DANIEL CRAIG FRIEND
-FREELANCE EDITOR OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY-
SERVICES
I offer a full range of editorial services, from detailed copyediting to broad developmental editing. I also offer ancillary services of writing jacket copy, improving query pitches, and interior layout design. Scroll down to see a quick description of what each service entails. I am also happy to offer a free 5-page sample edit of any service on manuscripts of at least 40 pages, though editing services are available on manuscripts of any length.
Developmental Editing
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Developmental editing is a service for stories that are still in the early draft stages. I will read your manuscript and provide a thourough critique on plot, characterization, point of view, and other big-picture aspects of the story. I will also offer alternative choices you could make in each of these areas. You can expect to rewrite a significant portion of your manuscript after a developmental edit.
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This is not an editing service for fixing grammar and punctuation mistakes. For those services, see Copy Editing and Line Editing below.
Content Editing
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When you know where your story's going but aren't sure if you're getting there in the best possible way, it's time for a content edit. A content edit will focus on the scenes of your story, making sure each one contributes to the overall momentum of the narrative. Plot, character, and viewpoint will still be critiqued, but less extensively than in a developmental edit. A content edit will also address voice and style issues.
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This is a great editing service for manuscript that's in its third or fourth draft but isn't yet ready for a line or copy edit.
Line Editing
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By the time a manuscript is ready for a line edit, plot holes, characterization flaws, and viewpoint issues should have already been resolved. The line edit focuses on individual sentences, making sure that they are unambiguous, grammatically correct, and varied in structure. Voice, style, and grammar are the major considerations of a line edit.
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Copy Editing
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This is what most people think of as the nuts and bolts of editing: grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Sentences are changed as little as possible but are made grammatically correct. This is the last stage of editing a manuscript should go through before it's ready to be published; I strongly recommend purchasing one or more of my other editing services before buying a copy edit.
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Interior Layout Design
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Thinking about printing your book yourself, but not sure where to start? My interior layout design service will take care of fonts, margins, paragraph styles, and page numbers. Everything inside the book is included, from the table of contents to the back endpaper. I work with you and your preferences to format and style your book in Adobe InDesign CS6 and deliver you a press-ready PDF.
NOTE: I do not do cover design. Those interested in cover design should contact a reputable graphic artist.
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Query and Copy Writing
Writing about your book can be harder than actually writing it! Get some help from someone with experience. I treat both query and copy writing as a collaborative effort with the author, and I need to be familiar with the work before I begin. This service is most often ordered in addition to a previously completed edit.
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