You have put a lot of time and effort into your writing but are too close to the work to catch every mistake. Unfortunately, nothing ruins credibility faster than misspelled words, confusing text, or poor punctuation. No worries! You just need the trained eyes of an editor.
As a copy editor and proofreader for over eighteen years, I work with many types of materials, including manuscripts, website copy, reports, sales materials, press releases, manuals, catalogs, resumes, and email campaigns. I will ensure your document reads smoothly and clearly with no stumbling points for the reader.
What type of edit do you require?
See the ‘Services’ page for a breakdown of what is offered here and what each entails.
As a copy editor and proofreader, I am fortunate to work with a variety of materials for many different industries and authors.
No item is too small or too large
These items include website copy, manuscripts (fiction and nonfiction), reports, technical articles, grants, press releases, manuals, catalogs, email campaigns, blogs, resumes, and more. The formats vary from Word documents and PDFs to PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets. These jobs have been with large, fast-paced companies such as Amazon as well as smaller businesses and private individuals.
First steps
I will take a look at the text to get an idea of the scope of the project and the time it will take to complete. I will ask you for any concerns or directions that you may have and other pertinent info.
It is important to leave the writer’s authentic voice intact, so no worries about massive changes. I am easy to work with and will consider anything out of the norm if it is essential to your style.
And more …
Besides editing and proofreading, I am called on to do writing to improve the text when needed. So, if you find yourself at a loss for words, I can help with that as well.
In addition to working, studying is a constant, as there is no end to what you can learn in this ever-changing field. My goal is always to be a valuable and versatile asset to my clients as their go-to editor.
Below is a description of editing services to help determine what you require. If you need something in particular or a combination of services, please let me know. There is no job too big or too small. Anything worth writing deserves to be written well!
Developmental – This is a critique that covers issues such as plot holes, confusing text, or poor character development. It is helpful with both fiction and nonfiction. This stage does not include any corrections of grammar, spelling, or the like, as these are addressed later with the editing phase.
Copy/line editing* – This includes the correcting of grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, flow, and syntax. I am always careful to keep the writer’s authentic voice and will not change the message, tone, or style.
At this stage, any writing changes would most likely be reworking difficult sentences and repetitious words and phrasing. If this is a first-time edit, there may be developmental issues noted.
This is also common editing for web materials that do not need anything too in-depth.
Additional elements can include checking the accuracy of the TOC if needed. Hyperlink functionality can also be tested for online materials.
*There are times when the client may not be a native American speaker and needs a bit of assistance with phrasing and word choice. This is not a problem! I am always happy to help smooth things over and wordsmith when necessary.
Proofreading – This is a thorough review with correction of anything missed up to this point. It is the final check, so everything needs to be publish- or launch-ready. While this is a lighter type of edit, I will also address anything on a deeper level that looks out of place.
Beta reading – After reading your manuscript, I will provide a summary addressing the strong points and anything that seems problematic.
Quotes
I can provide you with a quote after seeing a sample of the text and learning the parameters of the project. Simply write down what you need on the ‘contact me’ form below, such as the editing type, start time/deadline, if you have a style guide, if there is anything in particular that concerns you, or anything else you need me to know.
Please provide as much information as possible. This will help me establish the timeline and level of work needed.
I look forward to working with you!
*I accept payment via check or PayPal (button below).
Testimonials
Here are some testimonials from my clients, past and present:
Katie German, Upwork Talent Innovation: Janet is an extremely valuable resource, and we are always happy to work with her. Janet’s work is thorough, and working with her is always a pleasant, professional experience. She replies promptly to messages, and her editing skills are top-notch. She’s my go-to editor!
Once again, we are grateful to Janet. As on her previous contract for us, she was prompt and professional and extremely thorough, editing at exactly the level needed. She is an amazing editor.
Jason Martin, DjangoForce:Janet was a pleasure to work with. She was very professional and prompt with her communication. We hired her to proofread a new website before launch and found a lot of grammar mistakes. I would highly recommend that you hire Janet to review any documents or pages before releasing them to the public eye. I will be engaging with Janet again in the near future. Thank you!
Michael Kannisto:Working with Janet was such a pleasure; she worked quickly and accurately and communicated frequently. She made great suggestions and reviewed my document carefully and thoroughly. She is reliable and flexible and is a true partner in my work. Thank you!!
Jackson Hanks: Excellent work timely performed!
Nolan Yard:Janet has an excellent eye for detail, and she works very hard — everything you want in a copyeditor.
Alan Murphy, SafariBookings: Janet continues to impress, taking on feedback and delivering high-quality work on time or ahead of schedule. She is a pleasure to work with. Very professional, and a great eye for detail. She shows great enthusiasm for each project. We are delighted to continue our working association with Janet. Janet did a great job for us. Her communication was excellent.
Jean Francois Fortin:Janet provides exactly what I was looking for; editing and proofreading emails in a professional and fast way!
Jannie Pilgrim – The Deal: Janet is very responsive and reliable. I was pleased with her work product and will hire her again for future projects.
Francesca Castagnoli: Janet is all around the best copy editor I’ve had the pleasure of working with … and I worked with a lot! She’s a rare and wonderful asset to your project. I love working with Janet; she has been an invaluable resource in helping me pull my manuscript together. She’s fast, her comments are insightful, and she’s simply a pleasure to work with.
Clint Konzman, Onward Advisors:This was my first time working with Janet, and I have to say I’m thoroughly pleased with her work. I had the feeling beforehand that Janet would be this way, just by reading her profile and past reviews. From the first call, Janet made herself immediately available, even though she was on a trip visiting family. Her communication was exemplary throughout, and she did exactly what I needed from her within the time period set. I will definitely call on Janet again when I need her. … I’ve used Janet many times, and her professionalism, responsiveness, and quality of work are all top notch. Highly recommend!!
Fourth time using Janet and she continues to be an extremely responsive and quality addition to the team! Always responsive and professional.
I’ve used Janet many times, and her professionalism, responsiveness, and quality of work are all top notch…highly recommend!! So reliable and responsive…always feel I’m one email away from quality results. Thanks, Janet!
Kevin ONeill: Janet is an excellent resource for proofreading! I enjoy working with her and will continue to do so in the future. I highly recommend her.
Brett Tur, Minimalism Fitness: Janet was a pleasure to work with. I have no hesitation recommending her to anyone who needs editing and proofreading services.
Benard Owuondo, Smart Ass Design Solution:Janet is a great editor with excellent communication and adheres to set deadlines. Highly recommended!
Lee York: Janet was great to work with as she produced quality work and delivered it on time.
Nic Volquartsen, Volquartsen Firearms:Great to work with and took an urgent job on short notice and extremely pleased with the results. Pleasure to work with. Very responsive and quality of work was great! Thanks, Janet and look forward to working with you again.
Vassily Gnedovsky:Janet did a very good job editing several web pages for us. Looking forward to future collaboration. Again, many thanks for an excellent editing job done promptly!
Nicolas Anderson, Elm Grove Partners: Professional, friendly, and very easy to work with.
Amy Clover, Strong Inside Out:Janet was a dream come true for copyediting. I’m horrible with deadlines. She’s always quicker than I expect her to be on returns and makes my writing clearer without losing my personality. Highly recommended!
Simone Bailey: Fast turnaround on a fantastic resume editing and reformatting job for me. Highly recommended.
Rob Willard, Maintain Strategy LLC: Great proofing work. I recommend Janet.
Jeran Meah, Built to Convert: I’ve worked with Janet on one project thus far, but my first experience was top notch! She edited an article for me ahead of schedule (over the weekend) and on budget. She’s extremely responsive and pleasant to deal with…I will absolutely be requesting her services again and highly recommend her work!!
Dr. Dyoni Cole, Dyoni, Inc.: I enjoyed working with Janet. She was a joy to work with. She was extremely engaging, paid great attention to every detail of my project, and communicated well with me. I felt comfortable working with her. I give Janet a perfect 10!!! Thank you, Janet, for doing an amazing job on my project. I look forward to working with Janet again.
Jaren Barnes, Simple Wholesaling: This girl is AWESOME!
David Jones, VP, IntelliVision: Janet became an excellent member of our team and was very productive in getting projects completed in a professional and timely manner. I would have no problems re-hiring and recommending Janet to anyone interested in using her services.
Marc Patry, CNH Tours: Janet worked quickly and did a great job. I had to go back to her a few times for some clarifications/requests for changes, and she responded positively and enthusiastically.
Stephanie Clark:Janet did an amazing job editing and proofreading my manuscript, Inspirations. I could tell she went above and beyond and put her heart and soul into the work. She kept in good contact with me on how the project was going. Excellent work!
Michael Tieman, First Over All:Thanks, Janet, your insight and feedback were essential. I found your suggested changes very helpful and strongly believe that those changes will contribute to the book’s success. Thanks again, Mike
Danny Margulies, Freelance to Win:Janet’s a great writer, and, more important, she cares. She actually gets invested and wants to do a great job for you. That’s very rare. Talent plus caring is rarer still … big thanks to Janet! I will be hiring again.
Niels Madsen: Highly skilled and fast working. My warmest recommendations …
Michael Gray, Company 614 Enterprises:Excellent work. Very thorough and professional!
Amazon Fashion/Prime Wardrobe, Erin O’Reilly, Producer – editing/proofreading of sales materials, brand guidelines catalog, press releases, marketing emails, and text for the Making the Cut TV show
Denny’s Restaurants, Molly Larson, et al – editing/proofreading of articles, manuals, campaigns
University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy (PERU), Jonathan Walkush – editing/proofing of reports and studies
University of Arizona, Sol Lim, Ph.d.– editing/proofreading of recommendation letters, class assignments, grant proposals, technical manuscripts
