Benefits of working with a human editor

Automated grammar and spelling tools can help improve your writing, but there are still benefits to working with a human editor (like me!).

When you work with a human editor, you benefit from our encouragement, suggestions, queries, and experience.

Encouragement

Writing can be a lonely process, and you don’t always know if your story is working until you share it with someone else. That might be a friend or writing group, or it might be your editor.

Sometimes I am the first person to read an author’s manuscript. I know just how much time and effort you have put into your crafting your story, so I leave comments on lively descriptions, strong metaphors, jokes or moments that make me laugh. 

I want to celebrate what’s working, not just provide critiques.

Suggestions

Apps like Word, Grammarly, and Hemmingway give you grammar and spelling suggestions, but they aren’t always right and they don’t offer interpretations. 

If a passage is clunky or unclear, I don’t just tell you it’s clunky; I aim to untangle it and give you options for what could work. You get my interpretation so you can see how an average reader is absorbing your message.

Queries

Did you really climb a 10,000 metre high mountain, or did you mean feet? Was your guide’s name Calum or Callum — both spellings are used. You were carrying a red pack on page 4, but on page 15 it’s blue. 

I watch out for inconsistencies and far-fetched possibilities. I’ll either correct them or leave you a comment so you can double check.

Experience

Friends, family, and beta readers can provide valuable feedback during the writing process, but when it comes time to polish your writing, experience counts. I have been working with authors for eight years. In that time I’ve seen authors use my suggestions to improve their writing and storytelling, and even win awards!

Working with me means you benefit from my years of working with words and understanding of English and grammar. You don’t have to worry about remembering what prepositions or dangling modifiers are. I can take care of the details so you can focus on telling your story.

So, do want to work with a human editor who will help wrangle your adventure into a compelling narrative? Contact me and we can start a conversation.