Portfolio
A selection of recent projects—see how I've worked with other clients like you.
Working with a self-published
nonfiction author
"Sarah was honest, direct, sensitive, and highly engaged from the get-go."
- David L.
The project - David is a Christian writer and speaker who had recently completed his debut novel, a historical memoir describing a particularly unique period of his life. David was seeking an editor who was sensitive to the content and who could guide the necessary revisions to create a tighter narrative.
What I did - The project was multifaceted, requiring custom formatting, placement of pictures, teasing out areas to expand or reduce, increasing flow and pacing, and putting together a style guide to ensure stylistic and mechanical consistency over the 100,000+ word manuscript. Over the course of several months, David and I worked together, first, to line- and copyedit, then second, to proofread and format his manuscript.
The experience - When working on any manuscript, no matter the length or how much revision it needs, collaboration and communication with the author is paramount. The author-editor team must work together to meet the unique needs of each manuscript. The job of the editor, besides suggesting, guiding, supporting (and of course, correcting), is to preserve the author's style and voice, helping them to create a story that is told in a way that only they can tell it.
Working with a self-published
fiction author
"Sarah was great to work with and got the job done quickly. Thank you!"
- Marius H. Visser
The project - Marius H. Visser has self-published five fantasy novels on Amazon. He has crafted several distinct worlds and was seeking copyediting on a fantasy short story, a teaser of sorts, for his newest series. The catch: the turnaround was just a few days for a project that would have normally taken at least a full week. I was able to offer Marius a quick sample edit and begin work right on time.
What I did - I line- and copyedited the short story, paying particular attention to punctuation and grammar. Marius requested I copyedit with British spelling and style in mind. Despite the quick turnaround time, I was able to provide Marius with a thorough copyedit, which included revision suggestions that would clarify important story elements for his readers and tighten prose during fight scenes, and a style sheet.
The experience - It's important to me to never sacrifice quality of editing for my clients. Even in a "rush" job, quality is paramount. Marius and I had the added bonus of living in time zones 14+ hours apart, which sometimes made communication tricky. Going the extra mile to communicate and quality-check meant I met the deadline knowing that everything Marius had requested was taken care of.
Working with a first-time author
"Right away, I felt that I could trust Sarah."
- Rebecca R.
The project - Rebecca is a children's book writer and first-time author going through the self-publishing process. She was cautious about sharing her work over the web and was looking for someone she could trust to handle her story and provide beta reading feedback.
What I did - I read through her manuscript, adding comments with my reactions, connections, and general feedback and impressions. Then, I typed up a report, which addressed Rebecca's concerns about length, structure, and wording.
The experience - First-time authors are understandably nervous about sharing their work; after all, it's a precious possession that they've put a lot of time and effort into! Professional beta readers play an important role in providing quality feedback and addressing the concerns of the author with the assurance that they will follow through on what they say they will. I was glad to hear that my feedback both confirmed an editorial decision Rebecca was considering for her manuscript and provided her with the support she needed to move forward with revisions.
Working with a traditionally published author
"This is exactly the kind of help I was looking for!"
- Terry Cralle, RN
The project - Terry wrote a synopsis for her children's picture book. The synopsis was required to be no more than one page. Terry requested help editing to decrease word count, as well as a final proofread.
What I did - I edited the synopsis to exclude illustration descriptions, which are not typically included in a picture book synopsis. Combining some of the plot description where it was repetitive helped bring the word count down to the appropriate length. Terry looked over the synopsis prior to proofreading to accept the edits I made. Proofreading turned up a couple of inconsistencies from the accepted/rejected changes (all the more reason not to skip this step!).
The experience - Freelance editors can support authors who are seeking traditional publication by providing guidance related to the process of querying. While a full line- and copyedit may not be appropriate for a manuscript that is being queried, it never hurts to have a final proofread before sending it to agents or publishers for consideration.
Working with a Kindle Vella author
"I was very impressed by your edits!"
- Layne Henley
The project - Kindle Vella author Layne Henley was looking for a copyeditor for her newest fantasy Vella series, Emerald Isle. She had been previously turned down by other editors who were unwilling to work with an incomplete manuscript. She was feeling unsure of her grammar in places and was looking for feedback that would increase clarity and consistency in her story.
What I did - I line- and copyedited Layne's first three episodes to fix typos, punctuation, and spelling consistency, as well as to tighten up the flow of her prose. Because this was an ongoing project, I began a style sheet to ensure consistency is maintained in future episodes.
The experience - I think it's important for editors to be flexible when it comes to supporting independent authors pursuing publishing through unique modes. It's my priority to be a supporter and advocate for my clients.
Working with other writers & bloggers
"Sarah's work was very thorough... Her delivery was punctual, too."
- Caroline H.
The project - Caroline is a proofreader for a blog highlighting the contributions of women across areas of art, culture, and history. She wrote two blogs on female artists of the 20th century and needed another set of eyes to look them over. She ultimately hired me for copyediting and proofreading.
What I did - While Caroline's blog posts were not long and used familiar Chicago style conventions, they required extra attention to spelling of topic-specific vocabulary, as well as usage of quotes and ellipses as literary devices.
The experience - Editors are on a writer's team, and while clarity and consistency are important in the application of style rules, we should never think we always know best. Ultimately, decision-making should rest with the writer, and a compassionate editor suggests and educates to support them along the way.