Manuscript Copyediting

You've spent countless hours on your book. At last, you have a finished draft ready to send to a publisher or agent. The problem: it's not always easy to see mistakes in our own work. And a manuscript riddled with errors reflects poorly on you as a writer.

The solution: copyediting services through Fat Plum. It's the fine-tooth comb your manuscript needs before submitting it to an agent or publisher.

What it is: Manuscript copyediting is not just about catching typos. It's about improving the overall quality and readability of your writing. You'll receive a line-by-line check of your manuscript for spelling, grammar and punctuation, noun-verb agreement and verb tense. It also includes looking for awkward or poorly worded sentences, clichés and redundancy, as well as alerting you to problems with clarity, point-of-view, organization, word usage and syntax.

What it isn't: Copyediting is not the same as a manuscript critique of the strengths and weaknesses of your story, its market potential, and so forth. If that is what you are looking for, see our Manuscript Critique service.

FAQs

Is it really that important to have my manuscript "polished"?

Dozens of manuscripts cross an agent or publisher's desk every day. A clean, polished manuscript shows that you value your work and that the agent or publisher should value it, too. A sloppy manuscript makes you look careless - and may cause your work to get sent to the circular file (read: trash can).

Who does the copyediting?

    Beth Polen, Editing and Proofreading

You know those people who notice the little mistakes in movies—like the vase on the table that’s gone in the next scene? Well, Beth has that kind of eye for manuscripts. She spots all kinds of slip-ups: misspellings, grammatical goofs, punctuation problems, misuses of verb tense, awkward changes in point of view. Whatever mistakes might slip by an author, you can bet Beth will catch them before the manuscript gets out the door to an agent.

Beth has always had an editor’s eye. After earning a degree in English and creative writing at Miami University in Ohio, she sharpened her focus as a technical editor at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University. For six years she edited botanical and bibliographical publications, including the highly praised international Flora of North America series, and was the editor of the Flora of North America Newsletter, a biannual publication.

Beth has been a freelance editor for over 10 years. She spent several years working with Dorrance Publishing, editing dozens of book manuscripts on a variety of subjects, including general fiction, science fiction, romance, children’s, self-help, travel, biography, religion/spirituality, history, and health. She also wrote flap copy and author bios. Recent freelance projects include two children’s novels, a Ph.D. dissertation in English literature, and an alumni magazine.

Beth has participated in three Fat Plum Book Boot Camps, where her co-campers as well as camp leaders found her input invaluable. The children’s novel she completed during these camps was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.

Can I see a sample of copyediting?

Yes! To see sample pages of Beth Polen's copyediting click here.

How are changes marked?

Changes and suggestions are made in pencil on your hard copy. If you are unfamiliar with standard editing marks, an explanation sheet can be provided.

If you wish to have changes marked electronically, Beth can do this through Microsoft Word. However, she will always provide you with a marked copy as well.

How do I submit my manuscript?

You can send your manuscript by postal mail or email. Please contact Beth for mailing information, eakiser [at] yahoo [dot] com. (We render email addresses this way to prevent spam.)

How much does it cost?

Beth charges $30 per hour. Her page rate varies from manuscript to manuscript, but she averages about 10 pages an hour. Once she receives your manuscript, she will give you a price estimate for the entire project.

How long will the editing take?

This depends on the length of your manuscript, how much editing is required, and Beth’s current workload. The average turn-around time is two weeks.

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