The Purple Pencil Process

I'm not entirely sure if every editor has their own process when it comes to performing editing tasks but I do. So, if you have something that you've written that you'd like edited, and wonder what should be done first or how things are going to go, feel free to check below:

1. Inquiries regarding projects can be sent to me via my email account.

1. Once I receive a project, I'll read it from start to finish, both to get a feel for what's been written about and what kind of editing is really needed. If I notice errors, I'll take note of them but won't actually make corrections yet. 

You see, some writers will want substantive editing but may actually only require proofreading or copy editing. On the other hand, some writers think they only need proofreading but will actually require substantive editing. In either case, we can change the type of editing service and only when we've agreed will I actually begin making corrections.

2. I'm old school, meaning I edit hard copies. I'll print out the project and work on it using the old-fashioned method of pen and paper, though, in my case, I use a purple mechanical pencil (yes, that's where the name comes from) and an eraser (because editors aren't infallible and have been known to make mistakes). 

After making my corrections on the hard copy, I'll transfer them on the digital copy. I always track changes because I want you, as the writer, to be guided accordingly and see what changes were made instead of simply receiving an already edited "clean" copy. 

Once a project has been finished, the digital and printed copies of projects are kept for filing purposes only.

3. In connection with the aforementioned digital copy, I can work with both Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx) and the Adobe portable document format (.pdf). Please note, however, that I will convert .pdf files to docs for the sake of making the actual editing and tracking of corrections easier. So, if you're able to send me one or the other, go with the .doc or .docx, but I certainly won't reject a .pdf file. 

4. Editing, for me, is about consistency. This is why I'll go through a project several times, trying to catch anything I may have missed the first time around. I'm sure other people have a particular term for someone like me but I prefer to think of myself as being thorough, and that's a good thing.

Now, there's always a chance that I will miss something. Editors are human and many a published book, both in print and digital, have been known to still have an error or two or more. I want to stress that if I do miss anything, it isn't on purpose and I sincerely do try to catch every single error before sending a project back.

5. I like keeping the lines of communication open with a client. If I have any questions or there are things that need clarification, I'll get in contact with you and hope that you'll be able to get back to me as soon as possible. If you have any concerns that you want to relay to me, please don't hesitate to do so. My email inbox is always open and I will get back to you once I read whatever you've sent.

I'm also on Twitter and Facebook, so you can also get in touch via those avenues if email isn't really your thing, and in order to maintain privacy, make sure you send me a direct message (Twitter) or private message (Facebook).

I hope to be able to offer communication via telephone but that option is temporarily on hold at the moment. I'll let you know when it's up and running again. 

6. Once you're satisfied with the edited project and are ready to publish it, I do ask that you consider mentioning my name or The Purple Pencil as the editor. While being thanked in the "Acknowledgments" or "Thank Yous" section is always appreciated, I don't necessarily require it. Still, I'd like to think that we work as a team and you wanting to mention my name and/or The Purple Pencil is certainly something I will never say "no" to. In short, you don't have to acknowledge or thank me publicly (i.e. in the published material) BUT I would love you forever if you did. ^.^

Okay, the paragraph above may make me sound needy and demanding and while some writers actually do include their editors in their list of acknowledgments or on the copyright page but not everyone does. So, consider this a public service announcement on behalf of all freelance editors out there. ♥