Editing

Welcome to Red Pen Reviews! I'm Laura Ownbey, a freelance fiction editor.
 

Experience: 

I have ten years of editorial experience across a variety of genres. I'm currently a professional technical writer and editor with experience in documentation and training. Before that, I was a Senior Editor at Spencer Hill Press and their urban fantasy imprint, Spence City.

My primary editing expertise is in fantasy, science fiction, young adult, and romance. I've also worked on thrillers, comedy, memoirs, dissertations, scientific papers, roleplaying gaming manuals, and poetry.

I graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 with a double BA in English and Peace, War, and Defense.

Purchasing my freelance editing services does not guarantee a publishing contract, but I can tell you that the first full novel I edited sold barely a month after I finished with it. Books that I've edited have also been finalists for the National Reader's Choice Awards, the Bookseller's Best Awards, and the Georgia Author of the Year competition.
 

Rates and services:

Service	Fees
Sample edits	$50 for up to 5000 words
Developmental edits	$350 for a 70k-word manuscript $20 for each additional 10k words
Line and copy edits	$10 per thousand words
Comments (line edit level)	$5 per thousand words

 

Sample edits: review of a few sample chapters to see if my editorial style is a good fit for you before committing to a longer job.

Developmental edits: an analysis of plot points, characterization, pacing, dialogue, and other structural elements.

 

Comments: early-pass and revision-pass line edits. I address small but focused questions of tone, consistency, plot coherence, characterization, etc. Some writers prefer to commission these in conjunction with developmental edits.

 

Line and copy edits: grammar and punctuation, style, syntax, formatting, consistency, and other small details. If you are almost ready to self-publish your book or submit the manuscript to agents and don't mind some fine-tuning of things like dialogue flow, this is the tier for you.

 

Please note: I no longer offer proofreading or copy edits separately from other services.

 

Timetables:

 

I can generally return sample edits within a week or two. Developmental edits and line /copy edits take three to four weeks depending on the length of your manuscript. Contact me for a scheduling estimate: these timetables vary depending on how much other work I have in the queue.

 

If you have hard deadlines for agent submissions, conventions, or writing contests, let me know as early in the process as possible.

 

Payments and Contact: 

I accept payments via PayPal, Zelle, or check. Payments are due when I return the edits rather than when you initially send me the manuscript: I want you to be satisfied with your reviews.

 

You can reach me at lcownbey@gmail.com .