when should i contact you?

If you still have one revision to go, it’s not premature to get in the schedule because it fills up a few months in advance. Sometimes earlier slots do open up, however, and my brilliant co-editors can often accommodate a shorter-turnaround project. Talk to us about your specific needs.

How should I format my manuscript?

When you submit your book by e-mail, please use these standard guidelines.

• Use a 12-point, serif font such as Times New Roman.

• Pages should be double-spaced.

• Leave 1″ or 1.25″ margins.

• Left-align your paragraphs; don’t full justify them.

• Send the file as a Microsoft Word document only, not a PDF, Pages, or Scrivener file.

what guarantees do you make about your work?

We take pride in our editing. You’ll receive the thorough, undivided attention of an experienced editor who is working with your manuscript because of an affinity with your story. All projects begin with a friendly-but-detailed agreement that specifies the exact scope, budget, and timeline; nobody likes surprises, including us.

We give actionable advice on a technical foundation, and all projects include a free follow-up hour for questions. Getting feedback can be overwhelming, and we’ll do our best to make sure you understand everything you receive.

We also abide by the Editorial Freelancers Association’s code of fair practice, and it is our goal for you to feel you’re in great hands from our first exchange of messages onward.

The only thing we can’t guarantee is publication. The only kind of editor who can promise this is one who buys your book for a publishing house—and we’ll do all we can to give your manuscript its best shot.

Do you have a policy on the use of generative ai?

Speaking for our own work, we do not use AI for any part of our editing process. This isn’t different from the privacy policy we’ve had for 25 years: we protect your intellectual property rights by not sharing your work with anyone, and “anyone” includes generative AI tools. We write our notes and critiques from scratch, after reading your manuscript and giving it careful thought.

Our stance toward AI-generated creative work is more nuanced. Some writers use AI for brainstorming, research, or specific translation help. We think this can be okay if the manuscript is ultimately human-made. Other writers use AI more heavily, e.g., as a drafting tool, and we are less interested in editing this kind of manuscript. We provide notes and suggestions intended to help the writer re-see and revise literary work; and we believe that as an outcome of improving a manuscript by this process, a writer also improves their skills. If a client isn’t doing much writing anywhere in a manuscript’s development, then the creative-collaboration aspect of our services—the part we enjoy most—is absent. Other editors may feel differently and will be a better fit for these projects.

No matter where you fall in this range, please disclose any use of AI when you contact us and consider reviewing the Authors Guild’s best practices for writers using AI tools.

am i ready for an editor?

The next logical step for every manuscript isn’t always “hire an outside editor.” Have you honed your craft? Gotten some beta reads? Are you prepared to receive and implement a lot of feedback? Contact us to tell us about your project, background, and goals. A few emails usually clarify the best route. We want every collaboration to be as fruitful as possible!

why are editors so #$%&! expensive?

We get it! We are also writers who have hired editors for our own work. And truth be told, not all editors charge the same, but not all editors are the same. Transparency is important, and this blog post post aims to demystify the cost.

Write to us to find out exactly what we can do for your manuscript.

what kind of writing do you specialize in?

The elements of good style and storytelling are broadly shared among genres, and with twenty years of experience, I bring a deep repertoire of techniques to most projects.

That said, I’m a sucker for multicultural and speculative fiction. I’m also a nerd. I love when projects teach me something—either through storytelling or through incisive, urgent nonfiction. Or if you just want some book recs, check out my Goodreads for an incomplete itinerary of where my imagination has been lately.