Hastings Business Support

Editorial Services

Copy Editing   |   Developmental Editing   |   Indexing   |   Proofreading

     I handle a full range of editorial assignments, from simple letters and flyers to book manuscripts.

     Copy Editing is an important part of every job I do. My objective is to alter your text as little as possible so that the finished work sounds like you, not me. At the same time, I am always on the alert to catch and fix misspelled words, slapdash punctuation, faulty grammar, and inconsistent style.

     Some authors request editorial work only. They prefer to input my corrections themselves into their own computer files before submitting their work for publication or for distribution to their customers.

     For a sample of copy editing work I typically perform on a manuscript, follow this link to the essay "Thoughts on Columbia." At my request, a friend sent the piece to me for a simple memorial Web page I am putting together to honor the seven astronauts who flew the space shuttle's last mission, January 16 – February 1, 2003. He has given me permission to use the marked-up version as a sample.

     Developmental Editing is considerably more demanding and specialized than copy editing. It often requires working with an author over a period of time to gather initial concepts into a cohesive manuscript.

     In my work, I regularly refer to standard guidebooks such as The Elements of Style, Words Into Type, and The Chicago Manual of Style. All of us, including me, benefit from getting a second opinion of our work. In our own writings, especially in first drafts, we all make subtle and not-so-subtle errors; and even the best spell-check and grammar-check programs fail to catch many of them.

     I should mention, as a side note, that I am also highly experienced in using what is known as APA Style. This style of layout and formatting is often required in theses, dissertations, and other university-level projects.

     For a little of my background and preparation for this line of work, use the Background link, below, next to the other links.

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