Editing & Editorial
Project Management

Most writers don't need a single edit. They need a sequence of edits, each pass focused on a different layer of the work: structure first, then sentences, then surface. Done in the wrong order, you spend weeks polishing prose that's about to be rewritten. Done in the right order, the manuscript actually gets done.

I work three levels of editing depending on where a project is in its life. Most book-length engagements use all three in sequence. Shorter projects often need just one.

Developmental editing

Developmental editing is the x-ray of the body: what holds the narrative up, what cripples it, and where the musculature is best attached. Maybe the structure is loose, the argument wanders, or the whole thing sags in the middle. If the framework is weak or faulty, the document can't go forward without fixing it first. For nonfiction, that means examining the spine of the argument and the order of evidence. For memoir or fiction, it's narrative arc, character motivation, and what's earning its place on the page versus what's filler.

Output: a written editorial letter (typically 2,500–5,000 words), inline manuscript notes, and a phone call to talk through the largest moves. You take it from there.

Line & copy editing

Line editing is about rhythm and clarity, making sure every paragraph earns its place. Copy editing is the layer underneath the surface but above the skeleton: it's the musculature, the grammar, consistency, punctuation, the details that clunk and break the spell. In practice I do both at once. If you hand me something you've already shaped, I make it read the way you meant it to. Done after developmental work is settled, there's no point line-editing a paragraph that's about to be cut.

Output: tracked changes in your manuscript, occasional margin notes where I'm offering options rather than corrections.

Proofreading

This is the last set of eyes before anything goes out into the world. The writing is done, the editing is done, and now I hunt for what slipped through: the typo, the repeated word, the caption that never got updated. It takes a particular kind of focus, because our brains tend to fill in the blanks and skip past small irregularities. Grammar, punctuation, consistency, and style-guide compliance: CMOS, AP, or your house style, your call.

Editorial project management

Where the writing crosses into operations. I've spent years overseeing operations, internal communications, and cross-departmental work in manufacturing, that translates directly into running editorial calendars, herding multiple writers toward a single voice, and holding deadlines that other people are happy to let slip.

I take on editorial PM work for:

• Multi-author content series where consistency matters
• Book-length projects with multiple contributors
• Editorial calendars with tight publication windows
• Brand-voice rollouts across content libraries
• Tight-deadline rescue work, projects that need a steady hand when the original plan slipped

How to think about scope

If you're not sure which level of editing you need, we figure it out on the discovery call. Sometimes the right answer is "you need a different writer, not an editor", and I'll tell you that. Sometimes the right answer is "let's do a 1,500-word sample edit so you can see what each level actually looks like on your material." That's free.