How can I help?

My copyediting and proofreading services will refine and polish your writing so you can publish with confidence.

Not only can I fix typos and grammatical errors, I will help ensure your ideas are well developed and organized in a clear, logical, and enticing way. I will eliminate distractions so your message resonates with readers and is easy for them to understand. When you work with me, your writing will sound like you, only better.

Or, if you’re this close to publishing, I’ll keep my mouth shut and just worry about the typos!

 

Copyediting

At Nomad Editorial, copyediting includes everything from offering suggestions on how to improve your book to cleaning up typos and grammatical errors.

6 cents a word for initial editing, $100/hour for optional additional review

  

Proofreading

If you just need a fresh set of eyes to do one final check for embarrassing mistakes—and don’t want me to offer any suggestions for improvement or ask any questions (unless something seems really wrong!)—proofreading is for you.

2 cents a word for initial proofreading, $100/hour for optional additional review

 

NOTE: All prices are in U.S. dollars.

Let's get started!

I’d love to hear more about your book and discuss how we can work together.

When I got my manuscript back from Amy, it was filled with corrections and suggestions for changes. It was amazing! Every single suggestion made my text better, and my readers will benefit from Amy’s hard work.

Pernille Norregaard

Not only did Amy correct minor punctuation errors, she gently pushed me to write more and expand ideas that really helped my book take shape.

Kelly Alexander

After Amy's editing, it really did feel like it was still my voice, but better. The emotion and poignancy were still there, but my thoughts were now subtly structured and organised for ease of reading.

Tamsin Coates

FAQs

When should I hire an editor?

Hiring an editor is a great idea any time you need an extra (professional) set of eyes on your content, you want to ensure your work is top-notch, or you’re just feeling stuck and need some feedback from an expert.

Some editors only work on content at specific phases of the writing and publishing process, so if you’re in the early stages and need help determining how to structure your writing, for example, it wouldn’t make sense to hire a proofreader who’s only going to check for typos.

When you have a final or nearly final manuscript, I’ll be ready for you! I can review your work to clean up typos, grammatical errors, and confusing phrasing (and, if you wish, offer feedback on other ways to improve your writing).

What will an editor expect of me?
In my experience, there are a few things that clients can do to make everything go more smoothly.

  • Tell them what you want: Be sure your editor understands what you are looking for, your timing for completing the project, and any other expectations you have about working together.
  • Meet deadlines: Your editor likely has a full schedule, and if you are late sending your manuscript files at any stage in the process, it will throw things off track and your own deadlines for releasing your book could be missed.
  • Respect the editor’s expertise: Though you’re an expert in your field, so is your editor in hers. If she suggests certain changes to improve your work that you disagree with or don’t feel quite right to you at first, remember that she’s also working on behalf of your readers, and consider whether her suggestions will improve the reading experience.
How do you work with clients?
My goal is to make the writing and editing process easy, fun, and rewarding. I understand how scary it can feel to show your work to an editor, and how difficult it can be to receive feedback and constructive criticism. Don’t worry: I’m on your side!

I occasionally talk with prospective clients on the phone so we can both ask questions and see if it’s a good fit, but with many clients we successfully collaborate via email throughout the entire project. Once we’ve established the parameters of the project, I’ll send you a contract (which you can sign digitally and return) and an invoice to pay the deposit (typically 30–50% of the total fee) to hold the space on my calendar and get started.

During the editing process, most of my communication with clients is via email, though sometimes a phone call is more effective for hashing out whatever they’re stuck on, especially if they’re still in the early stages.

I prefer to edit in Microsoft Word using tracked changes, and I also proofread PDFs using Adobe Acrobat. To accommodate some projects, I’ve worked in Pages, OpenOffice, or Google Docs, and have even made changes to websites directly via WordPress. For most projects, I provide feedback via email.

What is your editing style/philosophy?
Sometimes people ask me, “If we worked together, how would you approach my work? I have a particular style of writing, and I don’t want you to take away my voice.” I don’t blame writers for being protective of their writing. They found the courage, time, and words to spread their important message, and they don’t want anyone getting in there and messing everything up!

My work incorporates a lot of different techniques, but they’re all focused on achieving just two goals: for your writing to sound like you, only better, and for your message to be easy for readers to understand.

Sure, I can fix your dangling modifiers, explain when to use an en dash, and clean up your spelling. But that’s not all. I see myself as a champion of ideas, here to support the work you do that’s going to change the world—and your own life and business. And I want to work with you to ensure that the ideas you’re presenting to the world are as clear, concise, and powerful as possible.

I get it: when you’re passionate about something, sometimes you just gotta break the rules. But I also tell clients, let’s not break all the rules. Sometimes they exist for good reason. Rules can make your message more understandable to those who need to hear it most, and they can help clear up confusing language that distracts from your brilliance. I’ll help you figure out when to follow the rules and when breaking them will make your writing stronger.

Why shouldn't I just ask my mom/friend/VA to edit my stuff?

An extra set of eyes is always helpful, but there are some downsides to relying on people who are not professional editors:

  • They may not be committed to sticking to a deadline, which can throw off your schedule or leave you in limbo.
  • They may not be the target audience for your content or they might not be able to put themselves in your readers’ shoes, making their feedback less helpful.
  • They may not know, or care about, the finer points of grammar and punctuation.
  • If it’s someone you rely on to do other work in your business, like a VA, asking them to take on an editing project leaves them less time to complete other tasks.

As you may have guessed, working with a professional editor like me ensures none of this will happen. I take deadlines seriously, I’m adept at putting myself in your readers’ shoes (or I may even be part of your target audience), and for years I’ve been studying and applying the nitty-gritty aspects of grammar and punctuation that will set your work apart.

Hiring a professional editor is an investment that pays off by making you look more professional and giving you real confidence in the quality of the product you’re putting out there. When you hire me, you benefit from my concentrated attention on your own writing as well as all my years of experience working in the publishing industry, collaborating with writers, and editing a wide variety of content.

FREE Guide: 10 Essential Questions to Ask before Hiring an Editor

This free PDF walks you through all the important questions that will help you hire the best editor for you and your project.

You won’t be subscribed to the quarterly newsletter unless you explicitly request it after receiving your guide. View our complete Privacy Policy.