I have 15 years of experience as a professional “book cheerleader.”

Copy-editing

I love this for the same reason i’ve been catching wild animals in my bare hands since i was a child. (My parents love telling the story about how i caught a gardener snake when i was two; most recently i caught a rabbit just because i was annoyed it wasn’t hiding well enough and i wanted to teach it a soft lesson before an owl taught it a more permanent one.)

I’m most familiar with CMS but i am happy to use custom style guides.

In fact, you might have noticed i have a custom style guide for my site regarding mid-sentence pronoun capitalization, and it’s more consistent than English, which leaves she/her/it/they entirely lowercase, but for some reason, “i” is capitalized? It’s creepy, my dudes. I’m not more important than You. In my own spaces, i’m opting out.

Line-editing

One of the reasons Shimmer Magazine selected me to copy-edit was my preference for letting an author’s (or character’s) voice supercede grammatical concerns, as long as clarity is preserved. Fiction is art, and artistic license is warranted.

If you’d like someone to evaluate your work for flow and clarity without making their comma fetish your problem, i am a promising candidate.

Developmental editing

The majority of my work happens at the intersection between developmental editing and manuscript assessments.

My goal here is to hunt for hidden opportunities that the author left for themselves without even realizing it, and analyze how they can use those secret tools to connect more strongly with their readers. Your subconscious knows what it’s doing! I’m dedicated to preserving the author’s vision and voice–i rarely advise murdering your darlings when you could catch, transport, and release them instead.

My authors usually respond to their editorial letters with some variation of “I can’t wait to work on this again!”, and i am so proud of that! I’m also delighted that they’ve won a variety of awards and some chose to sign with reputable agents or deserving publishers.

I charge in the mid-range developmental editing rates reported to the EFA, but i also work faster than the average, which often results in lower fees. If it sounds like you might want to work with me, you can contact me at redline@inkshark.net.

FAQ

What is your editing style?

I’m going to quote from the DE section above:

“My goal here is to hunt for hidden opportunities that the author left for themselves without even realizing it, and analyze how they can use those secret tools to connect more strongly with their readers.”

To do that, you have to go into a book like a reader: expecting to love it, and finding reasons to do so. This is why i both excel at and love my job. It’s not me vs. your book, an attitude i sometimes uneasily encounter from other editors, but me joining your book’s team.

Not only can i brainstorm more effectively from a place of enthusiasm, but i can more deeply empathize with your target readership. This helps me hunt opportunities to enhance your story’s connection with them.

How do i know you’re the right editor for me?

The same way i will know if you’re the right author for me!

I won’t take on a book i can’t cheerlead; this is my job, but i’m also an artist, writer, non-fiction editor, web developer, a minute taker, and a swimsuit model. Okay, not that last one, but my point is that i don’t need to take an editing job just for a paycheck–i’m covered. I only take jobs i think are a good fit.

So first, i ask that you send me the first ten pages or 2,500 words of your manuscript in Standard Manuscript Format (it’s okay if it’s not exact, just close!). I’ll do a sample edit of those pages (free of charge) and send it back to you. I’ll know if i think i can be the best editor for the work, and you’ll know if you want to hear more or if you’d like to duct tape my face shut.

Frankly, i think too many editors come at fiction with a strange antipathy, as if the manuscript’s weaknesses need to be assaulted. I wouldn’t teach a kid or a pet to be better at what it does with violence, and that’s how i see a manuscript: it’s a small thing that just came into existence, trying its best to be what it it intends to be, and there will be some opportunities for improvement. So why not explore those with complex thought rather than rigid rule-following?

So maybe i found the feedback useful, but what do you charge? Is it my firstborn?

No, i don’t want to change any diapers. I charge in the upper-mid-range of the EFA average rates reported in 2023, but i tend to work a little faster than the average (maybe because i only do work i love!), which brings the overall price down.

I’ve been doing this a long time, and i have a pretty solid sense after that first ten pages, so when i make my bid, i am locking myself in at that price–i won’t change it on you later, even if it takes me longer than i thought it would. In fact, if i’m late with my delivery, i will give you a discount.

I don’t get into specifics here on my site because each project is so different, and the type of editing i do with you (copy vs line vs developmental) will also have an impact, but i am as transparent as possible with each prospective client. If i think i can help with your manuscript, you receive a full breakdown of how i arrive at my project bid. Here’s a screencap of the math i shared with a (happy!) client a few years ago.

That was in 2021, so please keep in mind my rates have changed (i held out for ten years but eventually inflation got me).

How did you become an editor? Was there a degree? Or an arcane ritual?

I never meant to be an editor, but it turns out that if you take the right writing courses, you accidentally gain editing skills as well!

After nearly every workshop i attended, other writers asked me about whether i thought about editing, and finally when a small publisher asked me about it as well, i gave in. I honed my skills in the ten years i spent with Reactor (when they were still Tor.com and then Tor.com Novellas).

I’m glad that others insisted i accept my skill here. They also helped me realize that the reason i am a good editor is because i view it as a partnership and a collaboration rather than a mere transaction. If someone put their soul into their book, i’d be a thief not to put mine into it as well.