Do you need an edit, critique or re-write?

The best procedure is to begin with a critique. This evaluation will indicate whether your work is ready for publication, needs editing, or will require re-writing.  If it is ready for publication, consulting is available to point you to the most probable publishers or to help you  choose some other publishing route, such as self-publishing, online publishing and/or electronic publishing.  Should a re-write be advisable, we will work with you to help you do your own re-write or we will do it for you on a consulting basis.

A critique is an evaluation of your work by a person who, through experience and knowledge of the marketplace, has acquired expertise to judge it objectively. A skilled editor points out the strengths and weaknesses in fiction and non-fiction techniques.

Its purpose is to give you an overview of the weak and strong points of our manuscript, including advice on areas where the manuscript might be improved.   Attention is given to plot, characterization, point of view, pace, structure, and the use of narrative modes. Further information on critiques.

Editing is the skill of knowing what works for an audience, and an editor's primary responsibility is to see that a piece or an entire manuscript does that.  There are three major functions of editorial work:  copyediting, content editing, and proofreading.

Editing is more in-depth than critiquing.  Editing includes line-by-line and/or content help with polishing your draft.  In addition to the elements of writing mentioned under 'critiquing' the editor will help you with style, voice, diction and proportion, tightening your prose, making smooth transitions, writing sparkling dialogue . . . all in a systematic approach from the first line of your work to the last.

1) Copyediting is a review of the material to be sure it reads well and makes sense.  The editor verifies names, certain facts, and cited references, making sure that all the manuscript pages and any auxiliary material  (tables, charts, graphs, etc.) are there and in a consistent style. 

2) Content editing analyzes and organizes a manuscript.  The editor determines what information should be added or removed to improve and enhance the text.

Computers cannot find every instance of spelling, typographical, punctuation or grammatical errors.  The busy editor or reader will rarely continue considering your work for publication if these are found.  Professional writers with galleys may prefer having another professional do this work for them since there is a tendency to see what  one expects to find on any page you  have read often.  A fresh eye can spot errors an author often misses.

3) A proofreader marks the original manuscript to identify and correct errors of grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Proofreading is painstaking and often tedious.  Our staff will carefully read your manuscript or galleys, noting needed corrections while you spend your time writing another article, story or book.

Book Doctoring: A re-write may be needed if your work has serious structural flaws.