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The Latin root of the word editor is edere, which means “to bring forth.” I am an editor who is passionate about helping writers bring forth their very best work.
Editorial Process
Sharing your writing with others can be one of the hardest acts as a writer. As a writer myself, I understand the attachment to one's work and I bring that understanding to my editorial process. For nearly ten years, as a creative nonfiction editor, senior editor, and Editor-in-Chief at Literary Mama, I have worked to enhance writers' words, while also providing them with a positive experience along the way. My goal is to be honest, clear, and sensitive in my feedback and to see your writing come to life. Whether you're a new writer working on your first essay or a professional author looking for new eyes on your latest book manuscript, I am here to help you. When you reach out to me, I'll ask for some information about you and your project. If you provide a writing sample of two to four pages, I will read and edit this for free. This will give me a better sense of your writing and give you a sense of how I edit. We'll set up a phone conversation to discuss your work and your hopes for the editing process. If the writer-editor relationship feels like a match, we'll agree on a timeline, then I'll write up an agreement and put you on my schedule. |
Genres
I edit creative nonfiction, including essays, memoir, hybrid, and lyric forms, other general nonfiction, and fiction. Topics I specialize in writing that has to do with nature, the environment, animals, science, travel, outdoor recreation, parenting, motherhood, and women's issues, but I am happy to edit any topic you are working on! Word Count I edit small projects of 5,000 words to long book manuscripts of over 100,000 words. |
Editorial Services
Manuscript evaluation means that I will read your project and help you figure out which direction to go. If you're unsure of the genre or structure, or stuck on what to do next, I will provide you with ideas and suggestions for how to move forward. This is often a good first step to see if you are ready for the full editorial process.
This is a consultation, more than an editing of your work. I will provide a written report of what I see are the strengths and weaknesses of the overall project, and offer practical advice for next steps.
Developmental editing means that I will read your story, essay, or book manuscript to look at the big picture of your work. I may make some edits to the writing, but will focus on broad feedback and detailed suggestions on how to develop, structure, revise, trim, or organize your work. Other things I consider are plot, character development, and theme. This is also sometimes called structural editing.
With this kind of editing, I will provide a lightly marked manuscript, but the primary feedback will come in the form of a written letter or report. I will include what I see as the positive aspects of the work, as well as my suggestions and ideas for improvement.
Line editing means that I go through each line, paragraph, and chapter and offer suggestions to make the sentences stronger and more clear. This kind of editing focuses on strengthening syntax, style, consistency, and word choice. I'll also look at things like dialogue, point of view, and rhythm. This stage of editing usually comes after a project is fully developed and completely written.
With this kind of editing, I will provide a heavily marked manuscript with both positive and critical edits.
Sensitivity reading means I will read and assess your work for portrayals and perspectives that come across accurately for a specific group. The goal is to avoid misrepresentations and stereotypes and create writing that rings true. I focus on areas related to motherhood, parenting, feminism, and a woman's perspective.
With this kind of editing, I will provide a lightly marked manuscript and/or report of areas that need improvement.
What to Expect
Fees and Payment
Getting Started
Have questions? Ready to get started on your editing project with me?
Fill out the Contact form.
Manuscript evaluation means that I will read your project and help you figure out which direction to go. If you're unsure of the genre or structure, or stuck on what to do next, I will provide you with ideas and suggestions for how to move forward. This is often a good first step to see if you are ready for the full editorial process.
This is a consultation, more than an editing of your work. I will provide a written report of what I see are the strengths and weaknesses of the overall project, and offer practical advice for next steps.
Developmental editing means that I will read your story, essay, or book manuscript to look at the big picture of your work. I may make some edits to the writing, but will focus on broad feedback and detailed suggestions on how to develop, structure, revise, trim, or organize your work. Other things I consider are plot, character development, and theme. This is also sometimes called structural editing.
With this kind of editing, I will provide a lightly marked manuscript, but the primary feedback will come in the form of a written letter or report. I will include what I see as the positive aspects of the work, as well as my suggestions and ideas for improvement.
Line editing means that I go through each line, paragraph, and chapter and offer suggestions to make the sentences stronger and more clear. This kind of editing focuses on strengthening syntax, style, consistency, and word choice. I'll also look at things like dialogue, point of view, and rhythm. This stage of editing usually comes after a project is fully developed and completely written.
With this kind of editing, I will provide a heavily marked manuscript with both positive and critical edits.
Sensitivity reading means I will read and assess your work for portrayals and perspectives that come across accurately for a specific group. The goal is to avoid misrepresentations and stereotypes and create writing that rings true. I focus on areas related to motherhood, parenting, feminism, and a woman's perspective.
With this kind of editing, I will provide a lightly marked manuscript and/or report of areas that need improvement.
What to Expect
- No matter what service you need, I will always be transparent and straightforward in my work. At the outset, we will have agreed upon timeline, fees, and scope of work, and I will do my best to keep within that agreement. If something changes on my end, I will always communicate immediately, and hope that if something changes for you, you'll let let me know as soon as possible.
- We can set up a phone call to discuss your project at certain milestones or upon completion. (Though if too much time is taken for a given project on phone calls, project fees may change.)
- Receiving editorial feedback can feel overwhelming, especially when there are a lot of red marks on the page. Remember that ultimately, the writing is yours and yours alone. You can accept or reject any edits you are offered. My hope is that my comments and suggestions give you something to ponder as you revise and rethink your project.
Fees and Payment
- I follow the rate guidelines used by the Editorial Freelancers Association. I base my price on the size, scope, and quality of each project.
- I require half the payment at the start of a project and the second half when the editing is complete. If you would like a developmental edit and a line edit on one project, the total rate for both can be reduced.
Getting Started
Have questions? Ready to get started on your editing project with me?
Fill out the Contact form.
Testimonials
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"I’ve worked with Amanda as both a writer and a fellow editor with Literary Mama. As she edited my work, she did so with honesty and clarity, though always in a kind way that didn’t leave me as a writer feeling unwelcome or unsure of my abilities. She has a keen ability to challenge writers while also encouraging them. Her manner feels authentic and unaffected, and I get the sense that she sincerely wishes her authors success in their writing. I know I will employ her services again."
-Denise "Amanda is a smart, skilled editor who offers constructive, thoughtful feedback delivered with tact."
-Lisa "I've worked with Amanda on several manuscripts and, every time, she offers not only insightful, constructive criticism but also a plan for shaping the narrative. It's easy to get lost in the weeds of your own work, so her perspective is especially helpful when I need a fresh set of eyes. She's also been incredibly encouraging throughout the process of editing and rewriting. I've enjoyed working with her and will continue to call on her for advice as I move through my writing career."
-Laura "I've both worked with Amanda as an editorial colleague and have had the privilege of having my work edited by her. She is an insightful reader whose feedback is well balanced between positive encouragement and thoughtful suggestions for improvement. When reviewing my manuscript, she was able to focus on sentence-level details while keeping track of the whole project's arc and the balance of information, description, action, and reflection throughout. Amanda helped me clarify my vision for my book and to stay focused when it started to veer in other directions, and her regular reminders to dig into my narrator's feelings helped my memoir reach a deeper level of meaning and emotional truth."
-Andrea "Amanda was wonderful to work with. She helped me view my piece from a different angle and dig deeper to find the heart of the story. Her kind and constructive suggestions provided guidance that strengthened my writing and brought the story to life."
-Rhonda "Amanda is truly collaborative. Her creative ideas and editing strategies make the process easy and exciting."
-Holly |
"Amanda is a close and thoughtful reader who gave me many helpful suggestions. I especially appreciated her ideas for heightening the stakes for a fictional character and suggesting places in the manuscript where such additions would deepen the reader's feeling for the character. Endings are always hard for me and Amanda had a great idea for turning a surprise ending into more of an Aha moment. I recommend her highly."
-Jim "Amanda's feedback on my essay for the [upcoming] 2023 Literary Mama Anthology was thoughtful, thorough, and inspiring. Her text-level feedback pushed me to dig deeper and find more nuanced meaning in the story. Her paragraph-level feedback helped me to tighten and clarify the piece's ending- always the hardest part! Her line-level edits were spot-on, making the whole piece more effective and smoother to read. With Amanda Jaros Champion, I felt that my writing did indeed have a champion–someone committed to making it the best it could be!"
-Brianna "Amanda helped me identify what was working in my essays and what was not. Specifically, she really helped me find the narrative arc in my essays, providing ideas of ways my work could be shaped for particular genres and audiences (though she was never too prescriptive). After receiving feedback from Amanda, I felt that there was new life breathed into my work, and I was eager to jump into the revision process because I had been given tangible tasks to complete."
-Anna "Amanda is a thoughtful, compassionate editor who provides honest, usable feedback with comments that are spot on. She is professional, communicative, and encouraging, and her unique perspective and gentle approach make going back to my work a true joy. I can't say enough good things about Amanda, and I'd highly recommend contacting her."
-Christina "As I look forward to publishing my experiences while accompanying my wife of 38 years through the sunset of her life, Amanda has helped me build a foundation under my hopes, encouraged me to write more, and shared her helpful comments on what I might do to accomplish my dreams. Her comments and suggestions have never been judgmental, always been encouraging, and have kept me moving toward my goal. She suggested “If you are going to write a memoir, you ought to read one!” which has been motivational and helpful."
-Rich "Amanda is a thorough editor with an eagle eye for detail. Working with her made my writing so much better."
-Suzanne |
