What type of stories do you most enjoy editing?
I'm a romance, NA, YA and chick lit reader, so that's what I enjoy most when editing.
Do you work for a company or are you a freelance editor?
I'm a freelance editor.
What book are you most proud of having edited?
I think I'm most proud of Changing His Game by Justine Elvira. It's such a great book. I enjoyed editing as much as reading it.
What does your editing process look like from start to finish?
I offer sample edits for authors so that would be the first step. I send the edited sample back to the author with an exact price. As soon as I start editing it takes about 6-10 days, always depending on how much editing needs to be done, the word count, how much I have to do. I edit the book, including comments when there are issues with the time frame, characters, plot, etc. When I send the edited MS back to the author I include a longer comment with advice here and there. When the author went through the whole MS once again they send it back to be for the final proofread. I'm always open for discussions with authors, brainstorming, and trying to make the book as best as it can be.
Are your rates affordable for indie authors?
Yes, totally. I'm always open for discussion when an indie author needs my help and they have a tight budget. My prices aren't set in stone.
What things should a writer have done before contacting an editor?
For me it's important to know how far they are with their writing process and if they set a rough word count. Most authors expect a price when contacting me but I can't give that if I don't know how much words there will be approximately. It doesn't matter whether there are 5,000 words more or less in the end, I can match the price to that. But to give them a rough price I need to know how much editing needs to be done and the word count. I offer free sample edits for that.
What should a writer expect (or not expect) out of an editor?
They should expect that their book is ready to be published after the final edit or proofread. And advice! I don't wanna change an author's work, I wanna help them make it better. So I give them advice but what they do with it that's totally up to the author. And I make that clear from the beginning. I'm an honest person and I think it's really important to not sugar coat things. The book will hopefully be read by a lot of people and it should be as good as it can be.
Do you have any advice for new writers?
Don't think an editor wants to harm your book or your writing. We try to help you, make it better, we see things you might have not realized in that way. Try to accept an editor's opinion and think about it before throwing it overboard. I like to discuss things and talk them through, and I try to be always there for the authors I work with and they know that they can always contact me. A lot of indie writers think it's not important to let someone edit their book, but it is. There are always readers to whom a well edited book is as important as the story itself.
What do you think makes a good editor?
I think a good editor should be passionate about their work. Just like an author, but on a more impartial level. They should know the genre they're editing, they should know books from that genre. Personally, I like to read reviews about books before reading them, because that makes me also see what the reader thinks, what the reader wants, and what they dislike. It helped me with my work so far.
When you’re not editing what do you like to do?
Reading and writing are probably the things I enjoy the most. But I do have other things to do, I just don't enjoy them as much. I might be a tad bit addicted to TV shows.
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