“Writing is REwriting.”
—Robert L. Kelley
Professional editing services for academic and creative writers
Academic
Dissertations and theses
Journal articles
Funding proposals
Abstracts
Poster and presentation design
Fiction
Literary and genre fiction
Short stories
Novels and novellas
Query letters
Manuscript summaries
Creative Non-Fiction
Essays
Book-length manuscripts
Book proposals
Manuscript summaries
Every first draft is an achievement in need of revision. A professional editor is a partner in the process, helping you reveal your best draft so that you can reach your goal of publication, defense, or graduation with less frustration and fewer delays. Edits can sharpen all levels of writing, from arguments and stories to sentences, grammar, and formatting. What type of edit does your manuscript need? The primer below is a crash course in editing levels and language to help you decide.
What does your manuscript need?
“Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist.” —Jane Smiley
“To become a proper writer, you have to forgive yourself the catastrophe of the first draft.” —Alain de Botton
Structural Edits:
A structural or developmental edit takes a wide view of a manuscript, examining the building blocks of argument or story. Is each block strong? Are they well placed to create a secure scaffold for the rest of the work? For academic manuscripts, structural edits include a review of logic, flow, argument, and evidence. For creative manuscripts, this level of edit examines the major elements of story: how do plot, character, setting, pacing, p.o.v., scene, summary, and dialogue work together to move the narrative forward?
Suggestions from a structural edit might include reordering or revision of chapters or scenes, further development of a line of reasoning or character, or shifts in p.o.v. or narrative voice. This level of editing is ideal for early drafts or work that an advisor or reviewer has suggested may benefit from signifiant revision.
Copy Edits:
A copy or line edit looks closely at the language of a piece of writing, examining each paragraph and sentence for clarity, accuracy, flow, and readability as well as grammar, spelling, punctuation and adherence to relevant style guidelines. In academic and non-fiction writing, a copy edit also includes a close review of appendices, charts and tables, tables of contents and indices. In creative writing, a copy edit includes a careful read of each sentence and word with an eye to clarity and readability, allowing the writer’s voice to shine without distraction.
Suggestions from a copy edit might include reordering or restructuring sentences, or clarifying meaning through word choice. This type of edit is best suited for later drafts of manuscripts that have already been subject to multiple passes of revision or review to identify and remedy structural concerns.
Additional Services:
I offer full citation reviews, edits of query letters, book synopses, funding proposals, and author/researcher biographies, as well as poster and presentation design. Read about my services in more detail, or find out more about my editing process and workflow.
My name is Claudia Petruccio. I am a writer and editor with twenty years of experience researching and writing in academic, applied, and creative settings. I bring a blend of academic and creative rigor to my work, as well as a keen eye for finding thematic threads and pulling them through a piece of writing. I believe that good stories can be told with characters and scenes or with data and facts. In any genre, my goal is to help writers craft compelling arguments and stories in their own distinctive voice.
Find out more about me here. I love connecting with researchers and writers, so please don’t hesitate to contact me.
