About rLS Editing Services
For a writer to feel confident in submitting the best version of their manuscript, they need to work with editor(s.) There are close to a dozen types of editing services described on the internet. The type you need would depend in part on your type of writing product. For fiction or memoir writers, I recommend two major types of editors that could fulfill your needs: A) Developmental... substantive, content, story editing.B) Copy... line editing, proof reading.
An editor’s job is to help the writer find problems and offer guidance to resolve them.
A developmental editor, will considering the following:· Are there credibility or continuity issues re. time, dates, place, plot, etc.?· Are the characters well developed and engaging?· Does the plot, story line, or content make sense from start to finish?· Is it over or underwritten?· Does it grab the reader’s interest, and keep the reader turning pages to the end? Copy editor, for the final editing stage.· It requires a focussed, astute eye on punctuation, grammar, spelling, and formatting.· They will go over your ms, line by line, word by word, looking for any and all errors.· These experts make the difference between a sloppy and a polished manuscript.
As we write passionately about a topic, we can lose focus and miss the fact that some creative concept we had thought about did not actually make it onto the page. An editor will bring issues of concern to your attention, in order to help you find a solution.
I am a developmental, (substantive, content, story editor.) and I have an unusual bit of advice for writers. I recommend the first step should be an evaluation. I will read the ms and offer the writer an overview of their work. The writer gets objective feedback and a chance to do some revisions on her/his own before the formal editing process begins. During this ‘mutual audition’ process we can each get an idea of the other’s skill and character.
Evaluations are far less costly to the writer, and they offer an opportunity to sample the wares before embarking on a long-term commitment. If the writer and editor are in sync, they can move on to an editing agreement, and then the real work begins.