The Trusty Editor

09/18/2022

TOPIC: EDITING SERVICES AND RATES

My editing philosophy is simple: I aim to help writers present the best book they possibly can, whether it’s a snarky space opera, a gardening how-to, or something else altogether. I achieve this by being meticulous with the minor issues and simultaneously aware of the big picture (such as the overarching themes of a fiction manuscript), and I work with each writer personally, conforming to his/her/their style of choice (whether that’s THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE or a radically different method). Although I’m adept at following the rules of grammar and up to date with the standard practices of book publishing, I’m also flexible, easygoing, and open-minded – able to adapt to each writer’s preferences, quirks, and editing needs.

Currently, I’m offering both copyediting and line-editing services. Since I realize these two styles have fluid definitions, with editors widely differing on what each entails, I’ve outlined my parameters below.

My copyediting service (for which I typically charge $.01 per word) includes standard proofreading – such as correcting errors of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, basic grammar, and subject-verb agreement – plus highlighting any major syntax concerns, noting any unnecessary instances of passive voice, and offering limited suggestions for making your manuscript tighter and more professional. Besides addressing the above-mentioned issues, this thorough, double-pass edit will underscore any inconsistencies regarding capitalization, punctuation, spelling, abbreviations, numerals, font usage, formatting, and descriptions of characters, settings, and plot. In addition, I will perform basic fact-checking and fix any problems with continuity, fluidity, diction, repetition, and verb tense.

As you might imagine, line-editing (for which I usually charge $.02 per word) is an intense, comprehensive, line-by-line overhaul of your manuscript, ensuring that the story or nonfiction work is clear, consistent, cohesive, and complete. To achieve this goal, I will provide an in-depth, quadruple-pass edit that includes proofreading, copyediting, and structural editing – that is, improving the style, tone, logical flow, and writing quality of your manuscript as it applies to its specific genre and target audience. This deep dive will aim to tie up any loose plot ends, enhance the word choice and impact of your writing, improve the rhythm of the prose, and polish and refine the language (by alleviating run-on sentences, awkward or hackneyed phrasing, and wordiness). In general, my comprehensive line edit will strive for precise, eloquent writing, making your manuscript as streamlined, professional, and enjoyable as possible.

So, if you’re looking for a dependable editor, please contact me to discuss your needs and, if necessary, arrange a sample edit.

09/17/2022

TOPIC: ABOUT THE TRUSTY EDITOR

With a dual bachelor’s degree in English and radio/TV/film from Northwestern University, Laura Martone has spent the past two decades as an editor, a magazine and marketing writer, a travel guide author, and, with her husband, Daniel, a sci-fi and fantasy novelist (under the joint pen name, D.L. Martone).

A dependable, eagle-eyed editor, Laura enjoys polishing both fiction and nonfiction and will happily hunt down errors in projects of any length, genre, or topic. She particularly excels at spotting inconsistencies, word echoes, and other redundancies.

So, if you’re looking for a dependable editor, please contact Laura to discuss your needs and, if necessary, arrange a sample edit.

04/30/2019

I love thoughtful quotes about writing and editing. Here's a good one from Steve Martin, actor, writer, producer, and comedian extraordinaire:

"I don't think anyone is ever writing so that you can throw it away. You're always writing it to be something. Later, you decide whether it'll ever see the light of day. But at the moment of its writing, it's always meant to be something. So, to me, there's no practicing; there's only editing and publishing or not publishing."

"I don't think anyone is ever writing so that you..." - Steve Martin quotes from BrainyQuote.com

04/23/2019

As both a writer and an editor, I'm a huge fan of writing-related films. One of my favorites is WONDER BOYS (2000), based on the 1995 novel of the same name. My husband and I have seen it so many times that we can recite the entire movie by heart. Like many stories about writers, it's loaded with memorable gems about the writing and editing process. Here's just one example:

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Miss Sloviak: Terry was telling me about you on the plane. It was all so interesting.

Terry Crabtree (editor): I was just explaining how a book comes to be published... what you do as a writer, what I do as an editor.

Grady Tripp (writer and professor): I sweat blood for five years, and he corrects my spelling.

Miss Sloviak: That's exactly what he said.

Terry Crabtree: We know each other pretty well... and actually, it's seven years.

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So, how about you? Do you have any favorite films for writers (and/or editors)? If so, feel free to share below!

04/15/2019

Topic: Self-Editing for Writers

Happy Monday, fellow writers and editors!

Throughout my life as a self-proclaimed word nerd, I've often stressed the importance of improving your proofreading skills. Whether you hire professional editors or strictly self-edit your manuscripts, having as clean a draft as possible will enable you and/or others to spot the issues that truly matter to your readers.

Well, today, I’ve decided to reiterate the value of being able to proofread your own work – and broaden that to include self-editing in general. It’s such a critical skill for any author (whether indie, traditionally published, or hybrid) that it bears repeating.

The ability to edit your own work is a necessary part of any writer’s toolkit – and naturally, there are numerous books and web pages available to assist you in enhancing this particular skill.

Just type “self editing” into the Google and Amazon search bars, and you’ll see what I mean.

Personally, my favorite book on the subject is SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS: HOW TO EDIT YOURSELF INTO PRINT by Renni Browne and Dave King. In a clear, readable way, it covers major fiction-related issues, such as characterization, interior monologue, point of view, exposition, dialogue mechanics, and voice.

But you’ll also find how-to guides more suitable for nonfiction authors as well as those specifically intended for indies.

Although I recommend doing your own research into the wacky world of self-editing, I’ve saved you some time by compiling several self-editing tips below:

1. After finishing a draft (whether the first or umpteenth of your story), put your manuscript aside for at least a few days (if not several weeks, depending on your publication schedule) before diving into a self-edit.

2. When it’s time to start editing, alter the look of the manuscript by printing it out or using a larger, vastly different font on your computer screen.

3. To catch glaring errors or awkward phrasing, read your manuscript aloud (to yourself or to someone else, like a friend, relative, writing partner, or pet) – or have a speech synthesis program read it to you.

4. Minimize exposition (cue the chest-tightening phrases “show versus tell” and “info dump”) by revealing thoughts and emotions via action and dialogue (instead of huge chunks of pace-halting text) and peppering background info throughout the story (as in, only when necessary).

5. Use active voice (over passive voice) whenever possible by placing the subject first in each sentence.

6. Avoid jolting dialogue tags (such as “expostulate”), unnecessary adverbs (when a strong verb would suffice), and wordy stage directions (unless performing a particular action is new or challenging for a character).

7. Look for continuity errors (such as fluctuating physical descriptions).

8. Make your capitalization and spelling choices consistent (for instance, use “adviser” or “advisor” but not both).

9. Utilize the global search function to w**d out troublesome words (like homophones and anagrams).

10. Remove or replace any unnecessary crutch words (like “that” or “just”).

11. Fix any wonky punctuation (such as semi-colons, when commas or colons would be more appropriate).

12. Eliminate any extra spaces between words and sentences (which you can quickly achieve with the global “find and replace” function).

13. Just to make sure you’ve caught everything, run your software’s spell-check tool and/or use an editing program like Grammarly.

14. Make sure chapter one shines (first impressions are important, after all).

15. Then (and this is the hardest one for me)… stop editing and let it go!

If the above list seems overwhelming, try tackling these suggestions during various passes of your manuscript, instead of all at once. Given my perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I find that focusing on one issue at a time helps to keep me from going completely insane. However you choose to self-edit, though, doing so will certainly improve your essay, article, story, novella, novel, or whatever else you’ve created – and ensure a smoother reading experience for your critique partners, beta readers, editors, and ultimate audience.

As I’ve admitted many times before, self-editing your own work is never easy. Your mind tends to fill in mistakes, based on your expectations, especially if you’ve worked on the same draft for a while and reviewed it multiple times. That’s why many people recommend hiring professional editors, at least at the copyediting or proofreading stage of the writing process – or, as previously mentioned, giving yourself as much time as possible between writing and revision.

So, when it comes to your own projects, are there any self-editing resources that you rely on most? If so, feel free to share them below, along with any other self-editing tips I might have forgotten. And have a wonderful, productive week, you crazy kids!

(Note: I originally posted this article on August 13, 2018, in The Indiepreneur Writers Collective, but it's still relevant today.)

04/15/2019

With a dual bachelor’s degree in English and radio/TV/film from Northwestern University, Laura Martone has spent the last twenty-two years as an editor, magazine and marketing writer, travel guide author, and sci-fi novelist (with her husband, Daniel). A reliable, eagle-eyed copyeditor, she enjoys polishing both fiction and nonfiction and will happily hunt down errors in projects of any length, genre, or topic. She particularly excels at spotting inconsistencies, word echoes, and other redundancies.

Her copyediting service ($.01 per word) includes standard proofreading - such as correcting errors of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and subject-verb agreement - plus highlighting any major syntax concerns and offering suggestions for making the manuscript tighter and more professional. Besides fixing the above mistakes, this thorough, double-pass edit will underscore issues of consistency, continuity, fluidity, repetition, diction, verb tense, and passive voice.

Contact her to discuss your needs and, if necessary, arrange a sample edit.