Memoir Editing

I have copyedited four and proofread five published memoirs and essay collections. I have also line edited at both stages. Let me back up a bit: In traditional publication, copyediting is the preparation of the manuscript for production. Copyediting focuses on grammatical correctness, clarity, and consistency, especially of style, and includes some coding for the designer or typesetter. Proofreading is making sure that the typeset/designed pages (called proofs) match the manuscript and have no other errors.

So what is line editing? The line is murky, but I think of line editing as when I’m bringing my narrative writing and editing skills to the text. For example, line editing is when I make notes to help ground the dialogue in concrete detail so the scene feels real, or when I offer a suggestion to help with narrative pacing, or when I point out ways of smoothing out bumps in the narrative or voice. (Both mind-body-spirit books I’ve developmental-edited, which is when I help with the structure, had narratives of personal experience that felt very similar to the memoir editing.)

The memoir writers I’ve worked with have been very happy, including lovely testimonials in their acknowledgments. (Two of the first three testimonials are for memoir copyediting and proofreading.)

I’d love to edit more memoir and essays, so please contact me about your project!