MANUSCRIPT FORMAT guide (printable PDF)

 

"Cindy is an excellent teacher. Although this class is for novel and memoir writers, the techniques she teaches - and especially her individual critiques - work for all types of writing ... I know what she has taught me is a big reason I was able to sell my first book, which is actually nonfiction."

Proofreading. Editing.

Your book is written and ready to submit to an editor or agent, right? You've followed the formatting guidelines, you've checked every word for misspelling, every comma and quote mark. Your "baby" is perfect. This is what I thought when I submitted my first manuscript to a literary agent. Then I discovered I'd omitted an entire chapter! Fortunately the agent was forgiving, I sent her the missing chapter, and the book sold to a major New York publishing house. No matter how careful and meticulous, we are too close to our own work and miss things. Sometimes blatant things.

Since that missing chapter incident so many years ago, I don't submit anything without getting a second pair of eyes to proofread and edit first. And I've had the opportunity to copyedit numerous manuscripts for others. (It's so much easier to catch other writers' mistakes!) Many of the edits I made on these "polished" masterpieces were for simple misspellings, missing punctuation, or awkward sentence structure. Simple mistakes, yes, but they can add up to just the excuse a busy editor needs to toss your story on the rejection pile. Along with basic proofreading, I also check for continuity, proper handling of viewpoint, dialogue that sounds natural to the character, use of active language--all the things I teach my students in the Professional Novel & Memoir Writing Workshops.

If you are looking for an experienced "second pair of eyes" to proofread and copyedit your completed manuscript, contact me. Tell me about yourself and your novel or memoir. The more details you provide, the better I can determine your needs. I charge $4.00 per page for basic copyediting, $6.00 per page for a more extensive critique of content. I work from hard copy only. A check or money order for half the agreed-upon project cost is required at the time you send your manuscript to me. Upon completion of the project, your manuscript will be returned via Priority Mail, along with a Net-15 invoice for balance due (payable within 15 days).

Please take time to read Her Phoenix Heart and A Bed of Roses, along with About the Author, for examples of my writing style and copyediting ability. Also, my students have written some wonderful testimonials, which you can find on my Events Calendar.

I look forward to hearing from you~
Cindy Hiday

P.S. I also critique query letters! My rate is $40 per hour. PayPal accepted!

All client material is kept strictly confidential and will not be copied or used for any purposes other than the agreed upon work for hire. Professional copyediting is not a guarantee of publication.