How can I contact you with questions or to submit a document to edit?
Please e-mail me at kelly@bookmarkediting.com or leave a message for me at (512) 318-8259.
How do you charge?
Most often, I charge a project rate that takes into account the specific needs of each document. The best thing to do is send me your document (or however much of it you have written) in MS Word. I will look through it to get a sense of how I can help and then send you one or more samples of the kind of editing I could do for it, along with the cost for editing the entire document as I’ve edited the sample or samples. This way, you know the total cost ahead of time—no surprises.
If the scope of the project isn’t clear ahead of time—for example, if it’s a lengthy project and you’re still in the middle of writing it—then I sometimes offer a per-word or per-hour rate to allow you the flexibility you need.
I offer a savings for clients who are able to pay in advance, and I accept both personal checks and credit cards through PayPal or Square.
What’s the first step if I would like you to edit my document?
E-mail me at kelly@bookmarkediting.com. Include your name, contact information, a brief description of your document and its needs, and any questions, comments, or requests. Attach your document as a Word file (or let me know if you prefer a different format).
What if my document isn’t ready for you to see?
It is. Even if it’s just partial, even if it’s messy, even if it’s full of notes to yourself, even if it’s all notes to yourself—all these things help me understand where you’re at with it and what kinds of questions you’re wrestling with. Think of me not as a judge but as your advocate who’s on your side, believes in what you’re trying to do, understands the messiness of the process (I’ve been there!), and just wants to help you get your manuscript from wherever it’s at now to where you want it to be.
How does the editing process work?
We can discuss your document and the kind of editing you might like by e-mail, over the phone, or in person. I’m interested in your project, your concerns about it, your editing needs, and your timeline. After I have reviewed your document, I send you one or more samples of the kind of work I can do on your document along with a timetable and pricing information.
Once I get the go-ahead from you, I begin the editing process. For Writing Style editing, I go through your document word by word and section by section and edit it using Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature, which allows me to write comments and questions in the margins and allows you to see and accept or reject the changes I make. You’ll receive back an edited document with all changes clearly marked and a variety of comments in the margins. MS Word allows you to toggle between seeing your original document, your original with the changes I made, a clean final edited version, or a final version with all the changes marked. You can then accept or reject each of the changes I made.
For Big Picture editing, I read through your document several times taking notes, developing ideas, making margin comments and ultimately compiling suggestions into a lengthy and detailed editorial letter. You’ll receive overall suggestions for revision as well as detailed suggestions for revising each chapter, section, and subsection, along with additional suggestions for revising specific paragraphs and sentences.
What style guides and dictionaries do you use?
You’re welcome to specify the style guide of your discipline, journal, or publisher. Otherwise, I use the Chicago Manual of Style, preferred by most book publishers. I also use Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition and Garner’s Modern American Usage.
Bookmark Editing 