The pitch
If you’re ready for another pair of eyes on your manuscript, or your book is already out there and you want a quotable review, or if you want to inquire about any of my services, get in touch via my contact form and include the following info if applicable.
- The type of review or service you’re looking for.
- For all editing projects: genre and type of materials you wish to submit (fiction, nonfiction, a manuscript versus a cover letter or resume, etc.). I defer to Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, just like most of the trade publishing industry, but if you have other preferences, please disclose that in your pitch as well.
- For full-length manuscript editing: total page and word counts after formatting (see guidelines below) and a brief synopsis of your narrative. Include all elements that will appear in the manuscript you plan to submit for review (title pages, tables of content, and any other front/back matter like dedications, copyright information, teaser snippets for sequels, prewritten author bios, etc.) in the final page/word count. Please also indicate if you would like to add on any of the extra services I offer for these types of projects so we can factor this in for both cost and timeframe considerations.
- For writing, content marketing, or branding projects: the scope of the work you want done (deliverables, word counts, desired number of hours to be spent on the work, ideal turnaround timeframe, etc.).
- For book reviews: genre, the format you’re able to provide me with to read (print, PDF or epub), and a brief summary of the story.
I do not accept poetry or children’s books for editing at this time, and nonfiction or academic work may be declined if I know that the subject matter goes over my head. I do welcome all works of fiction. Suspense, historical, fantasy, realistic, urban—you name it!
Please allow at least three days for me to respond to your pitch. Regardless of whether or not I’m able to take on your project, I will get back to you: no ghosts here. If I can take on your project, we’ll hammer out the details, sign on the dotted line, and hit the ground running.
Formatting documents to be edited
Please submit manuscripts and other pages to be edited as Word documents so I can use Track Changes to clearly mark suggestions and comments. For the sake of my overworked eyeballs, use Times New Roman font and black, twelve-point type only for main body text. What you choose for chapter headers, subheadings, title pages, etc., is of course entirely up to you. One-inch margins and half-inch headers/footers are also preferable.
Beyond that, every project is different, so I’ve provided some more specific guidelines here. If you have any questions, just let me know before you send anything my way.
Query and cover letters, resumes, and synopses:
- Query and cover letters should be no more than one page featuring single or one-and-a-half line spacing.
- Synopses can be as many as eight pages with one-and-a-half line spacing, or ten pages double-spaced.
Full-length manuscripts:
- Documents should feature either one-and-a-half or double line spacing. Exceptions may include front and back matter, chapter headings, or preset imagery with captions (we can discuss this before editing begins if necessary).
- Please check to make sure nothing is highlighted in the document; if there is something you want me to pay special attention to, we can discuss that beforehand.
And we’re off! Generally speaking, you can expect a turnaround time of seven days or so for shorter editing projects and book reviews, and a minimum of two weeks for full-length manuscript submissions. However, these are not set in stone and may vary based on my availability when I receive your pitch. I will begin working as soon as I have your book or your formatted document, signed copies of the mutual NDA and the statement of work that I will provide if we decide to work together, and your payment for the project.
K. Watkins 