I offer several levels of editing for fiction authors: If you’re self-publishing, you may need editing for self-publishing authors. If you’re working toward traditional publication, you may need pre-submission editing. I offer proofreading, authenticity reading, and developmental editing for authors on either track.

I work primarily with queer and women authors and authors of color, specializing in romance, historical fiction, fantasy, and queer fiction of most any kind. For all kinds of work, I provide provide fine-detailed editing to help you self-publish or submit your work with the confidence that it’s polished, considered, and attended to in all its nitty-gritty details.

Though I’ve edited a book of stories that won the Drue Heinz Literature Prize and a book from a series later adapted into a Paramount+ miniseries, my heart’s in fiction by indie authors—folks whose writing doesn’t quite fit into traditional publishing’s boxes or who want more creative control over their own work.

I have in-house experience at both a literary magazine and a university press, but I cut my own writer’s teeth in the fanfiction world before moving into self-publishing my original fiction. I’ve got the skills and training of traditional publishing combined with the intuition and flexibility to know when to set the rules aside and let your work speak for itself.

Once you’ve sorted out what kind of editing you need—or if you’d like help doing so—you can get in touch with me via my contact form.

Editing for self-publishing authors

I offer this hybrid editing service specifically for indie authors who intend to self-publish their work, have already worked with a developmental editor or beta readers, and have not yet formatted their work for publication.

This level of editing includes elements of what editors traditionally call copyediting and line editing. I’ll check your manuscript for grammatical, mechanical, and spelling issues; paragraph- and sentence-level flow; inconsistencies in characterization, chronology, and tone; and, if you like, conformance to a particular style guide (such as the Chicago Manual of Style) and dictionary.

With the edited manuscript, I’ll also send you a style sheet that I create as I edit to document style choices, spelling preferences, character and place names, and similar details, which you can use as a reference later in the publication process.

You may need editing for self-publishing authors if:

• You intend to self-publish your work
• Your manuscript is complete and has been through several rounds of revision by you, has been reviewed by beta readers, or has been developmentally edited by a professional
• You feel that the plot and high-level details of your work are set and ready to go; you’re just worried about the finer details like grammar, typos, and internal consistency

Pre-submission editing

Pre-submission editing is a hybrid service I developed for authors who’d like someone to take one last look at their work before they submit it to publishers, literary magazines, or agents.

I’ll check your manuscript for grammatical, mechanical, and spelling issues; paragraph- and sentence-level flow; and inconsistencies in characterization, chronology, and tone. I’ll also make sure the manuscript conforms to your intended publisher’s style guide and formatting specifications.

I also provide pre-submission editing for submission-adjacent pieces like book proposals and cover letters.

You may need pre-submission editing if:

• You’re preparing to submit your manuscript to publishers and want to be sure it’s tidied up, in line with industry conventions, and ready to make the best impression
• Your manuscript is complete and has been through several rounds of revision by you, has been reviewed by beta readers, or has been developmentally edited by a professional
• You feel that the plot and high-level details of your work are set and ready to go; you’re just worried about the finer details like grammar, typos, and internal consistency

Proofreading

A proofread is a final check of proofs (after the manuscript has been designed and typeset, whether as a print book or an ebook) to identify any remnant grammatical mistakes, typos, and issues with the layout, final formatting, or typesetting. Proofreading is really the last look at a text and should be done only after the book has been copyedited.

You may need proofreading if:

• Your publisher has asked you to proofread your own book, and you’d like a professional to do the job
• You’re self-publishing, have pdf files (or similar non-word-processor files) from your designer, and are gearing up to finalize your book for publication

Authenticity reading

An authenticity read (sometimes called a sensitivity read) evaluates your manuscript’s treatment of particular identities, characteristics, or life experiences, such as gender, sexuality, race or ethnicity, or size (among many others).

I offer authenticity reading for the following topics:

• Nonbinary gender and gender nonconformance
• Transmasculine experience
• Bisexuality and pansexuality

Although these are areas with which I have firsthand experience, I don’t claim to speak with a universal voice in an authenticity read; all I can do is offer feedback based on my own experience.

I offer authenticity reading for full manuscripts or for excerpts, if you’d like an evaluation of a smaller portion of your work.

You may need authenticity reading if:

• You’re writing about identities or characteristics you may not have firsthand experience with, and want to get a sense of how your work comes across to someone who does
• Your work is still in its early stages, and you still have space in your publication timeline to make significant changes, if we deem them needed

Developmental editing

Developmental editing is the most intensive level of editing. We’ll be looking at your work on a structural level to determine if the pacing suits the genre, if the characterization matches the needs of the plot, and other big-picture questions.

You may need developmental editing if:

• You have a rough draft, but don’t feel that it matches your vision for the work
• A publisher, beta reader, or critique partner has recommended significant revisions to plot structure, characterization, or pacing

“Billie’s feedback on my novel was invaluable to my revision process. They managed to put concrete language to many of the pain points in the book that I sensed intuitively, but couldn’t put a finger on. Billie got the spirit of my book, and their feedback was just the tool I needed to develop a clear roadmap for revision. I cannot recommend Billie’s services enough!”—Rebekah Devine, author of Tables to Unknown Gods

A note on pricing

I know it can be frustrating not to find concrete pricing estimates, but without seeing your manuscript, it’s quite difficult to provide an estimate that’s both useful and accurate because the needs of each manuscript vary so widely.

For most types of editing, I put together a pricing estimate based on a complimentary sample edit of a few pages from your manuscript. This will allow us to make sure we’re on the same page about the editing level and enable me to provide you with an accurate estimate.

I offer a select number of copyediting slots at a sliding scale rate for LGBTQ+ fiction and fiction by authors of color. These slots may book out farther in advance than usual, so I may not be able to get you in immediately, but we’ll do our best to find a schedule and fee that works for both of us.