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Hi. I'm Jenna McGuiggan.
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Writing Tips

Editing Services

I provide a editing and proofreading services for books, essays, articles, blog posts, website content, and other forms of writing. I often create custom packages to fit client's specific needs. Complimentary consultations and cost proposals are available for all projects. If you have questions about what kind of editing service is best for you or would like to schedule a consultation, please contact me. (I also offer writing mentoring. See below or click here.) 

>Developmental Editing
(Manuscript Review & Editorial Feedback)

Developmental editing includes a thorough review of your manuscript and editorial feedback on what's working and what's not working, along with specific suggestions for changes. (During this phase, I may flag or correct some grammatical issues or typos, but that is not the main focus of this kind of editing.)

Developmental editing includes the following:  

  • Detailed notes and in-depth editorial feedback, highlighting the manuscript's strengths and weaknesses, areas for further development, and suggestions for improvement, including suggestions for specific additions and deletions
  • Analysis of the following areas of the manuscript:
    *Organization and structure
    *Content
    *Flow
    *Voice, tone, and style
    *Clarity and readability
    *Overall effectiveness

>Copyediting

Copyediting gets into the nitty-gritty of the writing and the language. At this stage, all (or at least most) of the major issues with the content (as listed above) have been addressed. This phase is the time to dig into each sentence, phrase, and word. Copyediting can be light, medium, or heavy, depending on how much work needs to be done and how much rewriting you want me to do for you. Depending on your needs and our agreed-upon scope of work, I will either flag problem areas or rewrite them. 

Copyediting includes the following:  

  • Ensuring that key terms are handled consistently 
  • Suggesting or implementing specific changes to smooth transitions and to improve readability and flow
  • Flagging or correcting the following:
    *Inappropriate or awkward wording, passages, and figures of speech
    *Ambiguous or incorrect statements
    *Unclear or confusing sections of text
    *Wordiness, triteness, and inappropriate jargon
  • Flagging or correcting grammatical issues such as the following:
    *Verb tense
    *Active and passive voice
    *Subject-verb agreement

>Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of review before a manuscript is published. This service is meant for final drafts and is intended to catch any lingering typos or mistakes. 

Proofreading includes the following: 

  • Correcting typos (faulty spelling, grammar, and punctuation)
  • Ensuring consistency of key terms and formatting 
  • Checking for proper sequencing (such as alphabetical order) in lists

Selected Editing Projects

Testimonials

Jennifer Lee
(certified coach, author of The Right Brain Business Plan)

"Jenna helped me copyedit a booklet that was part of a kit I recently launched. I appreciated Jenna's ability to simplify my instructions so that they were clear, direct, and easy to understand. She provided great suggestions for making things more consistent, and she was very detail oriented. Thanks, Jenna, for your professionalism. You were a pleasure to work with!"

 

photo by Vivienne McMasterLiz Lamoreux 
(retreat organizer, author of Inner Excavation: Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry & Mixed Media and the poetry chapbook Five Days in April)

"Jenna has that editing superhero power of shining up your writing while creating a really comfortable space for conversation and feedback. She's patient, kind, and wicked smart, which are three things you don't always find in the editing world. Both times I worked with her, I was under a tight deadline, and she helped me to feel less stressed, which was a gift in the midst of the craziness that is working on a book that will be going out in the world. She gets that sending that book out is like sending out a piece of your heart. So grateful to consider her part of my team." 
 

 

photo by Bella CirovicJen Lee
(media producer, author of the poetry chapbook Fortunes)

"You don't want go to press or to submit without an expert set of eyes going over your work. Jenna is thorough and professional with an ability to see right to the heart every project she's edited for me. The whole process builds confidence and brings peace of mind, whether you're a writer, publisher or producer."

Crystal Busby
(photographer, technical writer)

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! This is exactly what I had in mind, and I'm so impressed you could take my ramblings and make them into something coherent. I am be-yond happy with the work you did, and would love to work with you on any other projects I have that require your goddess skill set. Many, many thanks. While I knew you were a talented writer, the products you delivered exceeded any expectation I had. Your tagline should be, 'Skip eLance, come directly to The Word Cellar.'"

Patty Kreamer 
(professional organizer, speaker, author)

"You are awesome! You were able to improve the flow without changing my voice. I thank you for that. Your comments really got right to the core of some of the awkwardness. Not only are you good at what you do, but you are professional."

Editorial Feedback and Mentoring

I also offer individual mentoring sessions and ongoing writing apprenticeships that combine editorial feedback with coaching. Please check out the mentoring page for more information.