Editing

Line Edit:

correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and word usage while preserving the meaning and voice of the original text
check for or imposing a consistent style and format
prepare a style sheet that documents style and format
read for overall clarity and sense on behalf of the prospective audience
noting, researching, or querying about apparent errors or inconsistencies
noting permissions needed to publish copyrighted material
cross-checking references, art, figures, tables, equations, and other features for consistency with their mentions in the text

Developmental Edit:

Helping you find the “big idea” of your book and the proper narrative arc to sustain it
Pinpointing the touchtone reveals of the manuscript and ensuring proper placement and development of the most important stories for your story
About content, organization, and presentation, based on analysis of competing
Rewriting, writing, and researching, as needed, and sometimes suggesting topics or providing information about topics for consideration of authors and client.

With both line edit and developmental edit, you will receive the following:

An edited version of your manuscript (showing all changes and with in-text notations via Text Edit)
A final, clean copy prepared for submission to agents and/or publishers
An extensive critical review under separated document. Critical review includes feedback on audience, voice, character development, setting, plot and narrative arc, musicality, timing, and fire.
A one-hour follow-up consultation by phone or Skype.

Price is dependent on word count, level of edit, and time frame.

Alice takes on a limited number of edits per year; new projects are currently being considered. Please send an email detailing your book’s genre, word count, and editing needs.

BookCollab: Book Doctor

The story is inside you, waiting for you to fall in love with the sound of its voice.

You have that book idea inside of you but don’t know where to begin. Alice helps you create everything you need to start and edit your chapters as you go:

Development of outline
Development of Touchtone list
Development of Major Themes list
Discovery of your story’s natural Narrative Arc
Feedback on each chapter as you write
Complete editing services of finished manuscript
Query Letter
Targeted Agent List
Publishing and social media consulting
Prepublication consulting

Email Alice for more information.

Ghostwriting

Alice has ghostwritten books by American fashion icons, music industry insiders, internationally known feminists, and everyday people with extraordinary stories. She takes on an extremely limited number of clients per year. Get in touch if you think she’s the best match for your voice and story.

Books edited, book doctored, and ghostwritten by Alice have been published by Counterpoint, Hachette, Macmillon, WW Norton, Penguin Random House, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux. With twenty years experience teaching writing at the university level and working as an editor, Anderson’s clients have been signed by top literary agents and have appeared on New York Times and other bestseller lists. Anderson’s writing has been recognized and reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly, The Library Journal, Booklist, and a host of other publications. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College.

Query Letters and Targeted Agent List

Anderson is known in the business as “The Query Queen” because her knockout query letters get your manuscript in front of, and signed by, top literary agents. Along with a one-page query, Anderson provides you with a list of twenty targeted agents chosen specifically for your work, whose lists cry out for the book you’re selling.