Taking control of your

writing career

 

Professional manuscript editing is the best investment you can make in your book, your career, and yourself. Professional editing allows you to confidently  present the best possible version of your writing and to express your dedication, professionalism, and artistic style. Our services are structured to meet every writer’s needs, whether you have a first draft or a submitted manuscript: our services can make you a success.

n Proposal Packages: Query Letters and Synopses

 

The synopsis and query letter may easily be the two most important, and most difficult, pieces of writing you will produce as a new writer. These few pages comprise your first introduction to an agent and your first impression. Poor queries can mean a lifetime of slush pile disappointment, and an excellent query can make the difference between years of waiting and an enthusiastic welcome from your agent of choice.

Drawing on years of experience at literary agencies, I will help you craft your proposal package to highlight your talents and emphasize the information the agent/publisher wants to hear. All queries are immaculately copyedited and proofread, and I offer extensive input and suggestions so that your first impression won’t be your last.

Some authors find that the brevity and self-marketing impact required in a query letter and synopsis are simply too difficult to write effectively. Often writers find themselves too intimately involved in the book to take the necessary step back needed to produce the proposal. In these cases, I will read through your manuscript, ask you to answer a few questions about you and your writing, and then write an expert query and synopsis that will get results.

 

n Copyediting

 

Editing for all mechanical elements of style, as well as consistency of plot, facts, style, and voice.

 

Consistency is essential to a novel. Readers (who have more distance from your text) are quick to pick up on things that are out of place, missing, or illogical. Inconsistencies in character, voice, and plot can be maddening to a reader, annoying to editors, and detrimental to your book’s success.

Inconsistencies are very difficult to see in your own writing. Murdock Editing copyediting is a slow, detailed, careful process designed to catch any such errors in your manuscript and provide expert advice on revising difficult spots. Your marked copy will include not only corrections, but explanations and suggestions as well.

 

Writers can be absolutely confident that their writing is clear, grammatically correct, and consistent.

 

n Pricing

 

All pricing is determined on a per-project basis. Pricing varies based on the length of the manuscript, the time allotted, the complexity of prose, level of editing, and individual needs of the writer. Contact the editor at editor@murdockediting.com for a fast, free price quote.

 

n Contact

 

For more information, contact the editor at editor@murdockediting.com.

Why choose Murdock Editing?

 

n     Personal attention. There are hundreds of editors available to writers, but none so friendly, personal, and attentive as Murdock Editing. I recognize that my clients are important, unique, artistic spirits with important stories to tell, and I make it my mission to work with writers to make sure that those stories get heard. There is nothing more important to me than my clients and their writing.

n Experience. Editing and evaluations are based on years of experience in the publishing field. I continue to work with top agents and draw upon newspaper, book publishing, and academic editing positions, plus years of freelance work.

n     One editor. Corporate editing services farm your work out to inexperienced editors. I work directly with you at all times on everything, from proofreading to proposals.

n     Success. My clients see results—and requests! Clients are often amazed with the difference in their writing and the responses they receive from agents and editors. See what clients have to say.

n Manuscript Evaluation 

 

Your manuscript evaluation is the most important book review you’ll ever read. 

 

Based on the formatted Reader’s Reports used by literary agencies to summarize and assess a manuscript’s potential, evaluation reports include detailed criticism, comments, and suggestions. Writers become intimately aware of the nuances of their readership, the publisher's likely perception of the manuscript, and the book’s strengths and weaknesses. More than a diagnosis, evaluations are in-depth, holistic prescriptive reports detailing improvements and revisions that will make you stand out from the pack and avoid the slush pile.

Preliminary evaluations, done immediately after you have completed the first draft, will help you shape your book as you progress through the editing process, effectively pointing you down the right path. Final evaluations, completed once you feel your book is ready for publication, will provide invaluable insight into the workings of the manuscript and   a roadmap to final adjustments.

Writers are equipped with a thorough analysis of their manuscript and its marketability, as well as exceptionally helpful advice and suggestions that can make the difference between a manuscript and a bestselling book.

 

n Substantive/Developmental Editing

 

Extensive editing for content, writing style, plot/theme development, character development, flow, and any other concerns you or I may have.

Particularly for new writers, the substantive/developmental edit can make the difference between the slush pile and the bookshelves. I strive to always stay on top of publishing trends, and I will work with you to edit and revise your manuscript to make sure your book is not only mechanically correct, but absolutely market ready.

As the publishing industry has changed over the years, the duties of publishing house editors have changed dramatically. Gone are the days when publishers and agents could spend quality time with authors working through extensive changes. Publishing is a business, and the agent/publisher’s job is not to help you fix your manuscript: it is to publish books that will sell. Authors are expected to have a market-ready manuscript before they are even considered for publication.

Our substantive editing fills the gap between author and publisher. We make every effort to help you and your manuscript reach your full potential through intense, in-depth reading and positive feedback. The results are always gratifying: a more polished, exceptional text you can be proud of.

Writers are equipped with extensive, detailed notes on how to improve the general content of the book and can make informed revisions that go beyond grammar and make a manuscript shine.

 

n Proofreading

 

Editing  for design, format, and punctuation consistency.

 

Proofreading ensures that all text is grammatically sound, spelled correctly, and complete. Writers know that their copy is technical-error free.

Why is proofreading important? Anyone intimately connected with book publishing and editing will tell you: sweat the small stuff.

Poor grammar, a misplaced comma, or even a little dangling participle will stand out like a neon light to the editor whose career revolves around words, punctuation, and nuances of language. Poor proofreading screams amateur, and manuscripts and queries are often rejected simply for sloppy copy.

Your text must be perfect. Flawless grammar and format is absolutely essential to your book’s success.

Murdock Editing

Right for your book      Right for you

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