E D I T I N G
You did not hire us to wrap your manuscript in a pretty bow and hand it back to you. Instead, you are paying us to assist you in ensuring that your document is the best it can be.
Editing is more than simply correcting punctuation, spelling, and grammar. The organization of a document, tense consistency, and clarity are vital to the understanding of your reader. If your document has dialogue, how it unfolds and is presented can mean the difference in a frustrated reader and a fully engaged reader.
Our team of editors will polish your work while maintaining the integrity of your words!
Editing is the most challenging and time-consuming process of publishing. It can be brutal, grueling, tedious, time-consuming, and frustrating, yet it is essential!
The only thing your reader should consider while enjoying your work is the content, not being distracted by errors, lack of flow, or confusion.
We don’t want to frighten you or deter you from writing or publishing, but we want you to be aware so that you don’t become discouraged, overwhelmed, or impatient.
Note: Editing is also the number one reason estimated deadlines are missed!
EXPECTATIONS
Note: Unless otherwise specified, all packages include manuscript development and proofreading!
WGC's Responsibility
• VOICE: Editing is not only checking for technical issues but also ensuring your voice as the author is not lost in the process. Your manuscript should always represent YOU.
• PARTNERSHIP: Editing is a collaborative process that involves applying ghostwriting and style tactics while addressing grammar and punctuation.
• ASSISTANCE: Instead of sending your file back to you and requiring you to fix it, we will fix it for you and THEN send it to you for your approval.
• RESOURCES: We have gone to great lengths to update our website with information. Please refer to your contract, our website, and any emails we have sent before requesting an appointment.
Author's Responsibility
• RESPONSE: Please respond to our request to read your drafts when asked. Then, make notes and report all issues in one document within the timeframe specified.
• *ASK: The only thing bad about a question is one that goes un-asked. If you don’t understand something or need help, please let us know, and we will make every opportunity to assist you.
• ASSISTANCE: Solicit the help of at least one ‘unbiased’ person to read your book in its entirety. The more eyes on your file, the greater the chance for an error-free manuscript!
• CHARACTER: Try to remain calm, patient, and respectful. Nothing hinders the creative process more than misdirected anger and disrespect.
COLLABORATION
Editing is a collaborative process which means YOU must be involved. Therefore, you can expect a back-and-forth exchange of ideas and corrections.
There will be hundreds (if not thousands) of corrections to your file, including spacing, font change, and sentence structure. We mention this because we don’t want you to expect a perfect file for your review.
After we edit, you may still find five pages of edits! That may seem like too much to you, but it is normal compared to what was done. When we send you your file, we will make the tracking version available if you are interested.
Sometimes seeing all of the red marks in your manuscript helps put what we do in context, and sometimes it can weaken an author’s confidence.
You should know the more red marks, the better, as that means your file is being polished to shine! As you can imagine, the editing process can take months to complete, but it is definitely worth it in the end.
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GHOSTWRITING
Our goal is not just to catch spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues but to ensure that your intent is captured and correctly conveyed to the reader. Therefore, although we may change something, we need your final approval to ensure we didn’t lose the message you were attempting to convey.
This can happen with dialogue – especially in memoirs and autobiographies. Of course, you can’t be expected to remember EVERYTHING that occurred years ago when telling your story. However, there is generally enough for us to ghostwrite dialogue to elevate the work from a one-dimensional body of work to a two-dimensional one.
This editing helps your reader remain focused, engaged and entertained!
***Example***
Submission:
When I went to the store, I saw Sarah. She was not looking good. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that she and her husband Bob had been arguing all night. She said he had spent their mortgage money at the casino. She also told me that they were yelling so loud it woke up our baby, Braylin.
Revision:
using ghostwriting: While I was at the store, I saw Sarah. She looked tired.
“Hey Sarah, how are you?"
“Not so good,” she said. “Bob and I were up all night arguing.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry to hear this. Do you want to talk about it?”
“He lost our mortgage money at the casino,” she said, holding back tears. "We were so loud, we woke the baby."
Which version would you prefer as a reader?
STYLE
Editing isn’t just about making sure there aren’t any misspelled words.
Does your story have gaps? Is the tense consistent? Will your reader get confused? Is the story engaging from beginning to end? Is your message clear? Is your voice clear?
Not everyone approaches editing the same. Therefore, as an author, you must know your editor's editing style. For instance, you wouldn’t want technicality to override creativity in an urban romance novel!
**Example***
CREATIVE:
“I ain’t gonna do nothing, ya here me?” Iris shouted.
TECHNICAL:
“I am not going to do anything. Do you understand?” Iris shouted.
Although the technical version is correct, it is probably not realistic. A good editor takes the document's style, the voice of the author, and editing rules into account to ensure the manuscript is as creative as it can be under lenient guidelines of technicality.
Which version do you think the reader would prefer?