To edit simply means to make changes and corrections in order to improve a text. But the editing process is not a one-way street. In fact, a rich and open dialogue between the writer and the editor is key to bringing a piece of writing to its highest potential. This dialogue takes place via Track Changes in Word, or via Skype, phone or in-person conferences.

Authors come to me prior to publication to assure their writing is ready for publication and in condition to be accepted by a publisher--in other words, at its most polished, powerful and correct. My services can be broken down into the following categories, each of which carries a different fee level:

Comprehensive editing (substantive, organizational and stylistic editing)
In addition to editing for correctness of grammar and usage, attention is given to organization, structure, clarity of expression, logic, consistency and effectiveness of argument, improving sentence structure, eliminating redundancies and awkwardness of phrasing. The aim is to achieve overall stylistic and structural sophistication and elegance. 

Writing Consulting and Writing Conferencing
Brainstorming and project development, from pre-writing to final product, providing organizational guidance, writing support and manuscript critique along the way.

Basic editing (sometimes called copyediting)
Improving word choice and usage rules, capitalization and quotation conventions, grammar, syntax, sentence construction.

Proofreading
Identifying and correcting typographical, spelling, punctuation, and basic grammatical errors.

Additional Services

Citation Conformance
Assuring citations and references conform to the style manual required (APA, AMA, Chicago, MLA, Turabian or journal-specific requirements). 

Fact-checking
I provide fact-checking for non-fiction texts to verify, and sometime source, factual statements. This is generally an additional service beyond Comprehensive Editing, described above.