Each author has special editing needs. To save yourself time and money, look at the choices below and decide which kind of editing suits your needs.
Line editing.
Use this final professional edit after you have already revised your work three times.
Your first revision excludes all redundancies, reducing your copy by one-third.
In your second line edit, rework all the words and sentences so they are your finest. Reduce passive verb constructions (aim for 2-4%) and create relatively short sentences. A standard sentence length is 15-17 words. Longer sentences with multiple phrases and clauses make the reader slow down to understand. As the author, you want your reader to flow along with ease. In your final line edit look at your headings, paragraphs and transitions to make sure your message carries power through placement and is easy to read. Place your most dramatic words and phrases at the end of the sentence, the end of the paragraph and at the end of the chapter. While charges vary, you can expect to pay $50 to $70 for this service from a professional.
Developmental editing.
While you put your writing, ideas and sentences forth, a developmental editor will not just polish your syntax, but fill in gaps you don't want to take time for. It's practically like ghostwriting and you need to choose an editor who specializes in either fiction or non-fiction. You can expect to pay around $65-$75 an hour.
Ghost writing.
You give your topic, thesis or theme and chapter focuses to a person you want to finish the research, put it together in chapter form, and write it to sell well. Again, you need to hire a real professional who specializes in ghost writing for your kind of book, whether it is a novel, memoir, how-to, or history. Most ghostwriters don't write on speculation. Prices vary, but they are usually hourly at around $65 up.
If you want to write a salable book, you will need some professional editing. If you have contacted a book coaching partner for ongoing format and writing input, you will already be a professional writer and only need a bit of line editing when your book is ready to publish.
Don't waste your time and money choosing the path that doesn't serve your needs.
---
Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," "How to Market your Business on the Internet," and "Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The Book Coach Says..." and "Business Tip of the Month" at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.
Great business writers combine narrative skills with sound judgment to... Read More
We've all heard a politician on their soapbox, pushing for... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
Real Estate has "Location, location, location," and writing has "Clips,... Read More
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit... Read More
A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
Every writer expends a great deal of creative energy developing... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
First impressions count in writing too! So it is always... Read More
Your query letter can be a deal maker or a... Read More
This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More
There is one key difference between reports and most other... Read More
In the words of Aristotle, "happiness is self contentedness helping... Read More
My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am... Read More
So you want to be a successful author? You want... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More
Do you have a problem creating a focus in your... Read More
It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis... Read More
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more... Read More
Kallu was a tenant of Santosh Kumar Nayak. Santosh Kumar... Read More
The freelance writing market is a growing market to be... Read More
Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected.... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
The first and final rule of quality writing is this:... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
Good writing requires self-examination. Why is one writing? What part... Read More
I do on occasion run out of ideas for my... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
Taming the Book Proposal: The BasicsOh, that most maddening of... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
1) Convince yourself you want to do something else. If... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Set your journal or diary where you will see it... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
As in all endeavors, toil is necessary to succeed and... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
People familiar with the Myers-Briggs Personality test know that the... Read More
The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
Every hero has a seminal insight - the apotheosis. Once... Read More
You have just completed a draft of an article. It... Read More
Every part of your book can be a sales tool.... Read More
You're writing a story set in your local city, but... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
A frequent conversation I have with my writing clients is... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?We all tackle plotting differently. How you... Read More
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like... Read More
User documentation is all too often written by programmers for... Read More
Dr. Phil's Life Strategies, #1 New York Times Bestseller catches... Read More
1. Make your goals achievable.By achievable, we mean realistic and... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
May I tell you about a writing technique shared by... Read More
Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when... Read More
Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More
Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More
Each author has special editing needs. To save yourself time... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
Balance your life ... Read More
Writing |