"Dedicated to making your writing shine."
Editorial Services
DEVELOPMENTAL
Editing
Developmental Editing is looking at the “big picture” of your manuscript (ms) with a focus on story structure, plot, character development, and point of view.
I'll examine your story not only scene-by-scene but on a global story level as well. You’ll then receive an editorial letter that tells you what's working as well as what could be improved upon along with some suggestions for revision.
I'm happy to work with authors from start to finish, but I can't rewrite your story for you. For that service you’ll need to hire a ghostwriter.
Developmental edits may include:
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Working with a writer to develop a manuscript from initial concept, outline, or draft (or combination of the three) through subsequent drafts and culminating in a finished draft.
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Reorganizing paragraphs, sections or chapters to improve the order in which the text is presented.
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Rewriting, writing, and some light researching or fact-checking, as needed.
1-5 ms pgs*/hr—$45-55/hr
LINE
Editing
Line Editing focuses on the way you use language to tell your story. You’ve got the plot figured out, but need some help making it sing.
I'll go through your manuscript (ms) and make sure the voice and style of writing are consistent, and focus on things like awkward phrasing, repetition "echoes", clichés, telling vs. showing, passive voice, dialogue, point of view, tense changes, and clarity. I'll flag, any inconsistencies in your characters, settings, movements, and overall timeline.
The most important thing to me is polish your ms while maintaining your voice.
If you're wanting an overall view of the quality, structure, or pacing of the story, take a look at my Developmental Editing services.
Line edits may include:
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Identifying and solving problems of overall clarity or accuracy.
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Writing or rewriting segments of text to improve readability and flow of information.
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Revising any or all aspects of the text to improve the presentation.
1-6 ms pgs*/hr—$40-60/hr
COPY
Editing
Copy Editing focuses on the mechanics of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
I watch for commonly confused words, and ensure consistency with capitalization, hyphenation, and numerals. This is last edit before the manuscript (ms) is sent to production.
Before you send your manuscript for copy editing, the page-by-page, sentence-by-sentence content of your manuscript should be final.
Copy edits may include:
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Correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and word usage while preserving the author's unique voice.
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Checking for or imposing a consistent style and format.
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Preparing a style sheet to document style and format.
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Reading for overall clarity and sense.
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Cross-checking for consistency throughout the text.
Basic: 5-10 ms pgs*/hr—$30-40hr
Heavy: 2-5 ms pgs*/hr—$40-50hr
PROOFREADING
Proofreading looks at books after being formatted for print or digital publication.
I make sure the layout and page numbers are correct and that your book is as error-free as possible before being released to the public.
There will be no comments on whether or not the story makes sense or engages the reader as this should've happened already.
If I provided your copy editing or you passed along your previous copy editor's notes, I'll make sure it's all incorporated. I'll also compare the latest stage of text with the preceding stage, marking discrepancies in the text.
Proofreading may include:
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Checking proof against typesetting specifications.
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Querying or correcting errors or inconsistencies that may have escaped an editor or writer
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Reading for typographical errors or for sense without reading against copy.
9-13 ms pgs*/hr—$30-35/hr
*A page is a firm 250 words
About
Quills Editing
Stacey Zink owns and operates Quills Editing. She’s a freelance editor who’s always had an eye for detail and a love of the written word. A lifelong reader and writer, editing was a natural progression. A graduate from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, she also holds an editing certificate from the University of Chicago with a specialization in developmental editing.
Member of ACES
When she takes off her editorial hat, she’s a wife, a mother, and she’s written three traditionally published novels under the pen name Emily Albright.
“Together we’ll polish your novel so it’s ready to take on the world."
“Stacey is precise, thorough, and fantastic to work with. She pays attention to details, maintains my voice, and offers excellent ideas on storyline and scene insertions. I highly recommend her services."
Amy McKinley
author of the Mafia Elite and Grey Ghosts series
