THE EDITING PROCESS

Editing is integral to good writing. A second (or third, or fourth) pair of eyes can help catch errors that may have gone unnoticed the first time. With a Certificate in Editing from the University of Washington, I usually edit a piece twice: once for initial draft copy and content, and again for a final review before sending to the printer or publishing online. I work with the Chicago Manual of Style; 17th edition and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary; 11th edition.

I look for clarity, consistency, typos, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, syntax, overused or incorrectly used words, headers and footers, page numbering, font consistency, and age-appropriateness. I also suggest revisions to cover structure, back cover copy, layout design, advertising call-outs, text placement and color, font choice, and graphics.

I’ve recently been editing a 400-page young adult novel titled Carnival of Heaven, written by Ryan Olson. Click here to see more!