Along with having a bachelor’s degree in English, I took editing coursework in college, worked at the campus newspaper, and interned at Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta. In more recent years, I’ve taken coursework specific to the type of editing I do (line editing/copyediting) through CIEP and EFA. I take the time to hone my skills any chance I get!

This varies and is based on your word count, the type of editing needed, and the condition your manuscript is in. In general, I typically allot two weeks to works over 50k words, 7-10 days for 20k-50k words, and 3-5 days for under 20k words.

For a sample edit, I will ask that you send me 3-5 pages of your manuscript from somewhere other than the first three chapters of your story. The first chapters are typically already more edited than the rest, so it gives me a better idea of the state of the manuscript and gives you a better idea about what I’m bringing to the table. I will treat it like a normal edit (line editing or proofreading, depending on what you’re looking for) and use Track Changes and the comment feature in Word/Docs. I will return an edited document to you and then you can decide if we are a good fit for each other!

I primarily work with romance, fantasy, and young adult books and the subgenres thereof. I prefer to work with closed-door manuscripts, though.

I use the most current version of the Chicago Manual of Style (currently the 18th edition) and Merriam-Webster dictionary.

For proofreading, I will be checking grammar, spelling, punctuation, and continuity. Line/copyediting includes those aspects, but also allows me to revise the sentence structure to improve the flow for the readers.

When you’re ready to choose Bird and Bear as your editing service, you will pick a date based on my availability and I will send you a contract with all the pertinent details. Once it is signed, it will hold your spot on my calendar. Along with the contract, if the timeframe is more than a month out, I will collect a 10 percent deposit of the estimated final cost. This deposit is deducted from the remaining amount (based on final word count) which is due before the work begins. I will send a final invoice the week before the contracted timeframe.