Technical Terms
Manuscript Assessment
An manuscript or editorial assessment is a first overview of what you've written, providing feedback on key elements like plot, characterization, dialogue and prose. It identifies What is working, what is not working and what the author can do to improve the manuscript. This takes the form of a document outlining the work's strengths and weeknesses and potential ways to fix it.
Developmental Editing
A Green Light Developmental Edit is a step up from an assessment. This means providing feedback on every aspect of your manuscript. Character. Dialogue. Description. Grammar. The works. And not just the nuts and bolts of your writing but the 'big-picture' issues as well. Basically, I look at every element of your story and tell you what works and what doesn’t. Unlike many editing services, however, I try to give more than just a critique. I'm more interested in helping you build up than tear down. So, I will suggest other plot avenues, alternative ideas and lots of practical advice for improving your manuscript.
Copy Editing/Line Editing
This is going over the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb to bring the writing up to a more professional level. Improving clarity, coherency, consistency, correctness and every other thing that begins with C. Fixing spelling, grammar, word usage, repetition, shifts in tense, anomalies and all those little errors that annoy publishers and readers alike. In short, it's streamlining your work to make it smooth as a baby's bum. That was a terrible cliche. A line edit would suggest removing it.
Proof Reading
Generally the last stage in completing any manuscript. Spotting all the tiny mistakes and errors that annoy a reader. Oops. You forgot a full stop there.
Please note that proofreading is sometimes conducted by my associate, Jan Adamson. She has been a schoolteacher for 40 years and no punctuation or grammar mistake escapes her.
Fact Checking
Green Light includes this as part of the service. Self-explanatory, really. Abraham Lincoln did not use a mobile phone.
An manuscript or editorial assessment is a first overview of what you've written, providing feedback on key elements like plot, characterization, dialogue and prose. It identifies What is working, what is not working and what the author can do to improve the manuscript. This takes the form of a document outlining the work's strengths and weeknesses and potential ways to fix it.
Developmental Editing
A Green Light Developmental Edit is a step up from an assessment. This means providing feedback on every aspect of your manuscript. Character. Dialogue. Description. Grammar. The works. And not just the nuts and bolts of your writing but the 'big-picture' issues as well. Basically, I look at every element of your story and tell you what works and what doesn’t. Unlike many editing services, however, I try to give more than just a critique. I'm more interested in helping you build up than tear down. So, I will suggest other plot avenues, alternative ideas and lots of practical advice for improving your manuscript.
Copy Editing/Line Editing
This is going over the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb to bring the writing up to a more professional level. Improving clarity, coherency, consistency, correctness and every other thing that begins with C. Fixing spelling, grammar, word usage, repetition, shifts in tense, anomalies and all those little errors that annoy publishers and readers alike. In short, it's streamlining your work to make it smooth as a baby's bum. That was a terrible cliche. A line edit would suggest removing it.
Proof Reading
Generally the last stage in completing any manuscript. Spotting all the tiny mistakes and errors that annoy a reader. Oops. You forgot a full stop there.
Please note that proofreading is sometimes conducted by my associate, Jan Adamson. She has been a schoolteacher for 40 years and no punctuation or grammar mistake escapes her.
Fact Checking
Green Light includes this as part of the service. Self-explanatory, really. Abraham Lincoln did not use a mobile phone.