What Is Classic Editing?
Classic Editing is the traditional approach to editing exchanges, offering efficient, one-time feedback for writers looking to get the job done now. This way, you can work on revisions at your own pace and work up a whole new draft before deciding if you need another opinion.
This is a great option for writers who have a completed manuscript, a well-defined direction for their story, or who work well independently. With one feedback round plus an option for a brief secondary exchange to discuss the edits, Classic Editing arms you will all the knowledge you need to knock out your next draft.
There are lots of Classic Editing options to fit your project's needs, from sky-high overviews to inspections of the details: Manuscript Evaluation, Developmental Edit, Line Edit, and Copyedit. You can opt for just one service, or you can work your way through them as your project grows and progresses. Together, we can make your prose strong, dazzling, and ready for publication!
Think Classic Editing Is Right for You?
Contact me for a free consultation to talk about where you are in the writing process and what your goals are. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Manuscript Evaluation
Feedback to set you in the right direction.
A Manuscript Evaluation is a very high-level skim over your entire work looking for major trends. Think of it as observing your manuscript from 40,000 feet—from the pilot seat of an airplane! We look at elements such as structure, mechanics, storytelling, and selecting the right genre, all from the perspective of defining your path for revision or continued drafting. This is useful for helping you spot critical places needing attention and seeing if your story is headed in the right direction. The goal of this service is to provide a 'temperature check' on a working draft to catch any major issues early in your story's development so they require less cleanup down the road.
Whom is this right for?
Writers of any caliber or stage in their career who are looking for generalized feedback on a very early draft or partial manuscript.
Whom is this not right for?
Writers seeking detailed, thorough feedback on specific elements throughout the entire manuscript or writers ready for heavy revision and rewriting of an established draft.
You will gain great initial feedback in the early stages of your writing from the eyes of a reader.
Your Manuscript Evaluation will come in the form of a letter and some general in-text comments discussing what's working and what needs improvement. If there is a particular technique or skill that regularly shows up as problematic, I will point you in the direction of some helpful resources to brush you up and walk you through making it stronger. While this is a single round of feedback, you do have the option for one round of follow-up via email to answer any questions you have based on the commentary.
You're Writing a Book!
I can't wait to read what your latest and greatest idea is! Contact me for a free consultation.
Classic Developmental Edit
Highly detailed commentary for completed manuscripts ready for revision and rewriting.
As a one-time comprehensive edit for completed manuscripts ready for revision and rewriting, Classic Developmental Editing is the heavy lifter of the editing and revising phases. Most of your rewriting will happen here. This is a 30,000-foot overview of your entire manuscript and how its elements are functioning, including structure and content, organization, target audience, character development, plot and plot holes, and inconsistencies in point of view and tense. The end goal is a sophisticated manuscript ready to address sentence-level elements.
Whom is this right for?
Writers of any caliber or phase in their career with a full-length, completed manuscript of at least 50,000 words (special cases for novellas of under that limit will be considered if the manuscript is complete). You should be ready to begin adapting your work for your target reader and self- or traditional publication.
Whom is this not right for?
Writers still working on idea development or who only have a partial draft. If that's you, you may want to consider a Manuscript Evaluation or "The First Draft" first.
We will plug all the plot holes and flush out all the static characters to make your story amazing.
Commentary on the manuscript is highly detailed and very specific across the entire work and each instance an issue arises. In addition to in-text comments, I will also produce an essay-style review of major tendencies I notice. We may even utilize outside resources to help you improve your overall writing craft. While this is a single round of edits and feedback, you do have the option for one round of follow-up via email to answer any questions you have based on the commentary. Be mindful: sometimes this process may take more than one revised draft to get it just right. Keep at it, and it will all come together.
Remember: Revision is Rewriting!
Are you ready to sacrifice more blood, sweat, and tears into re-making what you've poured your heart and soul into? Contact me for a free consultation.
Classic Line Edit
A look at style and refinement for completed manuscripts.
This one-time sentence-level edit seeks to improve your artistic style of writing through word choice, authorial voice, clarity, and readability. Consider how much livelier your writing would be if we exchanged weak verbs paired with adjectives for strong, stand-alone verbs! (Think, "ran swiftly" vs. "sprinted.") The goal of this edit to to improve your stylistic approach to writing and get your manuscript one step closer to publication, querying, and beta readers. I recommend utilizing Copyediting for technical adherence and Proofreading to catch any final errors.
Whom is this right for?
Writers of any caliber or phase in their career with a completed manuscript that has previously undergone Developmental Editing to address all major story elements. You are serious about finishing your project for publication and are ready to get nit-picky. This phase is great for projects of any length.
Whom is this not right for?
Writers with manuscripts still undergoing major changes to significant elements (plot development, characters, etc.) or those seeking a final manuscript Proofread.
We will turn tired phrases and awkward wording into your masterpiece.
Mark-up on manuscripts is done using a combination of Track Changes features and in-text comments. We will comb through your writing line-by-line and make sure your manuscript stands out in the market and packs a pow with the readers. While this is a single round of edits and feedback, you do have the option for one round of follow-up via email to answer any questions you have based on the commentary.
Put Down the Thesaurus
While they have their place, we will look at so much more than just synonyms. Contact me for a free consultation.
Classic Copyedit
Addressing technicalities in completed manuscripts.
One-time copyediting deals strictly with grammar adherence and technical details like continuity, consistency in format, word choice, and syntax. We can also take a look at any non-book materials, including a table of contents, appendices, acknowledgements, etc.
By the end of this editing phase, your manuscript should be ready for polishing, final formatting, and preparations for submission, querying, and beta readers. I recommend utilizing Line Editing for stylistic improvements and Proofreading to catch any final errors.
Whom is this right for?
Writers of any caliber or phase in their career with a completed manuscript that has previously undergone Developmental Editing to address all major story elements. You are serious about finishing your project for publication and are ready to get nit-picky. This phase is great for projects of any length.
Whom is this not right for?
Writers with manuscripts still undergoing major changes to significant elements (plot development, characters, etc.) or those seeking a final manuscript Proofread.
We'll dive into the nitty-gritty of what sets apart great books.
Mark-up on manuscripts is done using a combination of Track Changes features and in-text comments. We will comb through your writing line by line and make sure your manuscript is effective and adheres to proper style guidelines. While this is a single round of edits and feedback, you do have the option for one round of follow-up via email to answer any questions you have based on the commentary.
Leave the Grammatical Perfection to Me
With you as creative director and me as copyeditor, we'll make your writing shine! Contact me for a free consultation.
Not sure if Classic Editing is the perfect fit?
Check out The Final Draft's other inspiring service options! And remember: if you are not sure what you need, contact me so we can talk about your project.