How Can I Help?

Let’s say you have a draft that is complete but not yet ready for publication. Maybe it doesn’t flow smoothly from one sentence or paragraph to the next. Or maybe the sentences are all in place, but it needs a thorough check for mechanics—spelling, punctuation, and style guide alignment. Maybe it needs a fresh set of eyes to help figure out what it needs.

To help you describe the type of editing you’re looking for, consider the following definitions:

Peaceful river scene with sunlight reflecting on water and lush green reeds in the foreground.

Editing:
Making It Flow and
Communicating Your Message

Line editing focuses on flow, engagement, and voice. It refines the wording so that the text says what you mean and keeps your readers engaged. While retaining your voice, line editing:

smooths awkward transitions
eliminates redundancies
suggests stronger imagery and detail
flags passages that might confuse or distract from your message
adjusts the tone or point of view as needed
checks facts (if requested)
adds alt text and captions and identifies possible pull-outs (if requested)

Copy editing addresses clarity, concision, and consistency. It primarily addresses the conventions of writing so that your readers won’t be tripped up by:

grammar issues (subject-verb agreement, fragments, run-ons, verb tense shifts, dangling or misplaced modifiers, etc.)
mechanics (punctuation, spelling, capitalization, number forms, etc.)
conformity to a style guide (e.g., AP, APA, Chicago, MLA)
wordiness or awkward phrasing
tone or point-of-view shifts
basic fact-checking (e.g., names, dates, places), as requested

water, drip, drop, blue, macro, nature, close-up, beautiful, dropping, rings, clean, fresh, blue water, blue beauty, blue clean, blue closed

Proofreading:
Polishing Details

Proofreading checks for anything that would be considered an error in a final draft or page proof, including:

punctuation
spelling
capitalization
heading levels

Proofreading may also include a comparison proofread to confirm that previously marked changes have been completed.

Prepress Proofing is the final check before publication, so it addresses the issues mentioned above, but it may also check design features that had not been finalized when the previous editing or proofing was done:

design elements (spacing, colors, fonts, font sizes, etc.)
cross-references, such as links and internal references (e.g., table of contents)
page numbering, headers, footers

(By the way, I have never seen a printer’s proof that did not need a few—or more—corrections. Please never skip that final proofread, no matter how weary you are.)

centimeter, deep, depth, inch, inches, indicator, measure, nature, measuring, meter, object, snow, stick, tape, weather, white, winter, yellow

Fact-Checking:
Getting It Right

Fact-checking is often done during the line or copy editing stage, and it can be requested with editing or as a standalone service. You choose the types of issues you want checked:

Basic fact-checking verifies names, titles, spellings, dates, and basic points of logic. (Did you previously mention that your aunt was deceased but then later refer to her upcoming trip to Antarctica?)

Comprehensive fact-checking reviews larger facts (such as the current value of agricultural imports), claims (“the new flu treatment offers an overnight cure”), and images (does each one really depict the time and place mentioned?).

The Editor’s Role

As an editor, my goal is to facilitate clear communication between you and your readers, not to change the message. I am happy to explain any suggestion, but you, the writer or publisher, must judge what serves your message and your readers best. After all, it is your name that will appear on the work.

If, by the way, you are looking for help in fleshing out or organizing an incomplete draft, you may want to work first with someone who does “substantive” or “developmental” editing. Since I do not generally offer this service at this time, please let me know if you would like referrals to editors who do.