Editing

“Your feedback was thoughtful and productive, and it was a big help to me as I fleshed out my main character and made the story setting more realistic.”

I have edited technical documentation for two decades, and have several years experience as a freelance editor, working with book-length fiction and non-fiction. I’m a published writer, a member of the American Copy Editors Society, and have degrees in English Literature, Film Studies, and Canadian Studies. I takes courses to keep my skills up-to-date, including a recent Copy Editing course from the University of Calgary.

“He has been invaluable to me in my writing, and most importantly is capable of working with divergent opinions. I would hire him as an editor again in an instant.”

No matter how well you write, an editor can improve your work. Another set of eyes can find typos, spot inconsistencies, and identify absences. It’s hard to review your own work, and friends or colleagues may lack objectivity.

“Thanks for your careful and helpful review . . . .  I incorporated most of your suggestions and proposed changes. Where I decided not to, your comments did force me to rethink what I wrote, which was helpful.”

I offer developmental editing, line editing, and copy editing. I also offer other services for authors, such as formatting, file conversion, local archival research (Nova Scotia Provincial Archives, Halifax Municipal Archives), and web site development (WordPress).

“I have enjoyed working with you and am very pleased with your work, professionalism, and efficiency.”

I work on a quote per project basis. Contact me to discuss rates, availability, and the best approach for your project. Scroll down to see past projects.

Blog posts on editing and using WordPress.

Editing and Website Projects

  • Created the website Gardening At Last.
  • Edited The Chapel of Retribution, by Glenn Burwell (coming soon from Somewhat Grumpy Press).
  • Editing a thriller novel.
  • Edited Fictional Truth: A Stella Kirk Mystery #4, by L. P. Suzanne Atkinson.
  • Edited Monitoring State Compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for Global Child.
  • Edited Flipping the Switch, a thriller by K. Covell.
  • Edited Sand In My Suitcase: A Stella Kirk Mystery #3, by L. P. Suzanne Atkinson, a cozy mystery novel.
  • Edited A Journey In and Out of the Saddle, a non-fiction account of a cycling adventure, by Cavanaugh and Levesque.
  • Updated the website for Ottawa editor and writer Jon Peirce.
  • Prepared an index for a university textbook.
  • Member of a Romance Writers panel at Halifax Word on the Street 2019.
  • Edited Didn’t Stand a Chance: A Stella Kirk Mystery #2, by L. P. Suzanne Atkinson, a cozy mystery novel.
  • Edited Auracle, by Dawn Mossman, a young adult novella.
  • Presented a three evening course on using WordPress, at Halifax Public Library.
  • Edited and formatted a report for Global Child.
  • Edited, formatted, and revised a section of an academic textbook, to bring consistency to contributions by several authors.
  • Assisted development of the web site for the Nova Scotia Harp Festival.
  • Beta read a short story for a local writer.
  • Gave a presentation on WordPress.com versus WordPress.org at WordCamp Halifax 2018. View Slides
  • Assisted development of a new website for a local lawyer: elladodson.ca/
  • Providing line editing, reference checking and formatting, and indexing for  The Challenge of Children’s Rights for Canada, 2nd edition.
  • Assisted development of a new website for Editors Nova Scotia.
  • Created a set of spreadsheets for a community organization.
  • Provided sample developmental edits for fiction works at Word on the Street, Halifax.
  • Edited a book chapter for an academic text.
  • Researched government websites, gathering information for an academic paper.
  • Prepared a literature review for an academic paper.
  • Edited three novellas for a local author.
  • Converted a WordPress blog to a full site, for a local author.
  • Assisted a local small business develop their WordPress site.
  • Performed an in-depth manuscript evaluation for a novel.
  • Upgraded a WordPress site for a local author.
  • Converted a WordPress blog to a full site, for a local author.