When you need help in a hurry–when you need to get your manuscript in the best condition possible–you might not care much about how it happened.
But you might.
I have found that clients appreciate getting a quick rundown on the kinds of improvements I make in their drafts. I always provide before-and-after versions of the work. On most substantial jobs, I provide a memo on what happened. In that memo I outline all of the issues of organization, mechanics, style, voice, evidence, and more.
The memo offers a mini-clinic on writing. In this memo, you’ll see why I made the changes. And I’ll offer some dead-simple tips for you to do the same.
Sometimes, I provide a movie of the editing process. That way you can see how I make the changes, moment by moment. Clients say it gives them a good feel for the editing process. Click here to see a past video of the editing process.
After a couple jobs, most clients dramatically improve their writing. Most writing and editing tricks are simple; anyone can learn them and use them. So once you get my before-and-after versions and the memo, you will see how to do better next time. Then you will get less frustrated in the drafting process–and can pay more attention to the ideas you’re trying to express.
But we can do more.
Once I have edited a batch of pieces, I can write a style guide for your organization. The style guide outlines simple standards for punctuation and references. In that guide, we can also provide simple “blueprints” for different kinds of documents. The style guide helps your people think like writers.
Let’s talk. Click here to arrange a free consultation.