Proofreading & editing & more

My goal is to provide high-quality editing and proofreading services for fiction and nonfiction authors at an efficient pace and an affordable rate.

I am a multi-published author with a keen eye for detail and I love grammar (and hate typos!). I’m also pursuing my Masters of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing, with an expected graduation date of Summer 2022. I work with three small publishers, as well: Mt. Zion Ridge Press, Thunder Ridge Publishing, and Red Horsehoe Books. Before becoming a full-time author and editor, I was a medical transcriptionist and Quality Assurance editor for Cardioscribes, Inc. for six years. Preparing and proofreading medical documents fine-tuned my ability to spot errors. No human (or computer) can ever be 100% perfect, but if you need help spotting errors in grammar that spellcheck may miss, punctuation questions, or help aligning point-of-view and/or verb tense uses, I would be more than happy to assist!

If you need a bit more in-depth help with your novel, short story, or novella, editing may be for you. Editing is inherently a slower process, in which I will read your story for the errors mentioned above regarding proofreading and also provide feedback in a variety of other areas: sentence structure issues, showing vs. telling, pacing, character development, and weak and repetitive wording. I will provide in-depth feedback and suggestions for strengthening, utilizing Word’s Track Changes feature.

But, don’t worry, as an author with a unique voice, I completely understand that your work is exactly that: your work. All final decisions will rest solely in your capable hands. If you would like to contact me with questions or for a general estimate, please feel free to email me at sfoust25@hotmail.com. Or you can shoot me an email through my contact page here.

I would be happy to proofread or edit your first five pages for free so that we may test our compatibility and the speed at which I feel I will be able to process your manuscript.

My prices are as follows:

Level I (proofreading): $0.002 per word (one read-through). This level is best for a manuscript that has already been edited and you need another set of eyes to double (or triple) check for any missed errors before sending it to print.

Level II (line editing): $0.005 per word. This level is more in-depth and slower than proofreading. You’ve polished your manuscript to the best of your ability, but you’re ready for a professional edit to look at sentence structures and spot errors, as well as point out any inconsistencies.

Level III (developmental editing): $0.015 per word. This is a much more in-depth version of editing. Not only looking at errors but also pace, flow, character development, etc. Pretty much anything you feel you need help with or areas you want to focus on (or all of them), we can address.

Level IV (Full service): I also offer other services, to include formatting for self-publishing (eBook and print), cover design, help uploading to KDP and/or Ingramspark, ISBN assistance with Bowker, and more.

I look forward to working with you!

I am SO proud of my client–and friend–Joy Avery Melville. She is the first place winner of Faith & Fellowship Book Festival’s 2020 ANGEL BOOK AWARDS for her book Meant for Her. Congratulations, Joy!!! You are such a talented writer and storyteller. I am honored to work with you!

Had it all truly been ~ Meant For Her?

Kidnapped, raped, brutally beaten, and left for dead, Candi Reynolds becomes a prisoner of fear. Faced also with the impact of the unexpected break-up with her fiancé, and an unwanted pregnancy resulting from the attacks, she believes God has forsaken her. Choosing to move back to the Michigan horse farm owned by her older brother, Dr. Cam Reynolds, Candi essentially goes into seclusion.

Dr. Patrick (Mack) MacKevon, long-time friend of Cam’s, watches from the sidelines at the farm, where his horses are stabled, while Candi struggles to regain a sense of normalcy. His own big-brother tendencies develop into a much deeper emotion over the months he prays for her.

Is it possible for Candi to put all the pain and trauma behind her and renew her former relationship with the Lord? Will she allow her heart to open enough to discover authentic love, while making decisions of victory on her personal journey to joy?

Award winning author, Joy Avery Melville’s heart’s desire is to be the author God has called her to be by sharing Him with readers in such a way they long to have a deeply committed personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord.

Fully intending to write Historical Romance—had in fact— she had no plans to deviate from that. God had something else in mind for that ‘call’ He’d made on her life back in 1967. A mere eighth grader at the time, she had no clue about the topics she’d be drawn to write about.

Surrendering to the genre God placed on her heart has given Joy new insight into the hearts and lives of those who too often hurt in silence.

The settings of Joy’s books are near where she lives in Schoolcraft, Michigan with her husband of nearly 47years and their 2-year-old Yorkie, Is-A-Bella Bindi, (Is-a-beautiful little girl) who thinks she’s a much larger breed with tomboy tendencies.

Joy loves to hear from readers and will respond!

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