I specialize in copyediting and proofreading nonfiction for self-publishing authors. Is your project nearing the final stages? Contact me at editing@sarayoshihara.com or read on to learn how I can help you get your work ready for publication.
I offer both copyediting and proofreading at rates in line with those published by the Editorial Freelance Association. Upon reviewing your work, and completing a short sample edit, I will prepare an estimate and a timeline for your project.
I am comfortable working with AP Style and the Chicago Manual of Style, but am also able to work with other style guides.
My services are provided under the umbrella of the Japan-based company Hototogisu Kabushiki Gaisha. For clients outside of Japan, invoicing is done through PayPal. For clients within Japan, this means invoices are issued under the Qualified Invoice System, and additional payment options are available.
Questions?
How do I know if you are the right editor for me?
I know sending your work out to be edited is a big step! It’s important that you find an editor you feel comfortable working with. I will do a free edit of around 500 words of your project so that we can both gauge whether or not we will be a good fit.
How long will this project take?
Along with an estimate of the project cost, I will provide you with a timeline after reviewing your manuscript and completing a free sample edit of around 500 words. As a very general rule, a project of 15,000 words can be copyedited in one week, and a project of 30,000 words can be proofread. However, as I work with multiple clients, scheduling will depend on my availability.
How does payment work?
Clients in Japan can pay by bank transfer. International clients can pay via PayPal.
Why do you work with self-publishing authors? What’s the process?
I understand that the challenges of self-publishing are different from those of traditional publishing, and I want to help you navigate some of those challenges. This is a selfish thing, really, as I want there to be more stories out in the world for me to read!
If you have reached the copyediting stage, you have done the hardest work already. You have written your story and revised it so many times that you now see your computer in your sleep. You have asked peers to read your work and you have revised it again. Now, we will bring your work up to the next level by removing grammatical errors and ensuring consistency and clarity.
You will send me your completed work. I will then use the “track changes” feature of Microsoft Word to correct simple errors and to make suggested changes on more complex issues. Occasionally during this process I will reach out to you for clarification about facts or matters of style.
For most projects I provide a single round of editing, meaning that I will return a document with my suggested changes to you, and you will then accept and reject all changes as you like. Some projects may require two rounds of editing.
In the end, the decision to keep or reject each change is yours. I will return the marked up document to you for review, and you will have the final say. My job as your copyeditor is to be invisible, and to make sure that what you are trying to say is what ends up on the page.
Proofreading is a final review of your finished project. No project makes it to print entirely free of errors, sadly. You will have searched for errors, your copyeditor will have searched for errors, and yet some will remain (just as there are certainly some errors on this page – we are all poorly suited to editing our own work). Proofreading is a last chance to catch a few more, and to check that the formatting of your document matches the publishing requirements.