Ready to get that book into the world?
When the closures of 2020 forced her to close her business, Natalie took the opportunity to perfect her editing skills. Ever since then, she has been helping others achieve their dreams of becoming published authors.
Now, she offers services such as: copyediting, manuscript critiques, content edits, and even file management.
Manuscript Critiques:
When going through a manuscript for a critique, I am looking for what could help further the career of each individual author. This can include:
Structure
Adding/subtracting content
Plot
Characterization
Voice/tone
Dialogue
Setting/world-building
Stylistic elements
Confusing sentences
Inconsistencies
Overall substance
Content edits:
When doing a content edit, I go through the manuscript and specifically look out for:
Character issues
Plot inconsistencies
Confusing sentences
Areas that need more detail
And more!
Each content edit is adjusted to fit each individual author.
Content Editing Examples
Copyediting:
When doing a copyedit, I take my time going through the manuscript line by line, ensuring it is edited to the standards of The Chicago Manual of Style. This is the step right before formatting and proofreading.
Some of the things I look out for include:
Grammar
Punctuation
Spelling
Star Prince by Patrick Trujillo
Fantasy
Examples in the Manuscript
Finding the repetitive words.
A confusing sentence along with an example of how to fix it.
Finding the things that are unclear during a first read.
Determining what information is necessary.
Examples in the Critique
When possible, I add in links to websites or programs that could help authors with whatever problems they are having.
Each story has one specific thing that could bring it up to the next level.
It’s not all critiques. I do my best to point out exactly what was done well, what I’m jealous of, and what the author should be proud of.
I go through the manuscript multiple times. On the first read through, I function as a beta reader. What is unclear? What confused me? Did my question get answered later?
Just Be by Ronnette Smith
Inspirational
Examples in the Manuscript
Always keeping an eye out for things that a reader will likely skim over.
Making sure everything is clear and easy to follow.
Examples in the Critique
I always try to point out the good things I see. As a writer myself, I know it can be hard hearing the criticism without something good to hold on to.
Whenever I can, I add helpful links to the critique.
When needed, I go into as much detail as I can, pulling from the original manuscript to give examples.
Nothing ruins an author’s confidence as much as one negative critique after the other. We all like to know what we did well!
Hrothgar by Rebekah Byland
Fantasy
Examples in the Manuscript
Showing options to help the sentence make more of an impact.
Showing rewrite options to keep the sentences clear and easy to understand.
Examples in the Critique
I grab specific locations from the manuscript to show what I’m talking about.
Keeping an eye out for the redundant words that manage to get to each and every once of us.