Get Edited

In my 20 years of writing, critiquing, discussing writing, working with friends, and advocating people to write, I’ve learned a few lessons in structure, collaboration, and what makes a good story.  From the early days of The Leaking Pen as a writing critique group (run into me at a convention sometime and I might tell you the story of how I may have accidentaly had a hand in creating Twilight. I’m sorry. So, so sorry.), to assisting in writing comic scripts and being a sounding board and editor for several serial novelists I’ve befriended, I’ve always found a talent for asking the questions that help a writer get more from their story.

I’d like to begin editing professionally. If you’re interested in working with me, please email to thewriter@alexanderhollins.com. I will edit the first chapter and outline, and spend an hour talking about the story with you directly, for free.  After that, if you decide my services are of worth, we can talk about estimated time to edit your novel.

What I’ll do:

Check your work for typos, plot holes, inconsistencies.

Ask questions. A lot of questions.  Many of the questions aren’t intended to go IN the writing, but to make sure that you have an understanding of your characters and what they are going to do, and what you are going to do to them!

Help avoid obvious tropes, pitfalls, and racist/sexist/ableist ect issues. Yes, I will operate as a first level sensitivity reader. If your work denigrates a certain group, uses tropes involved in systemic racism or patriarchy, I’m going to tell you, flat out, and advise you to get rid of them. If this is a problem, I’m probably not the editor you want.

Help you get past blocks and slumps.  I WILL talk to you periodically to help keep you writing.  I WILL give you advice, pep talks, and exercises to get the words flowing again.

 

What I WON’T do:

Change the documents you give me directly.  I’m an editor, a suggester.  Not an English teacher with a red pen.

Demand you make the changes I suggest. See above

Tell you it’s wonderful if it’s not.  I won’t BS you to keep the words flowing to me to edit.  If something you wrote is shit, I will tell you which darlings to kill, and hand you the gun.

 

What I need from YOU:

The first chapter finished. Not a prologue! If you have one, add it in, great, but I need a chapter in the style and voice you intend to write the majority of the book in.

A list of characters.  Simple, to the point.  Shannon Highbell, MC, swordswoman. Dannon Highbell, side character, MC’s brother, inventor. Crayon Bellhigh, MC’s evil twin, main villain.

A plot summary for the novel.  A list of events and meanings. What you want to happen, and the order you want it in.  It doesn’t have to be complete, after all, filling in gaps and helping answer those questions you haven’t answered yet is my job. But if there is a definite gap, please label it.  Most freelance editors just want the first chapter, but the first chapter needs to set the tone, provide forshadowing.  I will read the chapter first, then look at the outline. If I know eighty percent of what’s on it before I read it, we have a problem.  If I can’t guess a single place the story is going from the first chapter, we have a problem.  And fixing those problems is my job!

Patience:  Both with me and most importantly with yourself. Writing is HARD.  I know this, you know this.  It takes time.  Editing as well. I won’t have edits back to you the next day after getting a new chapter.  I won’t expect you to have the next chapter or editing writing for further evaluation the next week after the last one.

 

Rates:   As stated, the first chapter, and a roughly hour long conference, are free in order to determine if I am a fit for you.  During the conference, I will also let you know how long the first chapter took for me to read, outline, and edit.  My rates as of right now are $15 an hour.  Please remember that I am self employed in this endeavor, paying my own taxes and incidentals.

 

Still interested?  Email me at thewriter@alexanderhollins.com or comment here!