Manuscript Services
It’s time to start, complete, or polish your book. Manuscript services are right for you if:
You have a partial manuscript and want professional feedback to finish drafting.
You have just completed your manuscript and are thinking, “Now what?!”
You have read and edited (and edited and read) your manuscript and don’t know how to take it to the next level.
You have an idea but would prefer to collaborate with an expert to craft your book.
What Manuscript Services Look Like
I offer different levels of services for manuscripts:
Manuscript Evaluation
You have finished a first draft, but you need help turning it into a book. I offer detailed marginal comments throughout the manuscript on developing organization and structure, plot and plot holes, character, actionable content, writing style, clarity, dialogue, content gaps and repetition, or any other aspect. I also craft a letter that includes a big-picture overview, setting you up for success as you dive into revision.
Developmental Editing
If you are looking for feedback on your work-in-progress, with this service, I offer a full read-through and in-depth letter that includes details about how you might develop the concept, positioning, organizational structure, plot, characterization, and more to revise and strengthen your draft.
Line Editing
Your manuscript is complete and the organization and structure are solid, but you want a full edit to help you polish it. I edit at the sentence level, rewriting and offering suggestions, to help you develop authorial voice, smooth phrasing, cut repetition, enhance message, and maintain clarity and consistency with language, style, grammar, punctuation, and all those pesky technical details.
For a complete and polished publication-ready manuscript, I suggest a combination developmental and line edit.
Copy Editing & Proofreading
Your manuscript is complete, it has been edited professionally, and you are preparing to publish. The next step is making sure your work is immaculately clean! Copyediting occurs before typesetting and involves correcting and standardizing grammar, spelling, and all elements of style. I use The Chicago Manual of Style, the standard in the U.S. publishing world. I also create a style sheet to keep track of details like how terms are styled, the spelling of character names, and anything else.
Proofreading takes place after typesetting and is the final line of defense for your work. In addition to making sure the typeset pages align with the style sheet, this edit corrects any final stray errors and looks at the design elements and layout for consistency and perfection.
Ghostwriting
Ideal for aspiring authors who want to share their expertise in their subject area or reach a broader audience with their methodology, but don’t have time to put pen to paper. I get all the raw material from you and craft the material, assisting with structure and any other editorial needs. It’s your ideas in your voice; I’m just here to help make it real.
“Audra elevated my book from ‘pretty good, but I have some hesitation about my draft’ to ‘wow, this is clean and polished, and I feel confident about putting my book out there in the world!’ Professional, skilled, and highly recommended!”
—Jeanne Lee, MD, author of Own Your Care: A Family Guide to Navigating Complex Illness, Changing Health, or Unexpected Prognosis
“Audra’s work on the manuscripts was exceptional. Every page reflected her dedication, and I remain genuinely impressed by her detailed, thoughtful commitment to making the stories shine. Audra is a professional editor with a keen eye for grammatical accuracy. She made many brilliant suggestions that elevated the pacing, developed the characters, improved the plot, refined the narrative, and strengthened the prose with precision and thoughtfulness. I recommend her highly and look forward to working with her again.”
—Alden Globe, author of the Maps Private Value Trilogy