Editing services for independent and self-publishing authors
Hey! I'm Pat Goggins, a long-time fiction and nonfiction editor based in the Pacific Northwest. I help new and established writers bring their stories to life on the page and communicate them to an audience.
Services: Developmental and line editing, also copy editing, proofreading, and manuscript evaluations (or beta reading)
Fiction: Mystery, thriller (psychological, spy, political), crime (noir, detective, heist), horror (ghost, paranormal, post-apocalyptic), and anything dark, really.
Nonfiction: History, gardening/horticulture, cooking, business, how-to, memoir, film, music, travel
Even if your manuscript doesn’t fall into one of these genres, reach out to see if we’ll be a good fit.
Contact me below to ask about my services or tell me about your manuscript.
Editing Services
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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, dev editing 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 in-depth 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 manuscript evaluation/beta read, which just includes the extensive editorial letter (more below).
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Also called stylistic 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.
I frequently combine line and copy editing for authors—some editors and authors even use these terms synonymously. 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.
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When people think of editing, they usually mean copy editing. I think of 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 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 separately 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.
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A manuscript evaluation, sometimes called 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, character development, and more.
With manuscript evaluations/beta reads, I’ll send you an editorial assessment outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript, without a marked up version of your manuscript.
I price these lower that dev edits and turnaround times are quicker because they aren’t as in-depth.
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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.
For more on editorial service definitions, check out the EFA.
For the genres and subjects I work in, revisit my homepage.
My Editing Style
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 refine your ideas, copy, voice, and much more. I’m down-to-earth and believe in plain speaking with clear and concise writing.
I work in Microsoft Word and use The Chicago Manual of Style, industry standards. 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.
My Process
First, reach out to me to see if we’ll be a good fit for your project by filling out the contact form below. In that form, I’ll ask you some basic questions to get a sense of where you’re coming from, namely:
What is your goal/purpose in publishing this piece? (including, if you're looking to self-publish or send to traditional publishers)
Who is your audience?
What kind of editing do you need? (developmental, line, copy, proofreading)
Do you have a budget for editing?
I like to hop on a quick 30-min video or phone call to get a sense of you and your project.
After we connect, 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.
After this initial assessment, I’ll send you a proposal with a project rate and a timeline. If that looks good, we’ll sign a simple contract outlining the work so we both know what to expect.
I’ll do the work and send you my edits. I also like to schedule a video or phone call a couple weeks after you’ve looked over my edits to have a final discussion about your manuscript.
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 to four weeks.
Proofreading or manuscript evaluation/beta reading 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.