In my years of undergraduate and graduate studies of the English language and five years of professional journalism, I’ve edited everything from paid obituaries to full-length novel manuscripts, interview transcripts to bonus material for educational DVDs. I know the Associated Press Stylebook backwards and forwards; right now, the Chicago Manual of Style is my editing Bible of choice.
The key to solid editing is a solid grasp of the mechanics of the English language, but what happens when those conventions conflict with a writer’s artistic intent? “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid’s amazing short story is one sentence, mechanically speaking; to make it mechanically “correct” would destroy its aesthetic.
When you know the rules, you know when to break them.
That said, I know from my own writing how difficult it is to look at it with an objective eye. By the tenth time you’ve read a sentence aloud to yourself, nothing about it sounds right. That’s where an experienced copy editor can help.
I aim for fast turn-around times and use Microsoft Word’s track changes function, allowing you to retain complete editorial control by accepting or rejecting my suggested edits. Small proofreading jobs can usually be back in your e-mail inbox in a day or two. For larger jobs, I’m more than willing to negotiate quantity discounts and deadlines.
I’ve worked with Elephant Rock Productions for years, and recently completed a structural rewriting project destined for the Oxford Handbook of Counseling Psychology, part of the Oxford Library of Psychology.
Proofreading: If your writing is already polished, but it still needs a check for general mechanical issues—spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. $2/page.
Copy Editing: In addition to proofreading, I’ll make suggestions on clarity and usage. Often, simple errors in syntax or word-order makes a night-and-day difference in meaning. $5/page.
Structural rewriting: All writing, from master’s theses to historical fiction, is an argument. With this level of service, in addition to having your work copy edited, I’ll get elbow-deep into the structure of your work to ensure your target audience never has a chance to doubt your side of the argument. $10/page.
Drop me an e-mail at dprazer @ gmail.com to discuss your project.
All rates are based on standard, double-spaced pages of 12-point Times New Roman text with one-inch margins.
