Editing Services

The story is told of an experienced brass-smith, the last in the line of a family of craftsmen. Working in his shop one afternoon, a stranger wandered by, marveling at the painstaking care the craftsman took as he polished his latest work, an ornate solid brass door.

After a few minutes in awed silence, the stranger asked: “How do you know when it’s done?”

The craftsman barely looked up as he continued to brush and polish the burnished flowers.  “It’s never done, I just keep polishing until they come and take it away.”

Preparing a book manuscript is like the work of that brass craftsman. There are always a few words that can be changed and grand ideas to distill into a single glittering gem. Nonetheless, as the author you have one chance to make a good impression on your editors and readers. Make sure your manuscript is ready for the editor’s desk.

Timothy is an experienced, published author. His 10 years experience in the industry can help you craft the perfect manuscript. After wrangling 40,000 words down onto paper, a pair of fresh eyes is often the key to help you see the forest and the trees.

Timothy offers two levels of book manuscript editing services. Both services require that the author has completed at least 50% of her or his manuscript.

• Content Edit:
  Includes a full read of your chapters / manuscript. Page by page, your manuscript (MS) is edited for structural and grammar issues. Different from a proofread, a Content Edit looks for continuity, consistency, and a logical presentation of the thoughts throughout the manuscript. You will receive your printed MS back, marked with a red pen and thoroughly evaluated. You also receive a one- to two-page outline summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of your work. Some authors use this edit for their entire manuscript, while others just a few chapters.
• Concept Edit:
  For writers who need hands-on assistance organizing their thoughts and crafting their message, a Concept Edit includes two parts, starting with a personal consultation with Timothy.
  • Part 1: You will discuss the purpose, message and target market for your book before diving head first into the content. This probing consultation helps writers organize their book and helps authors see how to craft a powerful manuscript and message.
  • Part 2: After you have applied the work of the initial consultation to your manuscript and are confident that you’ve written the book you want to publish Timothy will complete a Content Edit on the book’s first three and the final chapters. Like the Content Edit above, you will receive a written evaluation of your work and a strong edit of the four chapters.