You might be wondering how I left my mark on the above titles. A good editor knows what to add, what to take away, and when to leave well enough alone. The result? Readers don’t even know you’ve used an editor because they believe you’re a stellar wordsmith (which, by the way, you ARE!).

Below are some of the specific results I achieved for my clients outside of the “typical” spelling and grammar corrections:

• Fixed the title case in all headings
• Homogenized the formatting of em dashes
• Transformed UK spelling and usage to US spelling and usage
• Added the Oxford comma to all series as requested by author
• Adhered to author’s style guide (AP, CMOS, or custom)
• Checked that all embedded links were live
• Reformatted lists with bullets throughout
• Fixed pronoun usage for gender considerations
• Added italics for internal dialogue
• Changed single quotation marks to double quotation marks
• Formatted abbreviations (e.g., i.e., etc.)
• Added commas between independent clauses, and for emphasis or clarity
• Checked that all chapters were correctly referenced
• Weeded out overused punctuation (em dashes, ellipses) and phrases
• Fixed number usage (spelled out vs. numerals)

I have also helped clients to develop their own custom style guide! Share it with your ghostwriters and copywriters for an even more efficient content-producing experience!