Who Are Your Clients?
They are new authors and old hands. Their manuscripts need simple copyediting ("dots and commas") or sensitive editorial treatment to improve readability, organization, grammar, or flow.

What Do Your Clients Say About Your Services?
"I just received word from a publisher that he loves my book and wants to publish it. Among his comments: "I felt electrified reading it.... Your book sings." Some of that praise belongs to you and your wonderfully sensitive editing hand. Thank you, and I'll see you on the acknowledgments page!"  - Dean Ottati, author, The Runner and The Path (published in April 2002)

"You're an extremely talented editor. You have an exceptional ability to bring a writer's ideas to life. I have worked with you for over twenty years, and I've always found you to be punctual, professional, and remarkably sensitive to the material. I can't recommend you highly enough." - Joseph Cornell, author of Sharing Nature With Children and six subsequent books with 450,000 copies sold; founder of Sharing Nature Worldwide

 "We are very pleased with your changes, finding them logical and clear." B Cheryl Martlage, co-author with Emerson Martlage of Time to Partner

"BTW, thanks again for your great work -- and you're a dream to work with. Please feel free to use me as a reference going forward (but only when we don't need you ourselves!)." - Sylvia Ahern, Ph.D., Communications Manager, Kintana, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA.

How Do I Know I'll Be Happy With Your Services?
My work is unconditionally guaranteed. But let's discuss first things first. Before launching into a full-scale edit of your manuscript, I'll ask you to let me perform a preliminary test edit of 3-5 pages. If you are happy with my work, we can proceed to full-scale production editing. Even then, most authors prefer to stay in control of the project. Thus, they may request that I submit one to three chapters at a time, to ensure that the quality of my work remains consistent and acceptable.

How Much Do You Charge?
I charge $30 to $50 per hour, depending on the length and complexity of the material. Long experience has taught me to work efficiently, and I never pad my invoices. (Some editors charge for a half-day's work even though they put in just 2-3 hours. I never do that.) 

I edited the 225-page, double-spaced manuscript of Dean Otatti's book, The Runner and The Path. I provided two complete edits and charged Dean $40 per hour. The total invoice came to approximately $1600, or $7.11 per page. Compare this with many other copyeditors who quote $30 per hour but submit bids based on a rate of $10 per page. My long experience saves you money.

After I've edited a sample chapter to your satisfaction, I'll ask for a 10-hour advance, and thereafter I'll bill you every two weeks, with payment due within 15 days of receipt of the invoice.

What Is Your Experience?
I have thirty years' experience editing, writing, and researching books and articles. I specialize in health, fitness, sports, personal experience, and self-help books. I've worked successfully for six publishing companies, editing and writing books and articles. I've been a magazine editor (Runner's World, Bike World) and a professional photographer (portrait, product, location, event). And I've written 150+ magazine and newspaper articles

How Do I Send You My Manuscript?
We can exchange files by e-mail in Word or RTF format. Big files are not a problem, because I have high-speed Internet access.

My Book Needs Pictures. Can You Help?
Yes. I have advanced professional skills in product, portrait, location, and nature photography, and because I use a digital camera, you'll save the cost of film and processing.

What Are Your Software Skills?
Advanced Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, Photoshop, FrontPage, Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Acrobat, and database and spreadsheet applications.

Hardware?
PC, fast inkjet printer, 8.5 x 14" flat-bed scanner, 35mm film scanner, voice recorders and transcribers (standard and microcassette), Nikon digital camera.

What's Your Education?
B.A., M.A., Stanford University. Ford Foundation Fellowship for six months' study at University of Hamburg, Germany and graduate study at Stanford. I have also done course work at UCLA and the University of Arizona.