If you need editing or proofreading done, I can help! Whether it is a term paper, a short story, or the next great novel, I want to read your work and help you streamline it! I have served as a proofreader and comprehensive editor for writers all over the US and abroad, as well as for publishing companies, businesses, and students.
I am a published author myself, so I know how important creative liberty and deadlines are. I will proofread your work for content and style, punctuation, spelling, and typos. I can be as stringent or as loose as you need me to be, and I offer quick turnaround, personal service, and low rates! I can also work with you via email or postal mail, so no traveling or lengthy phone calls are necessary!
Contact me today, and let me polish that manuscript for you!
What Are Your Background and Qualifications?
Since 1985, I have worked as a freelance writer, with my work appearing in several local and national publications, including Shades of Gray, Parenting, Entertainment Weekly, Home Life, Child, Woman’s Touch, Jr. Trails, The Standard, Over the Back Fence, Women’s World, New Moon, and others. My writing has also been featured in the Chicken Soup and Soul Matters book series, and my first two novels were published in 2005. In addition, I have written series and columns for newspapers and magazines, and have placed highly in several notable writing contests.
As far as editing experience, I have worked as co-editor for two ezines and edited for local businesses and newspapers since the mid-eighties. I am also a member of the Absynthe Muse Young Writer’s Mentoring Program, through which I have the opportunity to work with young authors to help them improve their grammar and content. I have edited several novels and nonfiction books, dissertations, essays, advertising materials, resumes, web content, and a variety of other projects. I serve as a freelance copy and book editor for The Sacramento Book Review, Nellie Edge Seminars and Resources, Holy Cow! Press, Arte Publico Press, Genesis Press, Token Rock, the Manhattan Chronicles, and others. Fiction novels are my specialty, but I will proof or edit any type of project, large or small.
My technical qualifications include an educational background in English and composition, an Associate’s Degree in Word Processing, and over twenty years of practical work experience writing and editing various types of business and advertising communication. I have also studied with Writer’s Digest Schools, I have an extensive knowledge of Microsoft Word , email, and internet applications, and I can type over 100 WPM. My two decades working as an Administrative Assistant have also equipped me with the ability to work in an organized, accurate, and efficient manner.
To view my full work history/CV, please go to http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AazCgFQxG5K7ZGczNDcyamdfNTRkdHIyNDZjMg&hl=en
What Services Do You Offer?
While most proofreaders provide only a specific service in checking your work and charge you accordingly, your work will always get a three-tier treatment with me:
- General Proofreading – Checking documents for spelling, grammar, punctuation, mixed tenses, and consistency. These things detract from your work, and I will fix them! I generally use the Chicago Manual of Style for guidelines, but I can adjust my "rules" to adhere to any specific style required (including MLA, APA, ALA, and in-house style guides for publishers).
- Editing – Checking wording and sentence structure to help clarify your writing for your readers while maintaining YOUR overall style and tone. I will also make suggestions for rewrites and reorganizations that you may want to consider for smoother reading. The editing I do congruently consists of developmental, substantive, copy editing, and line editing all rolled into one!
- Ghostwriting – Ever have something you want to say,but just can’t make it sound right on paper? I can help you reword and clear up passages that don’t make sense and even offer suggestions for getting your ideas down on paper.
One thing to remember is that I will NEVER intentionally turn your work into my work and will be a careful guardian of your style and tone. I am an author, too, so I know how important your work is and how much thought you’ve put into it! You will have the final say in how much of a change to make or whether to make changes at all, and how involved I get will be determined by your specific needs. Regardless of how little or how much revision your work needs, we will work together to make it shine for your readers and say what you want to say.
Keyboarding/Typing Service:
If you have a handwritten document that needs typed, I can do this for you while simultaneously editing it. (Additional rates will apply.)
Additional Services:
Additional services such as page layouts, typesetting, insertion of clip art, fact checking, format and style setup, and in-depth document design may be available for additional negotiable fees. I have much experience with creating newsletters and brochures from scratch, so don’t hesitate to ask if you need this type of service.
What Type of Projects/Manuscripts do You Edit?
I will accept almost any project of any length on any topic, with the exception of some poetry (I don't tamper with this type of art) or foreign-language pieces (I only write and read in English). I have experience with brochures, newsletters, novels, nonfiction books, resumes, website text, manuals, articles, essays, reports, term papers, dissertations, advertising, and other materials. I also have experience with authors who struggle with converting their writing to proper English because of language barriers.
I can adhere to almost any style or format requirements and have experience with spacing and formatting for various types of manuscripts and academic work.
Do You Accept Projects from Outside the US?
I will accept international works as long as they are written in English, the format and style requirements are clearly stated, and you are able to communicate with me clearly in English. Also, you must be able to use Paypal for payment, and you will be responsible for any international postage incurred if you use hard copy submissions.
How do I Submit My Project/Manuscript?
Hard Copy Submissions:
If you choose to have your hard copy hand-checked (redlined), you may send me the hard copy by postal mail or courier – it will be hand-checked and sent back to you with corrections/revisions marked clearly in red, along with a list of the standard proofreader’s marks that I use. You will be responsible for return postage and shipping insurance. If your hard copy is handwritten and needs typed, additional rates will apply for the typing service.
Electronic Submissions:
This is by far the quickest and easiest way! f you choose to have an electronic file edited, you can email me your document (preferably as a Microsoft Word attachment) or mail it to me on CD-ROM, and it will be edited using the Microsoft Word Track Changes feature (so that you can easily accept or reject the changes and see my comments) and then emailed back to you. Electronic files will be maintained and available to you for a minimum of one month, unless you request they be destroyed from my archives sooner or stored longer. Confidentiality and copyright are guaranteed.
What Fees Are Charged?
Unlike many proofreaders who will charge you a "per hour" rate, my rates are a simple $1 per double-spaced manuscript page. To determine your cost for copyediting, simply follow this formula:
YOUR WORD COUNT / 300 x $1.25 = YOUR TOTAL COST
I only require 20% down to get started on your project, and the rest is payable at project completion.
SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR PREPAID PROJECTS! If you have a project of at least 50 pages (15,000 words) and you pay for that project in full up front, you will receive a 10% discount, which could result in significant savings off your total cost!
How Long Will it Take to Do My Project?
The amount of time it takes for a project to be completed will be contingent on three factors: the length of the project, the desired completion date, and whether or not it is a prepaid project. In most cases, I can complete average book-length manuscripts (200 to 400 words) within two to three weeks - sometimes much less. I will do my best to accommodate your deadlines (as a writer myself, I know how important it is to meet publication deadlines). Projects that have been prepaid will be given priority. I am very honest and will not take on your project if I cannot feasibly complete it within your necessary time frame.
How Do I Send My Deposit and Payments?
I require at least a 20%. All charges must be paid via Paypal to autiej921@gmail.com (visit https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=marketing_us/send_money) or by Money Orders issued by a United States Post Office only. I do not accept checks or credit cards or money orders issued anywhere besides a United States Post Office.
References and Recommendations
The following clients and associates have offered to act as references for my writing and editing work. Feel free to contact any of them if you have questions about my work:
o Sarah Buchanan, Medical Writer/Web Content Producer, lomax-pk@xtra.co.nz
o Stan Marine, Sci-Fi Novelist, stan@marineresidentialmortgage.com
o Frank Say, Sci-Fi Novelist, fsay@earthlink.net
o Tony Thorne, MBE, Anthology Author, tonythorne@aol.com
o Rosemarie Piemonte, Romance Novelist, rosemariepiemonte@yahoo.com
o Rachel Madorsky, Medical-spiritual Nonfiction, quasimur@yahoo.com
o Amy Ray-Hutchins, Suspense Novelist, idescend@hotmail.com
- Recommendations from Copy Editing Clientele
o “Your editing advice was invaluable. In particular, it got me to remove some of the worst ticks and tells in my writing and also got me to be mindful of consistency in spelling and usage. Thanks for your help.” I'll be talking to you more in the future.” ● Sara Perkins, Author of The Seduction of Mrs. Carbajal
o “Thank you so much for getting everything done in such a timely way. Your editing was so thorough and well-done, and on a book as dense (and as in need of editing) as this one… it was a big job… I had a few skeptics that we needed an editor or that finding one on the internet was a good idea, but my judgment turned out to be spot-on. You did a great job.” ● Cathy Kovach, consultant to author Joseph Kovach, This Quintessence of Dust? Historical Inquiries into Human Self-Understanding
o “Autumn is an excellent copy editor and proofreader. She is fast, professional, and extremely well priced. She is a reliable source for publishers, writers, editors, and professionals who wish to turn around a one-page proof or an entire manuscript…Thank you for doing the hustle…you are amazingly fast, and I appreciated it…you did a great job, and I am sure I will have more editing work for you soon.” ● Donna Estes Antebi, Author of Real Secrets Women Only Whisper
o “Autumn is…a very accomplished editor and is a master of the English language. I often relied on her to edit and sometimes compose [our Employee Benefits] correspondence and mass communications so that they were easier for our retirees to understand.” ● Tom Myers, Manager of Human Resources, ACF Industries LLC
o “…I consider myself a bit of a writer, but when I write, it all comes out in such a hurricane I can barely read it myself. But then again, that's the beauty of it. If you want to have a piece of passionate writing, you can't be stopping for commas and periods. I sent [my manuscript] to Autumn, having had her recommended to me. Autumn did a great job for me. I told her what I wanted, and she did a very good job. I asked her to clean up my work for me and make any recommendations in the construction - I wasn't even sure it made any sense! Autumn had the manuscript back to be in a very timely fashion. It was great. She did a very superb job in arranging what I had done so it was readable, yet still maintained the essence and spirit of it. I am very pleased with what Autumn did. Also, the pricing was very reasonable, for I'm not made of money! I definitely recommend Autumn as a copy editor.” ● Tysun Rickards, Author of I Am a Handsome Man
o "I
have read your document, and I am absolutely
delighted. Thank you very much indeed. I can tell you have put a lot of
work into it, and it shows. I love the language and way you have worded things
and how it now has a great flow. I
think also that it comes across that you have former knowledge of the topic as
well, so from my part, it’s a perfect
fit…You have a satisfied customer here…Autumn
assisted my company, Sarah Buchanan Inc. by proofing and editing an eBook for
my website at www.detoxmadeeasynow.com
to be sold online. I found Autumn communicative,
focused and she took pride in her work. I would recommend Autumn and have
done so already to friends and colleagues. I would use her services again and
have plans already to do so." ● Sarah Buchanan, Author of Detox Made Easy: 30 Days to a New You
o “I'd like to endorse the editorial services of Autumn Conley. Ms. Conley recently completed editorial work on my manuscript, ‘Hearts of Fire.’ She did this work economically and expertly without altering the plot of my novel. I highly recommend Ms. Conley's services for writers who are looking for editorial assistance from an editor who is a very talented, capable, skilled and professional editor... Autumn is a very skilled and astute editor who edited my most recent novel to perfection. It gives me pleasure to highly recommend her work to other writers in need of professional editorial assistance...” ● Durrell Owens, Author of Hearts on Fire
o "Autumn is a superlative editor. I highly recommend her based upon past experience where her contribution to my work and deadlines truly made all the difference in the world. Her resourcefulness and meticulous attention to detail are truly an asset to behold, and I very much look forward to doing business with her in the future." ● Brett Hatten, Film Producer of The Monster’s Mind
o
“I appreciate your
time and effort in making my book more
complete and therefore more marketable…Autumn was hired to copy edit my new
book UNDERCOVER My Story 307 pages of
Fictional Memoir. She provided excellent
service, timely and was good to consult with” ● Greg Quesnelle, Author of Undercover
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o "Working with Autumn as a copy writer was one of the best editorial experiences I have had. She is a true professional. The quality of her work was top-notch and, the timeliness of her ability to get my work back to me in order to meet my deadline was perfect. I will absolutely use Autumn again and again in the future when I have more copy editing. If you are looking for someone to act as an independent copy editor or if you just need someone to give you feedback on your writing, Autumn is your copy editor." ● Michael La Pean, Author of Laid Off
o “I'm so excited about you illuminating my book, as you can see this is my first. I feel great energy about you and I haven't even met you…” ● Darlene Harris, Author of Where a Touch of Heaven is Applied
o
“Your proofreading is accurate
and prompt, and your editorial suggestions
are right on. I really appreciate your professionalism,
and I am recommending you to all of my colleagues…I really appreciate your
work!…You are so right on with your corrections. You might make me a better writer!” ● Nellie Edge, Speaker and Educator for Nellie
Edge Seminars and Resource, Inc.
o “Thank you very much for the excellent job you did for me editing [Criterion of Treason]…I must say I’m impressed with your care and attention. An agent has expressed interested. I’m hoping she will as pleased as I am. Thank you for your enthusiasm…which is very encouraging!... Autumn provided me detailed attention, fast and reasonable cost for editing my book. Her involvement and dedication was very much appreciated. I would not hesitate to consult her again or recommend her to others” ● Otto Wiche, Author of Criterion of Treason
o
“I am so glad I found you. You have really put life into my novel!...Your work added value to
my novel, and I studied your additions and learned a lot. You’ve helped me
identify a weakness in my writing…You are the only one I would want to edit my
next novel!…[Autumn] is very talented
and should be writing novels rather than editing them. She will edit a
sequel I am working on….Her work was so excellent that I mentioned [it] in my
dedications and I gave her a bonus above the payments we agreed on because her service was above the normal.”
● Stan Marine, Author of Banished
to EDEN
o
“I found out three weeks ago that a publisher was
interested in Nine Lives, and the panic began, since I had never had it
professionally edited. I emailed Autumn, sent her the 83,000-word document,
and, being the little grammar wizard
that she is, she had it done in a week-and-a-half with all the changes that
made it a much better product to present to my publisher. I cannot imagine being
more pleased with the results! Thank
you, Autumn.” ● Frank Say, Author of Nine
Lives
o “Autumn Conley was absolutely wonderful. Her turnaround time was always one to two days.
Her editing and proofreading skills are
above and beyond. She always gave me excellent
advice and reworked paragraphs when needed. She has excellent skills and her expertise is above and beyond. I worked with Autumn for many months as I wrote my second
novel. Her editing skills amazed me. She was very supportive, as well as helpful in showing me the errors of my
ways. I would want no other editor but Autumn. Her coaching, efficiency, and guidance will continue throughout my
career as an author. I will begin my third novel next year, and I will not
publish it without the continued input of Autumn Conley. I look forward to
working with her again.” ● Rosemarie Piemonte, Author of Falling
Roses: The Years Between
o “Autumn has that type of ameliorative attitude that you can trust your work to, always striving to make your ideas sound or look better.” ● Kristine Dillard, Illustrator
o “Conley is clearly an experienced writer. Her grammar is flawless, her writing style clear and concise.” ● Jennifer Brown, Book Reviewer
o “When I read your edited version, I could see where you inserted continuity or improved clarity.” ● Gail Howard, Blogger
- Reviews of My Writing
o “This is one of the very best articles that I have seen on Associated Content or almost anywhere. Wonderful, heartfelt writing. Bravo!” ● Thomas J. McCabe, Writer
o “The author of this story has not only the talent of writing, but this person has the courage to open her emotions to her readers. Excellent work!” ● Rachel Madorsky, Author & Speaker
o “It is clear that Autumn is a voice to be reckoned with. The grammar of her writing is near flawless, and the characters are excellent metaphors for society” ● Brett Hatten, Film Director and Screenwriter
- “Never before has a novella been able to capture such genuine emotion and fear with all the intensity of a 400-page novel. This book is designed to hit you with a barrage of unnerving psychological issues and does not shy away from that gray area of the human mind that many authors simply refuse to go to. It really is a great little read, and I guarantee you’ll cover-to-cover it in one sitting. A true, thought provoking, new-age, Lecter-style psycho-thriller. Totally recommended!” ● Wesley James Parks, Author
If you'd like to see some samples of my writing, please click the following links:
● Writing Links
o http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1647143/why_the_90s_swallowed_28_million_jagged.html?cat=33 (Music Article)
o http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/34734/coffee_and_weight_loss_does_it_really.html?cat=51 (Health article)
o http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=15736 (Personal Essay)
o http://reviews.ebay.com/Reach-for-the-Stars-How-to-Collect-FREE-Autographs_W0QQugidZ10000000000955630 (How-to Article)
o www.ourpastloves.com/winners.html (Facing the Fall, personal essay)
o www.mops.org/page.php?pageid=1499&srctype=archive&PHPSESSID=69907dd88177aa4ff46719cca29b10a0 (Personal Essay)
o http://www.chistell.com/chistell%20writing%20winners%202005.htm (The Chase, short story)
o http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2025699331 (Film Clip from film based on my book)
o http://virginiavitzthum.com/ilylm/2008/06/02/why-writers-write/ (Feedback Article)
Contact Information
If you have any further questions or would like to see if I can take on your project, please feel free to contact me any time! Email to autiej@gmail.com is ALWAYS the best way to contact me, but feel free to write or call if necessary!)
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