Editing services for independent and self-publishing authors
Hey! I'm Pat Goggins, a long-time nonfiction and fiction editor based in the Pacific Northwest. I help new and established writers bring their stories to life on the page and tell them to an audience.
Services: Developmental, line, and copy editing, proofreading, beta reading/manuscript evaluations
Nonfiction: Memoir, history, gardening/horticulture, cooking, how-to, film, music, travel, business
Fiction: Mystery, thriller (psychological, spy, political), crime (noir, detective, heist), horror (ghost, paranormal, post-apocalyptic), and anything else dark, really.
Contact me below or book a free 30-minute consultation to talk about your manuscript, and learn more about my services below.
My editing style
I love working with writers and other creatives, and for me, the editorial process between a writer and an editor is collaborative, with a healthy discussion of ideas.
It’s my job to help you tell your story, connect with your audience, and actualize your manuscript, by helping you refine your ideas, copy, voice, and much more. I’m down-to-earth, and believe in plain speaking, and clear and concise writing.
Also, I don’t use AI in my work. I prefer doing things the old-fashioned way, to work directly with writers and their ideas.
Editing services
I primarily do developmental, line/copy editing, and beta reading/manuscript evaluation for both nonfiction and fiction. I also do proofreading. I work in Microsoft Word, the industry standard.
I offer a free sample edit and a video/phone call after any of my edits because talking edits and ideas over in person can help tremendously.
In nonfiction, I specialize in: Memoir, history, gardening/horticulture, cooking, how-to, film, music, travel, and business.
For fiction: Mystery, crime (noir, detective, heist), thriller (psychological, political, spy/espionage), horror (ghost, paranormal, post-apocalyptic), and anything and everything dark.
Even if your manuscript doesn’t fall into one of these genres, reach out to me to see if we’ll be a good fit.
Developmental editing
My main distinction between dev editing and line or copy editing is that after a dev edit, the writer reworks the manuscript to address the issues brought up by the editor; with line and copy editing, the editor is the one doing the work directly to the copy in the manuscript.
Also called “structural” or “substantive” editing, this is an in-depth look at all the big-picture elements of your manuscript. It’s ultimately about whether your manuscript conveys its story, ideas, and message effectively and connects with the audience.
Elements I’ll look at include: structure, organization, tone, voice, pacing, readability, and conciseness, as well as plot, story, character arcs, and much more.
I’ll give you two deliverables: an extensive editorial letter (usually 10-20 pages) noting the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript, and a version of your manuscript with extensive notes, comments, and tracked changes.
For a less expensive option, some writers prefer a beta read/manuscript evaluation, which just includes the extensive editorial letter (more below).
Line editing
This line-by-line, paragraph-by-paragraph edit focuses on the flow of a manuscript, ultimately editing for clarity, smoothness, and pacing. It looks at voice, style, phrasing, word choice, and more, polishing sentences and words to make them pop off the page.
Typically, line editing is the medium level in the editing process: It’s done after the big-picture developmental edit and before the nitty-gritty copy edit.
However, I frequently combine line and copy editing for authors. Some prefer to have all the editing to the text done at once to save time and money (less editors, and less rounds of revisioning) and be on their way to publishing.
I also offer sole line editing, if you plan on sending your manuscript to a separate copy editor to have another set of eyes on it.
I’ll give you an extensively marked copy of your manuscript tracking all of my changes.
Copy editing
When people think of “editing,” they usually mean copy editing. I think this as the nitty-gritty, roll-your-sleeves-up editing that looks at grammar, mechanics, punctuation, spelling, usage, style, and much more.
This editing will button up and put the final touches on your manuscript before it’s ready for publication.
As mentioned above, I often combine line and copy editing, but I also offer the two services as separate if you’re looking to have more editors and sets of eyes on your manuscript.
I copy edit according to the Chicago Manual of Style, and my edit will include an in-depth markup of your text with comments and a style sheet.
Proofreading
This is a final, careful reading of a copy-edited manuscript to look for stray typos, misplaced punctuation, formatting errors, and other tiny mistakes. This is the final polish of your manuscript and the last step before publication.
Beta reading/Manuscript evaluation
A beta read gives authors general initial feedback on an early draft of a manuscript, before getting an extensive edit. They can also be helpful if you need a sounding board for an incomplete or stuck manuscript and don’t know where to take it.
I think of these as a “dev edit lite”—I’ll look at big-picture elements of your manuscript, including structure, tone, voice, organization, and more.
With beta reads/manuscript evaluations, I’ll only send you an extensive editorial assessment, without a marked up version of your manuscript.
I usually price these much lower that dev edits and turnaround times are much quicker because they aren’t as in depth.
If you decide to take your manuscript through additional editing with me, I’ll discount future edits based on the cost of this evaluation.
For more on editorial service definitions, check out the EFA.
My process
First, reach out to me to see if we’ll be a good fit—you can fill out the contact form below, or click the button to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
I’ll ask you some basic questions to get a sense of where you’re coming from, namely:
Who is your audience?
What is your goal/purpose in publishing this piece? (including, if you're looking to self-publish or send to traditional publishers)
What kind of editing do you need? (developmental, line, copy, proofreading)
Do you have a budget for editing?
Then, I’ll ask to see your whole manuscript to determine if it’s a good fit for me and how long it’ll take to work on. I like to get a sense of the piece as a whole rather than see just a sample because certain parts may require more or less editing than others.
After this initial assessment, I’ll send you a proposal with a project rate and a timeline.
After that, I’ll send you a simple contract outlining the work so we both know what to expect.
I’ll do the work, and send you my edits. Then, I typically like to schedule a video or phone call with you to discuss my edits, typically within a couple weeks, after you’ve looked them over.
Rates
My rates are based on the current EFA rates.
Each project is unique and rates can vary depending on the material and the service. To get a sense of a project’s total rate, I like to look over the entire manuscript first to get a sense of what kind of editing it will require and how much time it will take.
Reach out to me and we’ll talk about your specific project.
Timeframes
Editing times can vary, largely depending on how long your manuscript is and what service you’re looking for.
Generally speaking, for a 50,000 – 80,000 word manuscript:
Developmental, line, or copy editing will take about three weeks.
Proofreading, or beta reading/manuscript evaluation will take about one or two weeks.
Contact
Tell me about your project or ask any questions about my editing services in the form below. Also, you can reach out to me directly at: pat@madroneeditorial.com. I’ll get back to you within two business days.