Copyediting
Are you in need of copyediting services? I can assure you that I am the person for the job. I carry with me a degree in marketing, certification in copyediting, and over six years of experience working under the tutelage of Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron and Associates. Utilizing Liz’s vast platform and with her guidance, I’ve learned the many aspects of the submission process and the publishing industry. I’ve reviewed thousands of queries and read or edited more manuscripts than I can count. I’ve worked with published and unpublished authors in all stages of growth. To put it mildly, I’ve seen a thing or two. Let me share with you what I’ve learned.
Every manuscript has the potential to be something special. Let me help you make your work shine.
My Experience
Since I was a young girl, I have always loved helping people. Match that with my love of writing, and we have a winning combination. I get such joy from watching a manuscript evolve from a loose story to a vibrant piece of literary expression. I realize how important the work is to an author and consider my advice respectfully.
My passion for writing became apparent to me in college when I dazzled my theatre teacher with a play that she later directed with the theatre group. Whether I was working on an ad campaign at an advertising agency or producing brochures or advertisements for a biotechnology company, my desire to create has never dwindled.
When I first met Liz Kracht, I was an aspiring author and a greenhorn in the publishing industry. Working as her assistant over the years, I’ve seen what agents look for in their slush piles. And make no mistake, those piles are hefty. With the age of technology, most agents don’t have time to ponder over a submission much less offer advice. When you query, you want to be ready, and I can help you with that. I have a good sense of the industry and what works.
My prices are reasonable and vary depending on the needs of the job.
My Services
Developmental editing. As a developmental editor, I will focus on the structure and content of your manuscript for both fiction and non-fiction. If your story lacks focus or the intent isn’t clear, I will help you find the key elements that will allow the story and the characters to emerge. I cover setting, plot, and character development specifically. For non-fiction, I look at presentation, organization, and clarity of message among other things. Good writing is only part of what makes a story sell. Continuity, momentum, along with good character development, tension, and arc are some of the tools that help construct a solid piece of work. I can help you with all of those things. I can’t guarantee you will find an agent, but I can promise to help you get closer to your goal.
Copyediting. As a copyeditor, I look at sentence structure to improve accuracy and readability. I cover the fundamentals of what makes a sentence work and what elements you may overuse or not use enough. I discuss repeated phrases or words, telling and not showing, bookisms, orientation and formatting, point of view, passive voice vs. active, and much more.
For a set fee, I also work on queries, pitches, and synopses to sharpen the prose and bring forward the winning elements.
Recommended reading list:
The Emotion Thesaurus
by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld
The Author’s Checklist, an Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript
by Elizabeth K. Kracht
Testimonials
“For any of you authors out there looking for a great copyeditor, Tricia is amazing. She worked with me on my book under a pretty harrowing deadline. She’s gentle in her feedback, affordable, and skilled at developmental editing. She knows a lot about the industry…and she’s a writer herself. Reach out to her if you need editorial support.”
—Elizabeth K. Kracht
“Tricia is one of the best: a conscientious copyeditor who gives her all to every manuscript put into her capable hands. Not only is she well versed in the Chicago Manual of Style, she’s an expert at smoothing clunky phrases. In addition, she raises thought-provoking questions and points out where you’re telling rather than showing. I’m grateful for all of the awesome work she’s done for me.”
—Kim Catanzarite, award-winning author of They Will Be Coming For Us and Jovian Son, editor and Writer’s Digest University copyediting instructor