Editing Services
Professional Editing Services
Because everyone has a story to tell.
Maybe you’re just starting out with writing. Maybe you’ve been at it long enough to get some rejections–and not understand why. Whether you’re writing with a market in mind or just to get your story down on paper, when it’s time to publish, having an experienced editor on your side will help you.
As an editor for a variety of publishers, I’ve worked with hundreds of writers just like you. Writers who need a little coaching, writers who need a little push, writers who need some direction. From self-published, how-to books to paranormals to the wildest romance and fantasy, I can help you organize your story, find a consistent voice, determine a point-of-view (POV), and mine your piece for symbols and imagery that will resonate with readers–and editors.
Types of editing available:
Copy editing - Edit material for standard grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, including simple suggestions for revision to author.
Substantive/developmental editing- Edit material for structure, clarity, completeness, organization, plot, pacing, characterization, and topic coverage as appropriate for fiction and non-fiction titles. Recommend revisions to improve readability, marketability, and mechanics with extensive suggestions to author. My experience includes romance, horror, paranormals, GLBT, thrillers, memoir, how-to, and business. (This is my specialty. If I do a developmental edit for you, I'll sub out the copy editing because after a DE I'm much too close to the material to copy edit the manuscript.)
Editorial Evaluation- Provide you with an overview for structure, clarity, completeness, organization, plot, pacing, characterization, and topic coverage as appropriate for fiction and non-fiction titles. This is a precursor to a developmental edit. If you're an advanced writer and don't need a full DE, an Editorial Evaluation may be all you need. If you're a beginning writer and aren't sure where to start, an EE can give you a sense of what revisions to make.
My clients have included AARP, JMS Books, Loose ID, Magnolia Media, New York Life Insurance Company, Samhain Publishing, Torquere Press, Writers Clearing House, and hundreds of freelance projects. The majority of my editing work and coaching has focused on genre fiction, memoir, and narrative non-fiction.
Isn’t it time to write? Because you’ve got a story to tell. Contact me and let's talk about your project.
Testimonials:
David Connor, author at JMS Books.
There aren't enough words in the Microsoft 365 thesaurus to express how happy, thrilled, elated, and pleased I am when I learn Belea has been assigned to one of my stories. We've worked together on at least ten different books, and I can attest to the following: Her guidance is gentle, her interest and positivity abundant, her technical eye spot on. When she likes something, she lets you know, and if something doesn't read quite right, or if something is missing, her suggestion and prompting is always going to lead to something better. Working with Belea is a true collaboration and, frankly, a joy.
Jere M. Fishback, author of the award-winning Tyler Buckspan and Becoming Andy Hunsinger:
Belea Keeney edited my YA novels, Tyler Buckspan and Becoming Andy Hunsinger. She took what I thought were polished manuscripts and helped make them far better. Belea is detail oriented—she'll catch grammatical errors and factual inconsistencies—but she is also a "big picture" editor with an uncanny ability to spot a story's weaknesses, and then suggest the perfect fixes. Something else: Belea knows how to listen to an author during the editing process, and that's a rarity in the publishing business these days. I'd work with her again in a heartbeat.
Kenna Marriott, author of the award-winning, Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda.
I want to share...my highest recommendation for Belea Keeney as a manuscript editor. I recently entrusted her as my editor for a memoir about my daughter's struggle with cancer. Before going into the process I was afraid an editor would take over the manuscript and that I would lose control of my work and particular style of writing. After we began, I soon found out that my fears were all for nothing. She guided me through the nuances of "finishing" my manuscript by asking thought-provoking questions and making suggestions for specific directions with the story, without taking it over. During the process she also shared her rationale with me for suggested directional changes in a way that allowed me to maintain my storyline while learning from her vast experience. My book would not be what it is today without her expertise. She is truly a master at her craft!
Jacob Campbell, author of French Quarter Knights and Two Loves.
It was a thrill to work with you. I felt your mind and the power of your intellect, the penetrating mind, the analytical expression, and the gentle poetic nurturance.
I truly felt you were working to help me better my piece AND in a way that you felt readers would like it better…advocating for the readers--that was wonderful to see and read.