I currently offer two types of editing.
Developmental editing:
This is the stage of the editing process that focuses on the deepest aspects of a story: structure, pacing, character, and theme. Have you started the story in the right place and provided a satisfactory ending? Do you have a messy or meandering middle? Are your stakes high enough? Is there solid story logic? Do your characters have believable personalities, clear motives, and genuine struggles? Will the reader have the takeaway you intended when they finish the story? I’ll ask these questions and others to make sure your writing engages readers and keeps them reading to the end. Additionally, I’ll check that you’ve followed the conventions appropriate to your genre and audience.
Copyediting:
At this later stage of editing, the goal is to polish what you’ve already written. My goal is to improve the quality and readability of text without you losing your authorial voice. I’ll ensure that a manuscript is free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax, using the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) as my style book. I’ll also make sure that timelines, geography, scientific facts, and historical events are accurate. Finally, I’ll check that the styles used throughout the text are uniform.
My genre and audience specialties:
- science fiction and fantasy;
- contemporary fiction, including rom-coms;
- memoir and personal essay;
- Jewish fiction;
- and kidlit.
Currently, I do not handle non-narrative non-fiction (books with limited storytelling such as how-to guides, professional development manuals, websites, textbooks, etc.), proofreading, extremely violent writing, sexually explicit writing, advertorials, or material designed to promote religions other than Judaism.
If my skills and preferences align with your needs, contact me via email at beccaklempner@gmail.com to schedule a free 30-min consultation.
Rebecca Klempner 