Nonfiction editing

Line editing focuses on how style and language choices affect the overall reading experience. It improves clarity, effectiveness, and readability.

Copyediting addresses sentence-level errors and inconsistencies to keep readers immersed in your writing without distraction.

You’ll get both with this option.

I’ll edit your manuscript twice. After the first pass, you’ll review my changes and answer questions. Then I’ll edit the manuscript again to incorporate your decisions and finalize the document.

If you choose this plan, I’ll do the following:

• Improve paragraph- and sentence-level organization, flow, pacing, and rhythm

• Address minor content inconsistencies

• Revise unclear, awkward, and wordy phrasing

• Fine-tune signal phrases for quotations

• Fact-check details

• Fix errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and numbering

• Check tables, figures, illustrations, and captions against the main text

• Standardize style and formatting in the main text, front matter, back matter, headers, footers, captions, and page numbers

• Flag unintentionally harmful or stigmatizing language and suggest alternatives

• Flag content that needs citation or copyright permission

• Ask clarifying questions

• Point out moments I think readers will find particularly strong, interesting, or compelling

You’ll leave Cozy Cottage with a virtual knapsack of these files:

• A welcome packet

• Your preferences form

• Our service agreement

• Your original manuscript

• The first-round edit with comments, questions, and tracked changes in Word

• An in-depth editorial report about your manuscript

• A style sheet recording all editorial decisions, people, places, and important terms (basically, a mini style guide for your project)

• Tips for tending to your emotions and nervous system while you process feedback and answer queries

• The second-round edit with tracked changes

• A clean copy of this second version

• Tips for continuing your writing journey

You’ll also get email support during revisions and for a week after the clean copy is submitted.

This option is ideal if your manuscript has been thoroughly edited and formatted and only minor errors remain.

I’ll proofread your manuscript in its final layout to fix or flag the following issues:

• Grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and numbering errors

• Minor formatting inconsistencies

• Errors in chapter titles, front matter, back matter, headers, footers, captions, and page numbers

• Problems with page or section breaks

You’ll leave Cozy Cottage with a virtual knapsack of these files:

• A welcome packet

• Your preferences form

• Our service agreement

• The proofread file with marks

• A brief editorial letter

• A style sheet (new or updated)

You’ll also get email support for a week after I submit the proofread file.