Professional Editing Services

The low price and easy access to eBooks these days makes it likely that readers have scores of unread books in their queue. Now, more than ever, writers need to immediately capture, then keep, the attention of the reader to ensure that he or she is riveted to the page to the end. If not, it's too easy to click to the next book in the queue.

That is why you need a seasoned editor, someone who understands the art of the story in addition to having a flawless grasp of the mechanics of the English language.

Look around the internet. You'll probably find a lot of editing sites that will try to convince you to get a separate editor for copy editing, line editing, story structure, etc. It could run into a lot of money.

I do it all in one pass, and as a bonus, I explain my edits in the comment column. My clients get the benefit of both an editor and a writing coach, giving them a heightened awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, which vastly improves their prose.

One of my authors had no idea, for instance, that she had used the word "glanced" eighty-nine times in her manuscript. Another needed to vary her sentence structure and gain an awareness about starting consecutive paragraphs with the same word. Another learned to pay strict attention to point of view.

Almost all your writing flaws will generally become apparent to me in the first chapter. So if you have the time and wish to save a little money, for a fee, I will edit and make recommendations on the first chapter of your manuscript and review your changes before you set to work on your final draft. It will give you some practice in implementing your new knowledge, give you a fresh eye to tackle that final draft, and it's a great way to tell if we are a good fit.

If you wish to use my services, use my contact sheet to tell me a little about your book (number of words, pages/double-spaced, genre, and anything else you want me to know). I will get back to you as soon as I can.

TESTIMONIALS

E. Ardell

"Denise is a three-in-one editor! She's the grammar queen, the story doctor, and a great reader. She caught my grammatical crimes and reasoned out plot problems, while assuring me that she was reading my story as an actual story with her great running commentary. I appreciate her honesty and her professionalism. I also learned a thing or two about ellipses, commas, hyphens, em dashes, and other fancy-shmancy grammatical terms I only pretend to know how to use." The Fourth Piece (Order's Last Play) (Volume 1) (2016)

Elizabeth Guizzetti

"I have worked with Denise DeSio on two novels. Both times, working with her has been an awesome experience. She is always professional and knows how to budget for her own time in order to give me timelines for each project. She pours her heart into each project and gives it her all. Detail oriented, she combed through my manuscripts with care and answered my questions on her suggested edits. Her input was invaluable and I look forward to working with her again."
The Grove (2016) and The Light Side of the Moon (2015)

C.K. Brooke

"Denise has revolutionized my writing! She is the editor of four of my novels, and in each case, her guidance has been invaluable, greatly enhancing the quality of my books. Denise not only covers the usual areas of grammar, punctuation, plot, and characterization, but has guided me in my overall technique and thought process as a writer, which has improved the quality of everything I've put forth since working with her. Denise is more than just an editor - she's a coach and mentor. I recommend no one else!"

The Wrong Prince (2016)
The Duchess Inheritance (2015)
The Red Pearl (2015)
The Duchess Quest (2014)

Holly M. Campbell

"I will forever be grateful for Denise's help on Forewarned. She not only has great skill as a grammarian and wordsmith, but also possesses the ability to look at the big picture and identify a plot's strengths and weaknesses. She elevated my writing and helped me whip my story into shape. And she was a joy to work with! Her approach is professional, but fun, and I can't wait to work with her again!" Forewarned (2016)

Nicole Aube

The experience of having my work edited--sliced, diced, skewered, and tossed--is painful, to say the least. I can't help but feel that every line of my manuscript contains a bit of my soul, and is, therefore, holy and perfect and unquestionably RIGHT. Denise DeSio, of course, knows better. She's a professional. She connects with my work, she GETS what I'm trying to build, she wants my readers to do the same, and she knows exactly how to make that happen. And when the bucket-of-ice-water shock wears off, I realize how right she is. With her fearless and meticulous approach, Denise never fails to guide me towards a superior second draft, and an even better third if the case may be.. And in doing so, she teaches me about crafting high-stakes drama, keeping track of the minutiae of continuity, and displaying a character's unique voice. Without a doubt, she's made me a better writer, and she continues to do so with every red scar she leaves on my page. On the Other Side (The Orleans Exodus) (Volume 1) (2015)