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I am honored you're interested in working together! Typically, I book one to two months in advance. I’d love to see if I’d be a good fit for your goals.

 

If you’d like to be considered for the next available opening, I have a few questions for you in the form below.

 

Have other questions or opportunities? Feel free to email me.

START TODAY WITH A
SAMPLE EDIT

I offer free sample edits, with no obligation, of up to 500 words for line editing and copyediting. It's best if the text you send is representative of your project as a whole. Additionally, I offer paid sample edits of $50 for the first 3,000 words. The paid sample is credited to your project invoice if you decide to invest in a service. For a sample, use the form below to tell me about your project, and we'll begin to figure out what it's going to take to get your idea from draft to publication-ready.

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The sample edit helps me get to know your manuscript better and decide if I'm the best editor for your needs, and you get to see the type of work you'd be getting from me as my client.

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For developmental editing, it's nearly impossible to give a sample without getting a feel for the text as a whole. For this reason, please upload your entire manuscript so that I can take a look and provide you with a customized quote.

 

I do not perform sample edits for manuscript assessments, proofreading, beta reading, or authenticity reading; please still upload your entire manuscript for these services so I can provide you with a customized quote.

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Please use the contact form at the bottom of this page to begin.

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How should I format my manuscript before uploading?

I accept only Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) files.

 

For copyediting, line editing, and proofreading, please do not include any content you do not wish to be edited as part of the manuscript; for example, if you want to share your bio with me as background information, please upload it as a separate file rather than adding it to the end of your manuscript so I don't count it as part of your rate.

 

For non-editing services (developmental editing, beta reading, manuscript assessments, etc.) please include all front and back matter either in the Word doc as you have it, or as separate files. It's very helpful for me to reference things like a bibliography, images, prologue, and an author's note as I review your manuscript for big-picture elements. These will not be counted toward your final word count rate.

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typewriter

These formatting guidelines are frequently used in the industry to make a manuscript easier to read:

FONT

  • 12-point standard font, black type

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  • Times New Roman, Arial, and Courier are common

TITLE PAGE

  • include the manuscript or project name and the name you're publishing under

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  • should not be numbered as part of the manuscript

MARGINS

  • ​​1" all around

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CHAPTERS

  • each chapter starts on a new page using the "section break" or "page break" function in Word

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  • use Word styles to format chapter heads as Heading 1 

SPACING

  • double

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  • no extra spaces between paragraphs

REFERENCES

  • if your manuscript has a reference list, check that all sources cited in the    text are listed on the references page and vice versa

PARAGRAPH INDENTATION

  • .05" 

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  • formatted automatically instead of manually created using the tab key

Front & Back Matter

don't forget!

Send in all your front and back matter too! If you have the below components drafted and we decide to move forward with your project, make sure to send them so they can get proofread, line edited, or copyedited with the rest of your manuscript. I charge for these additions per word, just like the body text. These should be inserted into your manuscript in the order you want them to appear, or I can make some suggestions.

 

While not an exhaustive list, here are some common front & back matter additions: 

FICTION

  • Prologue

  • Epilogue or Afterword

NONFICTION

  • Foreword

  • Preface

  • Introduction

  • Afterword

  • Conclusion

BOTH

  • Copyright Page

  • Table of Contents

  • Dedication

  • Epigraph

  • Acknowledgements

  • Author's Note

  • Accolades

  • About the Author

Additional Elements

I charge for the following by the hour:

  • Photos, Tables, Graphs, or Illustrations with Captions

    • I will need a list of all permissions, in writing, that may be required to reproduce photos, tables, charts, etc. I will format their source lines and edit their captions.

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  • Glossary

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  • Study Questions

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  • Appendix(es)

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  • Abbreviations

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  • Chronology 

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  • Notes

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  • Bibliography or References

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  • I do not create indexes but can provide clients with references for professional indexers

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All additional components should be final and up-to-date, including any URLs cited in the work.

i'd love to hear from you.
tell me a bit about yourself!

Feel free to get as specific as possible!

What age category is your target audience?

Please note I do not edit children's books.

You can copy and paste your book's blurb, if you have one!

If you project is a book, which has your manusript already gone through?
If your project is a book, do you have a completed manuscript?

For all services, please upload your manuscript so I can assess the level of editing needed and provide you with a custom quote. If you requested a sample edit, I will perform a sample using the file provided here.

Upload Word Doc
If you selected copyediting or line editing:

Thanks for sharing! I'll be in touch.

vintage flower
vintage flower
book and ink quill
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CONTACT ME

kitty@copykatediting.com

8:00a.m. – 5:00p.m. (CST) M-F

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