ABOUT ME
Read about me as an editor, and my editorial services.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
My name is Dana, and I am a qualified professor of the English language, who has not only thoroughly studied the language but also practiced it for years. Next to being an avid reader of fantasy and romance, with thousands of books already read, that is.
My considerable experience in teaching and handling the language, enhanced by the vast number of books I’ve read and complemented by a keen eye for detail, are the main assets of my editing skills.
Well, those and the fact that I seem to pick up on stuff that’s gone wrong in any book I read, whether I like it or not, as well as a certain OCD that makes me want to fix it. ☺️
BEHIND THE SCENES
Just so you get a better idea about the way I provide feedback, here are a few snippets of editing notes from different books:
Author: X peeled himself off the wall…
Me: Like paint?
Author: X went up the wall and….
Me: Is he spiderman or what? Show me the nooks and crannies X used as handhold/foothold to scale that wall.
Author using ‘titillating sensation’ in a steamy hot sex scene.
Me: Nothing takes the mood off more than the need to bring out a dictionary during a hot sex scene. Dumb it down.
Apart from these, you’ll probably also get the usual ‘Where? Why? How exactly? Show me how!’ type of notes, as well as the occasional grammar lesson. Because old habits die hard and it’s a tad difficult for me to not explain the who/whom or on/onto.
But on the whole, I will just tell you what doesn’t work and why and suggest how to fix it. In a quirky personal way.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ME
I work mainly on the text and leave editing notes all throughout. You will also get a general summary with the content and structural points to be considered, but the detailed notes will be given on the text itself. Because I noticed, from experience, this method works best for both author and myself. It is way easier to understand something when the note is made on the particular paragraph or scene that needs fixing.
I am honest and downright ruthless with the text. I pick on every single thing that seems even the slightest bit off, requesting you to fix it. And because that type of feedback is not easy to receive at times, I made it a habit to always provide positive feedback too. Mainly through reader’s notes. I’ll tell you how your book makes me react and what I love about it. And my vocabulary may resemble that of a cussing sailor at times too, if a character pisses me off.
I’m not the stiff professional type. If you don’t understand what I meant in a note, drop a mail or a message and we’ll sort it out.
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