How exactly does the editing process work? It's simple!
Book a free chat with me (booking form below).
Choose the best service and payment options.
Confirm the details and sign the letter of agreement.
Send me the document. If needed, be available for questions during the editing process. Then receive your edited or formatted document!
Ask any follow-up questions.
Read on to get more details about each step, or, if you're ready now, click here to get started.
1. Chatting with me
I'm not interested in numbers or pumping writers through a cookie-cutter funnel. I'm interested in you and the message you want to share.
So I always start with a free 30-minute video chat on Zoom to chat about your goals, your book’s purpose, your ideal reader and how you want readers to react. Every document has a core message, what I like to lovingly refer to as its soul. Identifying this core message is vital to keep the document on track, from how I edit it through to how you get your book in your reader's hands.
You'll find the form to book your chat with me at the end of this page — or you can click here and jump to it right now!
2. Choosing a service and payment
You may already know what type of editing or design your document needs, or you may not. Once we chat about you and your project, I'll confirm or point you in the right direction and provide you with a quote.
I offer per-word and per-hour rates for editing and design to suit your needs. Most authors prefer the per-word option, and per-hour is often easier for businesses who need ongoing work — but both options are always available for you.
Payment plans or split payments are available if you need. Payment via bank transfer to an Australian bank account is preferred.
3. Confirming the details
Once you're ready to go, we'll finalise all the details in a signed letter of agreement.
I use the author–editor letter of agreement jointly created by the Australian Society of Authors and the Institute of Professional Editors. This letter of agreement confirms the services you've chosen and the price and timeline we've agreed to. It also includes standard copyright, indemnity and confidentiality clauses.
You'll get the chance to read over the agreement and ask any questions you need before signing.
4. Sending and receiving the document
You have a few options for sending and receiving your files. For security, I recommend either sharing a cloud folder containing the file with me or using a service such as WeTransfer.
What file type do I need?
The file type depends on the service you need.
- For structural editing, copyediting and formatting, send and receive the document as a Microsoft Word file (separate style guide documents can be a Microsoft Word file, PDF file or a webpage).
- For proofreading, send and receive the document as either a PDF file or a Microsoft Word file.
- For typesetting, send the document as a Microsoft Word file (with separate image files for any photos or graphics) and receive the print-read manuscript as a PDF file.
File extensions for each file type:
- Microsoft Word files .doc, .docx, .rtf
- PDF files .pdf
- Image files .jpg, .jpeg, .png
If you have a different file type, let me know and I'll check if I can work with it or get it converted.
What questions do I need to be available for?
Sometimes I need to ask you some questions about the text or your intended meaning. This is more common during significant edits such as structural or copyediting and can be done via email or a Zoom video chat. Ideally you will need to respond to any questions within a week so that I can provide the edited document to you on time.
How long will the editing process be?
The time it takes to edit or format your document depends on its length and which service you choose. Your exact delivery date (or dates) will be in the letter of agreement.
5. Asking follow-up questions
Sometimes you want to understand more about an edit or you have questions about your next options. That's very common!
If you choose one of my editing packages, this includes follow-up sessions. You can choose to have this via email, Zoom or a combination any time up to six months after receiving your edited document.
If you need additional time for questions, you can book as many extra sessions as you need at my hourly rate.
Ready to get started?
(Just got a simple question? Contact me here.)
Before you choose a time to chat, let me know a bit about you and your project:
