So, I Read This Book Today . . .
Editing Fees and Guidelines
As my editing jobs have become more numerous, I have updated my Editing Fees and Guidelines. My editing and proofreading includes checking for grammar, sentence structure, misspellings, and pointing out plot inconsistencies, etc. At this time, my base charge is $0.008/word, with a minimum of $50, payable via PayPal. Editing jobs I am currently working on, received before May 1, 2014, will continue to be edited at the old rate.
If your manuscript is less than 5,000 words please let me know and we can work out pricing. I prefer to set up appointments for your manuscript, but please, send your manuscripts to me as early as possible. I can often work them in sooner than they are scheduled, but advance notice is much easier.
I use Microsoft Word 2013. I use the Track Changes application while I edit and leave the decision as to whether or not to accept those changes to you. I also tend to leave extensive notes outlining the reason for specific changes, noting uneven or awkward sentence or paragraph flow, or even if I noticed something that just doesn’t feel right.
Full editing is completed in one of two ways. The first choice is that I completely edit the book and provide you with a corrected copy, highlighting changes and corrections and making when appropriate extensive notes. Your second choice is full editing. I take the book in hand, do all corrections and changes and provide you with print ready copy. The charge for print ready copy is $0.010/word.
Please note: Books from authors who speak English as a second language, hence requiring a great deal more correction for grammar, or books with extensive re-write may be significantly more. You may send me your book for pricing if you feel there may be extensive work needed on the book. Pricing available upon request.
After I have edited a manuscript, I will send it back to you. Once you have made changes, you can always send it back to me for a second pass at no charge. Please note: If second-pass changes are truly extensive, I will reserve the right to bill a second payment for the second pass. I want to be fair to you, but I also want to be fair to myself. Just as writing is difficult, though rewarding, editing a book in a manner that will make you proud of your final product is a lot of work.
For available books on which I have worked, please see my “i-edited” shelf on Goodreads. You may contact any of the authors with whom I’ve worked for a reference. I am also very willing to provide you a sample of my work to see if we are a comfortable fit. I can be easily contacted through Goodreads or by e-mail at soireadthisbooktoday@centurylink.net
I look forward to working with you!
Gumbo Justice
I very much wanted to be blown away by this book. A female lead as Assistant District Attorney, set in my very favorite part of the world. The potential was definitely there. A woman from a third generation police family who becomes an ADA, fighting crime in her own way? Cool, right? Uh, not so much.The lead, Ryan, is more of a cliche than anything else. A falling-down alcoholic, she places herself in situations ripe to get herself carried home and raped more than once, though she is 'rescued' each time by one of her father's officers who bring her home from the bar (sometimes after she falls off her bar stool into a puddle of beer. And, hey, they only feel her up, not rape her, so I guess that is ok, huh? Ugh.) She gets herself into bad sexual situations, is apparently more interested in being on television and getting a promotion than winning her cases. Overall, just not someone I could really make myself like at all. I suppose she was just too, well, did I say cliche already? It felt like she was too two-dimensional to me. She never developed into a character I could identify with. The overall plot line in and of itself was somewhat well written, but it felt 'stiff' and didn't have the overall flow that I expect from a well written procedural.
You never get a real feel for who the characters are, which is, I believe, one of the things that kept me from really enjoying the book as I should have. Ryan has nightmares, you learn that right away, but it never really makes you feel for her. You eventually find out what her nightmares are from, and it is sad, it shouldn't have happened to her, but even that doesn't make me care more about her, due to the fact that she never stood up for herself after it happened.
The underlying storyline, (a psychopath, a heroin addict and a pedophile go into a bar . .. oh, wait, no . .) anyway, there is a thriller style underlay to the story that should have been more interesting than it was, which really does include a psychopath, a heroin addict and a pedophile, but the 'hints' the author drops through the story makes it way too easy to figure out who the main 'bad guy' is and why he is doing what he is doing. I will say that the one little twist at the end that others have spoken of was one thing that I should have picked up on, but didn't, so it saved the book in a way.
I will consider reading the next one, but I will wait a while to do so. Maybe I can build myself up into giving this author another try. I really adore stories set in New Orleans, of course, and the concept of the story line has a great deal of potential, but we will see.