PLEASE NOTE: I am not currently accepting new editing clients due to another project that needs my time. If you are interested in editing, please check back, as this may change.
-- PZB, March 28, 2008
Most book doctors and freelance editors you'll find on the Internet are former editors with publishing houses; they may be fine editors, but they don't understand the ups and downs of a working writer's life. I sold my first short story in 1985 and have been making my living as a writer since 1991. My books have been published by Delacorte, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, and Random House; I've also worked with reputable small presses such as Gauntlet Press and Subterranean Press (see bibliography below). I've written genre fiction (mostly horror) as well as mainstream fiction, journalistic and personal nonfiction, and biography. I have also edited two anthologies that remain in print and continue to sell well more than a decade after their original publication. My work has been published in the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, and other countries. For more information, please see my official website and my Amazon page.
WHAT I CAN DO:
I am known in the publishing business for turning in clean manuscripts that require very little line editing. I can't promise you publication, but I guarantee that I can improve your manuscript. While my work as a professional editor is limited to the two Love in Vein anthologies, I have edited manuscripts for friends who subsequently found agents and publishers. My service includes an extensive line edit of your manuscript (correction of punctuation, grammar, syntax; suggestions for improving word choice and sentence structure; notations on sections that are unclear or extraneous) and a detailed written evaluation of how I believe your manuscript's plot, characterization, and general structure might be improved to increase its chances of being published. If you have questions about this evaluation, I will do my best to address them in correspondence with you.
Because I've been publishing novels myself for fifteen years, I understand that your work is precious to you, and I will always treat it with the utmost respect. The time it will take for me to complete work on your manuscript will depend on its length, my current workload, and other factors; we will discuss this when we sign our agreement (see below).
WHAT I CAN'T DO:
* Offer any guarantee that your book will be published.
* Recommend or introduce you to an agent or publisher. (For advice on these matters, I strongly recommend Stephen King's On Writing.)
* Allow you to use my name in connection with your manuscript (I am editing it, not collaborating with you).
* Edit any type of manuscript other than fiction and memoirs (I simply don't have the expertise to do a good job with most types of nonfiction). Children's fiction is fine, as are short story collections (though I should warn you up front that, sadly, they are one of the most difficult forms to sell). I am primarily a novelist, and am likely to do my best editing on novels. No poetry, please.
* Edit fan fiction, slash, or any other form of fiction whose characters, setting, or concept are not your original creations.
* Work on manuscripts under 15,000 words (about the minimum length for a novella or short novel).
* Work on unfinished manuscripts. I can tell you whether I think the ending of your novel works or not, but if you don't know how your novel ends, I can't tell you.
* Work on a chapter-by-chapter basis. When I work on a manuscript, I like to give it two readings: the first curled up on the sofa as I'd read any other book, to see what I do and don't enjoy about it; the second a careful read-through to provide the detailed line edits and notes I promise. Reading a manuscript in one-chapter installments doesn't provide the continuity I need to get an overall impression of your book.
* Work with anyone under the age of 18 (for legal reasons).
WHAT YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT:
One of the most common fears of writers considering hiring a freelance editor is that the editor will "steal your idea." This is not just unlikely (most professional writers have more ideas than they could use in a lifetime), it's virtually impossible. What makes your work unique is your voice, your style, your characters -- not the bare-bones concept you started with. I will not attempt to alter your voice; I will simply try to show you how to make it stronger.
HOW DO WE GET STARTED?
If you are interested in having me edit your manuscript, e-mail me at bookdocpzb@gmail.com. (Please don't use this address for personal e-mail; it will be deleted.) I am currently charging $3.00 per double-spaced manuscript page (rates based on a 12-point Courier font or comparable) as well as postage to return the edited manuscript to you. A look around the web will show you that my rate is extremely competitive with freelance editors whose publishing track records are not nearly as extensive as mine.
If we agree to work together, we will sign a contract detailing the terms I ask you to consent to and the services to which you are entitled. You and I will both have a signed copy of this contract. You may either e-mail me your manuscript as a Word document or send me a hard copy; if you send it to me electronically, I will print it out (there is a $5 printing surcharge per 100 pages of manuscript, rounded to the nearest hundred) and do my editing in red pencil on the hard copy. (I have back problems that prevent me from sitting at the computer long enough to use editing software.) Again, please e-mail me at bookdocpzb@gmail.com, NOT through MySpace (I seldom check my MySpace messages).
You are also welcome to submit your cover letter and any comments on the manuscript (e.g. rejection letters) you've received from agents and/or publishers. The cover letter will be included in your page count; the editors'/agents' comments will not.
Thanks, and whether or not you decide to use my services, I wish you the best of luck with your book!
-- Poppy Z. Brite
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK:
"I got my manuscript back from you and I must say that you have gone above and beyond what I expected. I appreciate the words of wisdom and the useful (finally! Someone's given me something useful!) constructive criticism." -- K.W., Sugarland, TX
"I just wanted you to know how happy I am with the corrections that you made and your advice ... I feel a lot more confident that I have a chance to publish now. I'd really like for you to edit my other manuscript." -- C.S., Wabash, IN
"Doctor Brite has a keen eye, a quick hand, and a sharp tongue. Her brilliant
work and advice has been instrumental in honing my novel. The good doctor's
prescriptions for growth, accuracy and confidence could for many writers be
a miracle cure!" -- R.S., Independence, LA
"I've been slowly working my way through your edits. This is some excellent work you've done. I feel honored and relieved. This has been a huge help to me so far. I've taken time to think about the 'why' of the changes, and things are starting to click and add up. I love how you've shifted things around and cut the fat out and have kept the original intent and voice intact. Mostly with critiques, it's, 'well, this is how I would have written this thing' -- you know?" -- J.P., Norwalk, CT
