Editors understand and apply standard rules of the written word.
A Christian editor understands and applies the rules of God's written Word.
An inspired Christian editor partners with God's Word and your words to produce powerful truth for the building of God's spiritual house.
To begin the building process, Crafting Stones offers four levels of editing services that are designed to take your manuscript from draft to ready-for-publication status. The level of editing that is needed will be determined, in part, by the sample edit that I will perform for you.
My goal is always to provide editing services that will make God's message clearly understood and professionally presented. If punctuation is perfect but the content is not easy to read or understand, the end result will be a book that is not respected and even rejected. I will be honest with you about the level of editing required to meet this goal. Please review these editing services:
Manual of Style
Unless
otherwise requested, styles issues for all editing services are governed by The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th
Edition, which is the standard style guide used by the majority of
trade book publishers. This manual governs such style issues as when to
write out
numbers or use digits (ten or 10), when to put periods in abbreviations, what can be changed when quoting text, and hundreds of other publication issues.
Unless otherwise requested, style issues related to presenting Scripture is governed by Zondervan's Christian Manual of
Style. This guide advises writers on which religious terms to
capitalize, how to abbreviate biblical books, how to cite Scripture, and other related issues.
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MANUSCRIPT EVALUATION and CRITIQUE
$50 for 20 pages of a manuscript or a book proposal evaluation.
$200-$400 for full manuscript critique
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A professional evaluation of your manuscript may be the most efficient way to begin the editing process. A full manuscript evaluation report provides an analysis at all editing levels mentioned on this page. This includes answering the following:
- Are there specific problems in mechanics that appear often?
- Does the language, content, and presentation style appeal to the intended audience?
- Does the information in the text flow clearly and logically from one idea to the next?
- Is additional research needed?
- Is Scripture clearly explained and well-integrated into the text?
- Is the content organized well throughout all chapters?
- Is the purpose of the book fulfilled? If not, what else needs to be included?
- What writing techniques could be added to improve the readability of the text?
- Are
there other issues that would affect its publishing quality and
marketability? If so, what needs to be done before editing can begin?
A
20-page critique cannot evaluate the purpose or organization of the
full manuscript, but it can help identify strengths and weaknesses in language, style, and
mechanics.
Both evaluations can result in lower overall editing costs since you will be able to identify major problem areas and revise the content before editing begins.
Proofreading is suitable only for manuscripts that have already been copyedited by a professional editor and/or thoroughly
critiqued by peers and substantially revised by you. Critique groups exist in a variety of genres and geographical areas. For example, if you live in Southern California, consider joining a critique group hosted by the OC Christian Writers Fellowship.
Proofreading is
the final step before publication because it involves only mechanical editing in an effort to catch last-minute spelling, punctuation, and
formatting errors that other editors missed. This includes issues related to the following:
Mechanical
- Spelling
- Punctuation
- Capitalization
- Abbreviations
- Formatting
issues, such as inconsistencies in font styles, tab spacing, word spacing, line spacing, etc.
- Mislabeled and
incorrect formatting of notes, tables, bibliographies, and other lists
- Citation formatting for Scripture and other references
Standard copyediting is most suited to books that have been critiqued to a point where the ideas flow well from one chapter to another and from one paragraph to another.
This level of editing begins with a well-researched and well-organized manuscript. It focuses on the use of language and presentation of facts and quotations. It makes sure that
your message is presented as clearly as possible at the sentence and paragraph level and that the text conforms with standard publishing style guidelines. Specifically, standard copyediting corrects problems in the following areas:
Language
- Misused
words and phrases
- Ambiguous and imprecise
words
that could confuse your readers
- Potentially
libelous language
- Jargon and other terminology not easily understood
- Cliches and inappropriate language
Facts
- Citations or lack of
- Information that appears to be
incorrect
- Potential copyright infringement issues
Scripture
- Quotation accuracy and citation
errors
- Potential misunderstandings of interpretations and
applications
- If requested, research
historical/grammatical/cultural context and make suggestions to enhance
the understanding and integration of scriptural references.
Style
- Short and long sentences
- Active and passive constructions
- Use of illustrations, analogies, and examples
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Substantive Edit
Rate: $6-$10 per 250-word page |
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Substantive editing
is an in-depth reworking of
the manuscript to improve clarity of the message and ensure that its purpose is fulfilled.
I will keep your original words and style as much as possible; but at the same time, I will rework areas that inhibit the readability and understanding of the text. I will provide explanations of all changes and you will
always be able to choose whether to accept my comments and changes or to
reject them.
A substantive edit usually follows with more draft revisions, thus introducing the possibility for errors in mechanics and formatting. A standard proofread will be needed after all revisions have been completed. This proofread is included in the quote. However, all editors agree that a final proofreading by another editor (or friend) is advised to catch any remaining typos missed by you or previous editors.
A substantive edit focuses on the
following areas:
Organization and Logic
- Move
whole paragraphs to more logical locations of the chapter or book so that ideas flow fluidly and without interruption.
- Insert
transitions to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from one sentence to the
next and from one paragraph to the next.
- Create or rearrange
subheadings.
- Suggest ways to more clearly define key terms.
Audience and Purpose
- Evaluate
whether or not the content succeeds in its purpose
- Evaluate whether or not the reader can relate to the language used according to his
or her expected age, culture, profession, worldview, and level of faith
- Suggest specific revisions
You can reduce the cost of (or need for) a substantive edit by first receiving a manuscript evaluation. This will help you to revise the manuscript to a level that will be ready to be edited at the less expensive paragraph and sentence level.
FREE CONSULTATION
If you are ready to submit your manuscript for a quote or if you have questions, please contact a Christian editor.
