I do individual manuscript editing for writers who need a professional eye on their work prior to submission or publication. I am particular about grammar and mechanics, also about consistency in the use of language as well as authenticity to period or character type. I am especially alert for dialog credibility and the separation between character voice and narrative voice. I am alert to anachronism in setting and detail, as well. In addition, I can evaluate form and organization, not only of individual sentences and paragraphs but also of whole sections. My work has yielded numerous successful publications of clients' manuscripts with both major commercial and significant small and university presses.
I am the author and editor of twenty published volumes with major presses. I also have published more than 1100 other pieces of writing, ranging from schoarly and critical articles and essays to short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, as well as pollitical and social punditry.
My editorial work is meticulous and specific; my comments come in the form of suggestion or recommendations for improvement, as well as corrective indicatotrs for mechanics and grammatical errors. I am always seeking to make a writer's work more clear and direct and free of distraction of self-indulgence. I work on all categories of fiction and creative nonfiction as well as straight nonfiction. I do not work on poetry. I am especially interested in historical fiction, but this is not a mandate.
I work on a contracted basis, and costs depend on the kind of work and length of the work and how extensive an editorial review the writer wants. I am not a publisher nor an agent; I cannot gurantee publication. What I can offer is a chance for a writer to avoid automatic rejection because of careless mistake, egregious factual error, or form problems. My work takes some time and can be expensive.
Please contact me if you are a serious writer who is need of careful editorial proofing and suggestion. I have ghost written in the past, but I am not seeking that kind of work, actively. If a writer wants to improve work, I can bring forty-five years of collegiate instruction, thirty on the graduate level, to the table, as well as my experience as a publshed author and writer.