Short story, flash fiction, or epic novel; I want to read your work. When I read, the hunger to give feedback is overwhelming. For me it is straightforward: I am trying to read the intention in your words. What did this scene accomplish? Are the characters jumping off the page? Does the plot make sense and whisk the reader along to the very end? Show vs. tell, continuity issues, confusing voice, etc. My goal is to give you an outside perspective on your writing so that you can tell the story the way you intend.

To test out the waters you can send me a slice of your work for a sample of my beta reading feedback style. Note: beta reading is not editing. I won’t be correcting every little mistake. If you are making the same grammatical mistake a hundred times I will point it out the first time. If you are are telling too much and need to show more, I won’t be supplying the suggested rewrites but rather remarking on the opportunity to tighten up your prose. With that said, I’ve been told my feedback is often heavy and I don’t skimp on the suggestions for improving your writing.

You’ve got your book edited. Maybe you got the wash-wax-polish package: developmental, line, copy editing. Now, you need the final sweep. As a proofreader it is important that I catch every iota out of place. This final stop before your book hits the shelves is paramount. Catching just a fistful of mistake can make the difference between a sloppy product and an immaculate work of art.

When proofreading I always read your story multiple times; at least once digitally and another printed-out hardcopy. A style sheet from your copyeditor is desirable so that I understand what inconsistencies to find. A discussion should be had beforehand as to the nature of content suggestions, if they are to be considered at all.