Currently open and accepting clients.
Are you looking for someone to read over your novel and put the final touches on it, making sure there aren't nasty grammar mistakes, misused, or missing words? Maybe you've just finished your first or second draft and need help with content and developmental editing?
Hi! I’m Emerald Barnes, a young adult author. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing from Mississippi University for Women. I am passionate about the English language and am a self-proclaimed grammar nerd.
As a proofreader, I will ensure the following:
I offer a “light line-edit." What does that mean? I'll make sure that your story sounds right; the grammar is correct; and I capture overused words.
What I won’t do in a proofread:
A proofreader is the last set of eyes on your work before final publication. I prefer that your work has gone through previous structural and copy editors before coming to me for a final review. I, also, suggest you re-read your manuscript after you have made the suggested changes or have another proofreader do so, as we are all human, and we simply cannot catch every detail; and often, when an author is making revisions, they make other changes that sometimes cause errors.
For a Content Edit, I will ensure the following:
To see if we are a good fit for each other, I will proof or edit 2 pages of work for you to preview for free, so you may make a more informed decision. If you want a more in depth sample, I charge $10 (proofreading) or $20 (content editing) for the first 25 pages. Price will NOT be deducted if I'm hired and if I have to re-read the 25 pages and edit again.
I do not read erotica or most horror books involving demons. Please send me a blurb when inquiring about services for your book. I read both fiction and non-fiction. I reserve the right to deny services based on blurb description and genre.
What are my prices for PROOFREADING? **
500 – 2,000 words: $5-$10 USD
2,001 – 5,000 words: $15-$20 USD
5,001 – 7,000 words: $35 USD
7,001 – 10,000 words: $50 USD
10,001 – 20,000 words: $75 USD
20,001 – 50,000 words: $145 USD
50,001 – 80,000 words: $220 USD
80,001 and 120,000: $300 USD
120,001 and up: $350 USD
What are my prices for CONTENT EDITS?**
10,000-20,000 words: $200 USD
20,001-40,000 words: $300 USD
40,001-60,000 words: $500-600 USD
60,001-70,000 words: $600-700 USD
70,001-90,000 words: $700-800 USD
90,001-120,000 (or more) words: $800-1,000 USD
**PayPal/Square fees have been included in the price. I will require half of the fee upfront and the other half when I return your manuscripts. I will invoice you through PayPal or Square. If there are issues with this payment plan, please discuss it with me, and I'm sure we can work something out. E-checks will not be accepted, nor will paper checks unless discussed previously.
*All fees are nonrefundable* If you have a problem with my proofreading/editing, I will do my best to fix whatever issues you may have.
**NEW MONTHLY SERVICE AVAILABLE**
For a monthly fee, I will be available to proofread and/or edit word counts between 500 to 10,000 words. This can be in one book/story, or it can be broken down into blog posts, short stories, articles, or newsletters, whatever it is you need done just as long as it is between your word count for the monthly fee.
For instance, for $50 I will proofread (not edit) between 500-5,000 words per month. Or for $85, I will proofread 5,001-10,000 words throughout the month. Edits will cost more.
You will get FIRST dibs on my services. You won't have to wait for me to become available if you pay ahead of time with this new monthly service.
Turnaround time?*
It depends on the length of your work and the amount of work I'm doing (proofreading vs editing).
Usually, one to two days for works between 500 – 2,000 words. Three or four days for works 2,000 – 7,000. For anything under 30,000, roughly two weeks. Work over 30,000 words allow 3-4 weeks. I will contact you if I require more than 3-4 weeks.
*Turn around times are estimated, not guaranteed.
Hi! I’m Emerald Barnes, a young adult author. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing from Mississippi University for Women. I am passionate about the English language and am a self-proclaimed grammar nerd.
As a proofreader, I will ensure the following:
- Use of correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling
- There are no missing words, misused words, or confusing sentences.
I offer a “light line-edit." What does that mean? I'll make sure that your story sounds right; the grammar is correct; and I capture overused words.
What I won’t do in a proofread:
- Read for structure, plot, developmental issues
- Beta read for character development, pace, etc.
A proofreader is the last set of eyes on your work before final publication. I prefer that your work has gone through previous structural and copy editors before coming to me for a final review. I, also, suggest you re-read your manuscript after you have made the suggested changes or have another proofreader do so, as we are all human, and we simply cannot catch every detail; and often, when an author is making revisions, they make other changes that sometimes cause errors.
For a Content Edit, I will ensure the following:
- I will check your manuscript for plot holes, inconsistencies, and character development.
- I will do two rounds of editing.
- Round one will include checking the basic content for errors, plot holes, and character development.
- For round two of edits, I will check what you've fixed and make sure that it sounds correct and what was broken is also fixed. I will check for overused words and make sure your paragraphs and sentences are coherent.
- Round two will not be a proofread, and I suggest hiring a line editor and/or proofreader after my content edits are done.
To see if we are a good fit for each other, I will proof or edit 2 pages of work for you to preview for free, so you may make a more informed decision. If you want a more in depth sample, I charge $10 (proofreading) or $20 (content editing) for the first 25 pages. Price will NOT be deducted if I'm hired and if I have to re-read the 25 pages and edit again.
I do not read erotica or most horror books involving demons. Please send me a blurb when inquiring about services for your book. I read both fiction and non-fiction. I reserve the right to deny services based on blurb description and genre.
What are my prices for PROOFREADING? **
500 – 2,000 words: $5-$10 USD
2,001 – 5,000 words: $15-$20 USD
5,001 – 7,000 words: $35 USD
7,001 – 10,000 words: $50 USD
10,001 – 20,000 words: $75 USD
20,001 – 50,000 words: $145 USD
50,001 – 80,000 words: $220 USD
80,001 and 120,000: $300 USD
120,001 and up: $350 USD
What are my prices for CONTENT EDITS?**
10,000-20,000 words: $200 USD
20,001-40,000 words: $300 USD
40,001-60,000 words: $500-600 USD
60,001-70,000 words: $600-700 USD
70,001-90,000 words: $700-800 USD
90,001-120,000 (or more) words: $800-1,000 USD
**PayPal/Square fees have been included in the price. I will require half of the fee upfront and the other half when I return your manuscripts. I will invoice you through PayPal or Square. If there are issues with this payment plan, please discuss it with me, and I'm sure we can work something out. E-checks will not be accepted, nor will paper checks unless discussed previously.
*All fees are nonrefundable* If you have a problem with my proofreading/editing, I will do my best to fix whatever issues you may have.
**NEW MONTHLY SERVICE AVAILABLE**
For a monthly fee, I will be available to proofread and/or edit word counts between 500 to 10,000 words. This can be in one book/story, or it can be broken down into blog posts, short stories, articles, or newsletters, whatever it is you need done just as long as it is between your word count for the monthly fee.
For instance, for $50 I will proofread (not edit) between 500-5,000 words per month. Or for $85, I will proofread 5,001-10,000 words throughout the month. Edits will cost more.
You will get FIRST dibs on my services. You won't have to wait for me to become available if you pay ahead of time with this new monthly service.
Turnaround time?*
It depends on the length of your work and the amount of work I'm doing (proofreading vs editing).
Usually, one to two days for works between 500 – 2,000 words. Three or four days for works 2,000 – 7,000. For anything under 30,000, roughly two weeks. Work over 30,000 words allow 3-4 weeks. I will contact you if I require more than 3-4 weeks.
*Turn around times are estimated, not guaranteed.
What's next? Need help formatting your novel for publication on Kindle, Smashwords, in epub format, and/or paperback? Check out Rachelle Ayala or Jerri Schlenker.
Testimonials:
"[Emerald] gave me a lot of helpful pointers, and [her] suggestions are helping me to improve my writing. Having [her] eyes on my manuscript helps me see it in a new light." - Terese Thompson, Author
"Emerald Barnes is strong where I am weak, and isn’t that exactly what you look for in a proofreader? Her knowledge of grammar and eye for repetition helped give my novel a more professional presentation. I highly recommend you let her sift your novel of errors before hitting the publish button!" -- Pauline Creeden of Alt Wit Press and Author of Sanctuary
"Emerald Barnes is a grammarian and can ferret out those problem punctuations that seem to elude most of us writers. She will give your manuscript the thorough house cleaning it needs and help you present a polished end product to a publisher, or agent. After all, isn’t that what we all want, to present our creations in the best possible form possible?
Her keen eye for point-of-view errors, plot flow, and general sensibility of a character development is mandatory, in my writing, for getting past the draft stage and on to the end-of-edits stage. I honestly, don’t know what I’d do without her. As tight as a writer’s budget can be, this is an investment you will want to include. I am proof that her skills are valuable. I have published two books and am about to publish two more. My Publisher/Editor knows my work will be ready for review because I run it through Emerald Barnes first. You should too." Lynn Donovan, Author of Christmas Grace, Signing Seeds
"[Emerald] gave me a lot of helpful pointers, and [her] suggestions are helping me to improve my writing. Having [her] eyes on my manuscript helps me see it in a new light." - Terese Thompson, Author
"Emerald Barnes is strong where I am weak, and isn’t that exactly what you look for in a proofreader? Her knowledge of grammar and eye for repetition helped give my novel a more professional presentation. I highly recommend you let her sift your novel of errors before hitting the publish button!" -- Pauline Creeden of Alt Wit Press and Author of Sanctuary
"Emerald Barnes is a grammarian and can ferret out those problem punctuations that seem to elude most of us writers. She will give your manuscript the thorough house cleaning it needs and help you present a polished end product to a publisher, or agent. After all, isn’t that what we all want, to present our creations in the best possible form possible?
Her keen eye for point-of-view errors, plot flow, and general sensibility of a character development is mandatory, in my writing, for getting past the draft stage and on to the end-of-edits stage. I honestly, don’t know what I’d do without her. As tight as a writer’s budget can be, this is an investment you will want to include. I am proof that her skills are valuable. I have published two books and am about to publish two more. My Publisher/Editor knows my work will be ready for review because I run it through Emerald Barnes first. You should too." Lynn Donovan, Author of Christmas Grace, Signing Seeds
Any questions? Please feel free to contact me or use my email.
I am available to answer questions Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm Central Time.
I am available to answer questions Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm Central Time.