acceptable to the broadest possible audience. Sensitivity reading may overlap in many instances with authenticity reading.
Publishing
Making it real.
Desktop & Digital: Producing publication-ready material by taking finalized text and creating a design, laying out pages, formatting text, and incorporating any illustrations or graphics.
Self-publishing Assistance: Helping people navigate the process of self-publishing through guidance on formatting, cover design, pricing, marketing, and other aspects of using the major self-publishing platforms.
Consulting
Offerings
Workshops
skills
Thanks to the Editorial Freelancer’s Association, from which much of the Services text has been cribbed.