Joie Davidow

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SERVICES FOR AUTHORS

 

Prepare Your Manuscript for Publication

Each year, I prepare up to a dozen books for publication in genres ranging from memoir to fantasy and sci-fi to YA and children's books, self-help, and inspirational handbooks. I go through each manuscript line by line, correcting for grammar, spelling and word use, tighten sentences when needed and expand them when the meaning is unclear. My goal is to make the book as accessible as possible to readers, while maintaining the author's voice. I'll give you notes in the comment pane of the manuscript and I'll include an editorial letter explaining why I made many of the changes, with specific, actionable suggestions to make the book better. Beyond the manuscript, I'll help you improve your craft as a writer. I recommend this service for writers who have taken the book as far as they can, and are ready for professional polishing and feedback.

Initial conversation
I want to know your goals for the book, the problems or obstacles that worry you,your timetable, and your intended audience. Before we begin working together, I'll understand what you need and how I can help you.

Author Review
You'll be able to review my changes and comments and reject or accept each edit individually. You'll also receive a separate document with my notes and specific actionable suggestions, and we'll talk about the next steps going forward.

Final review
If necessary, I'll take another look at your work, reviewing any additional changes you
may have made and format the book for submission.


Editorial Assessment

Whether you've alread gone through the editing process with your book, or you're not ready for that phase of the process, you may prefer an editorial assessment to a full line and developmental edit. I'll read through your book, making copious notes, and send you a detailed letter, assessing the books stregnths and weaknesses, analyzing structure, tension, character development.

Query Letter Review

Your manuscript is polished and you've identified agents you think will be a good match. I'll help you polish your query letter so that it grabs the attention and does a good job selling your book.

FAQ

I'm not ready for an edit. Can I just book a consultation?
Sure! We can chat via Zoom or Skype. The new client fee is $50 for a thirty-minute consultation

How soon will have an edited copy?
full-length book of up to 120,000 words usually requires four to eight weeks. Shorter books, of course, take less time.

Will the book still sound like me?
Absolutely, whether you are writing memoir or urban fiction, my goal is to respect your unique voice.
My only concern is that you get your message through to your readers.

Will I still be able to contact you after the project has been completed?
I'm on your team and I'm always ready to offer help or answer a question.

How do I get in touch?
JoieDavidow@gmail.com

PRICING AND TERMS

Fees are based on word count.. Once we agree on terms, you'll receive a letter of agreement, and an invoice for half the fee.
I'll start work once payment is received. The balance will be invoiced after I have sent you the completed manuscript.

TESTIMONIALS


Young adult novel


Joie'sedits and suggestions were exactly what I was hoping for. My novel was 30% too long when I passed it over to her, and she found great ways to "trim the fat" and remove things that weren't necessary for the flow of the story, yet nothing feels left out. She was sensitive to retain my tone, but found brilliant ways of bolstering scenes, moods, and dialogue in a clean and succinct way. When she encountered passages that needed reworking, she provided considerate guidance that made a world of difference. She provided exceptional proofreading, as well as several tips for strengthening my characters. She also found some errors I made with my story'scomplex timeline, for which I am eternally grateful. She completed both of my UpWork milestones days early. She responds quickly to my questions, and all of our communications have been a pleasure. I already have ideas drafted for a second book, and will certainly hire her again. Thank you so much, Joie! You are an artist!

Historical novel

Joie was very responsive. She has a sharp eye for detail, and she really helped me take my manuscript to the next level. As a first-time author, I had a lot of questions. Joie made sure each one of these questions was answered thoroughly so that I understood every step of the process. Her edits were concise and her comments were constructive. I highly recommend her!


 

Three-part sci-fi series

Joie was a pleasure to work with. Not only is she an exceptional proofreader, but she also pays attention to structural considerations and is able to elevate your work by making suggestions that do nothing but improve it. She was prompt and her communication skills are stellar. My manuscript is long, nearly 900 pages. The story is involved, and the characters complex and diverse. She was able to correct every logical inconsistency front to finish and make critical motivational observations that clarified and made for much easier reading. She will never steamroll your style. She made thousands of grammatical improvements and corrected tense and style issues of the most subtle kind with what I can only describe as editorial artistry. Enough of all that. Let me put it this way: if you can find a better editor, you just let me know.  

 

AFFILIATIONS