EDITING SERVICES
Hello and welcome.
You’re here because you’re ready to take your book to the next level.
You have a perspective to share, a story to tell, and a dream to fulfill.
I understand this very well. When I started writing at the age of eight, I imagined what a thrill it would be to see my stories in print. What I didn’t know was how much work that would require and how much help and encouragement I’d need along the way. Through the many years that followed, I wrote thousands upon thousands of words, dealt with plenty of rejection, and struggled with self-doubt. I had champions who taught me new skills, gave me solid advice and feedback, and urged me to keep going. Those experiences prepared me to help others with a veteran’s insight, a friend’s compassion, and a trusted teacher’s counsel.
As a developmental editor (I improve stories and how they’re written), I provide more than practical expertise and insightful guidance. I believe in every writer I serve.
The clients I accept are writers I feel a connection to—whether they’re self-taught or traditionally trained and no matter what goals they have for their books. They’re all people I find genuine and interesting. They have three things in common. Each one is (1) determined to write the best book they can from their unique perspective; (2) willing to learn more about writing to serve that book and any that follow; and (3) honing their own authentic voice, mimicking no others.
Does this describe you?
If we’re a match, my commitments are to
—provide you with thoughtful, holistic, and clear feedback;
—reveal the potential yet untapped in you and your book; and
—bolster your confidence in what you’ve done and what you’ll accomplish next.
WHAT I OFFER
• Intuitive insight into the art of storytelling.
As an intuitive editor, I tune into the liminal space of what’s not shown or said and help you tap into your book’s possibilities. I’m gifted with the ability to simultaneously see the big picture and fine details as well as to discern patterns and connections. Sometimes, what a story needs is hidden beneath the words. When it isn’t quite coming together, the solutions often reveal themselves as hints—such as repeated phrases or images, character behaviors, symbols—fragmented throughout the manuscript. I’m able to pick up on patterns that might have been under your nose all along. And if you’re a writer who has strange, nonordinary experiences as part of your process, I know exactly what that’s like.
• Expertise in the craft of writing.
Through years of practice and study, I’ve acquired the skills and objectivity to take a manuscript to the next level. I’m adept at the conventions of storytelling and its elements—character development, plot, setting, point of view, dialogue, form—and I know how to bend those rules when it suits the work. I also give instruction on how to clarify, tighten, and reorganize prose on the sentence, paragraph, and chapter levels.
• Clear, reliable feedback—specific to your book.
My role as an editor is to help you figure out what your manuscript needs and to give you guidance to improve it. I will provide in-depth, personalized feedback—with actionable suggestions—that addresses your book’s strengths and challenges. I’ll ask a lot of questions, and it’s okay (and “normal”) if you aren’t able to answer them right away. I will encourage you to clarify your story and, if you’re prepared to do so, plunge deeper into what it wants to say. When I point out what doesn’t seem to be working in your book, I will explain why and share ideas about how to approach it. Sometimes I’ll suggest techniques, books, and other resources you can use.
• Understanding of what it’s like to write a book.
I know the triumphs, joys, struggles, and blocks that are part of the process. I’ve felt the frissons from jotting a perfect line, the despair when the words vanish, and the anticipation when pieces fit into place. Sometimes the work is easy and flowing, and sometimes it’s a soul-mangling toil. Wherever you are with your work-in-progress, I can empathize with what you’re going through. I’ve been there, many times, especially with my own four published novels.
• Validation for whatever publishing route you choose.
It doesn’t matter to me how your book gets to readers—only that it does, somehow, someway, and that you’re proud of your work and yourself. I’m primed to help you get your book ready if your goal is to get an agent and traditionally publish; deliver a solid manuscript to your editor; self publish; approach small or university presses; or give your family a thoughtful memoir or autobiography.
EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS
For more than 15 years, I’ve edited and mentored writers of fiction and nonfiction. I hold a MFA degree in creative writing, and I’m the author of four novels. To learn more, click the button.
GENRES AND TYPES OF PROJECTS
A skilled editor can edit almost anything. However, as a writer, you want someone who has experience with and enthusiasm for the project you’re doing. We’re more likely to be a match if your work overlaps with at least one of my interest areas.
Fiction (novels, novellas, books in a trilogy or series)
• Speculative fiction (fantasy, magical realism, fabulist, slipstream, paranormal, mythopoeic)
• General fiction
• Historical fiction
• Literary fiction
Note: The following projects will not be a fit for me—science fiction (scifi; Sci-Fi), climate fiction (clifi; Cli-Fi), dystopian or post-apocalyptic fiction, thrillers, romance, or any work that involves excessive, graphic violence or abuse toward animals or humans.
Nonfiction (books and essays)
• Memoir
• Autobiography
• Narrative nonfiction
• Creative nonfiction
Note: I’m particularly interested in nature, ecology, environmentalism, social justice, human rights, feminism, creativity, art of all kinds, archeology, herbalism, gardening, and metaphysical, paranormal, and nonordinary topics. Because my Great-Great Grandmother Mary wrote an excruciatingly brief but fascinating autobiography for her descendants, which I cherish, I’m delighted to help anyone who wants to give a life writing project to their family.
MY SERVICES
(1) DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Are you ready for your story’s parts to click as a dynamic whole?
A developmental edit will delve into its layers and help you discover how to fit everything together.
(2) LINE EDITING
Do you have a final draft that needs finishing touches?
Line editing makes your story easier—and more enjoyable—to read by strengthening its prose, pacing, and organization.
(3) COPYEDITING
Is your manuscript complete, and are you ready to send it out?
Copyediting gives your work a final polish and gets it prepared to submit to agents and editors (or one step closer to a printed/E book).
CONTACT ME
If you’re interested in working with me, send an email to ronlyndomingue [at] gmail [dot] com.
Please include the following information.
1. The title, genre, and total word count of your work.
2. A brief synopsis/description of your project.
3. A brief overview of your publication plans (get an agent, submit to a small press, etc.).
4. Attach your manuscript's first 50 pages. Microsoft Word or PDF.
I’ll read your material and contact you within five business days. If it looks like we’re a potential match, we’ll schedule a free, 20-minute phone conversation to talk things over.
Common questions I’m asked are covered in my Editorial Services FAQ. Click the button below to read more.
TESTIMONIALS
“Ronlyn is a meticulous reader who is able to see both the big picture and the details. She understands—deeply, intuitively—how patterns of subtle particulars come together to build a whole, whether that whole is a world, a mythos, a character, or an effect. When you're not quite done figuring out a story, she has a knack for asking just the right questions to show you what is missing. I don't know what I'd do without her critical eye.”
—Mary McMyne, author of The Book of Gothel and Wolf Skin, winner of the Elgin Chapbook Award
Click the button below to read more testimonials.
BOOKS BY WRITERS I WORKED WITH
I work with writers at different stages of development. For example, I worked with Susan Henderson on an early version of her second novel and with Claire J. Griffin through three drafts.
