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Editing FAQs How should I submit my document? Acceptable formats are Microsoft Word documents (.doc and .docx), text files, or rich text files. For documents up to 20 pages, only an email version is required. For documents over 20 pages, both a hard copy and email version are required. What formatting is necessary? Standard pages are 8½ x 11 inches, double-spaced, 1-inch margins on all sides, 12-point Courier, page numbers at the bottom. Chapters should begin on a new page. How close to finished do I need to be? Your document should be complete and as polished as you can make it. A well-prepared document will need fewer revisions than a rough draft. I think my book needs to be reorganized. Can you help with that? Yes. Part of the editing process is to look at the structure of the manuscript and organize the content for smoother flow and ease of reading. Everyone tells me my book is good but publishers keep rejecting it. Can you make it better? Publishers and agents constantly search for unique voices, stories, and characters, or known situations told in a different or surprising way. Words of Passion specializes in helping you to strengthen those qualities and make improvements so that your work stands out from the rest. How long will it take to edit my project? Book manuscripts generally take about a month for an in-depth edit. Articles and newsletters may be reviewed in several days. Web copy will depend on the number of pages included. Do you offer electronic editing? Who makes the changes? Editing is done by hand on paper and the marked manuscript is returned to the client. Handwritten comments are easier to read and the author can choose whether to make the suggested changes or leave the document as is. In some cases electronic editing is available at an additional cost. Please call for a quote. How much do you charge? Rates are given below the description of each service. Please see the editing page for editing rates. If revisions are made or material added after editing, the new material will be charged at the same rate and the time period will be extended. Charging per word sounds expensive. Why does editing cost so much? Thorough editing is an intensive process. Time and care is taken with each project. All documents are read through twice. If there are issues with structure, theme, plot, character development, etc., these issues are contemplated and possible solutions created. Finally, the document is line edited and marked with suggestions and comments. When do I pay? A 50% deposit is required up front with the remainder of the fee due upon delivery of the completed manuscript. Is return shipping included in the price of the service? Shipping is not included in the price. It will be calculated upon completion of the project and added to the final invoice. How do I know that my work will be kept confidential? All work is kept in strict confidence and never shared. Words of Passion will sign a confidentiality statement to that effect if the author so desires. Can you provide any references? References will be provided upon request. |
Coaching FAQs What kind of coaching do you do? Coaching takes a particular issue—grammar, descriptions, character development, for example—and teaches the skills necessary to improve in that area. Whatever the author wishes to work on becomes the focal point for the session. Coaching is available for both fiction and nonfiction writers. How does the process work? The author submits a writing sample which is reviewed with the issue in mind. The document is marked with Microsoft Word Track Changes to show corrections, questions, and suggestions for improvement, and sent back to the author. Afterwards, a telephone or email conversation takes place in which the author and coach discuss the comments. Reading material may be suggested either before or after the session. How is coaching different than taking a writing class? Writing classes generally address a group of people and may lack individual attention. Words of Passion coaching sessions are tailored to the individual. When you’re in session with the coach, you are the focus. Can I get coaching remotely? At night? On the weekends? Coaching sessions are handled on the telephone or by email and set up to meet the demands of your schedule. What’s my time commitment? Each coaching session lasts 30 minutes. You can get your feet wet with one session, or sign up for several. The choice is yours. How much do you charge? Please see the coaching page for rates. I don’t have a lot of money. Can I afford coaching? The answer is: how much are you worth? Learning any skill takes time and effort. If you’re serious about improving your writing then coaching is a logical step. When you understand the components of writing and how to use them, you become a better writer. “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.” |
Copyright © 2011 by Nanette Littlestone