ROBERT BIDINOTTO
EDITING
SERVICES
P.O. Box 555, Chester, MD 21619
“Without Robert’s help,
A Touch of Terror would not have turned out as well as it did. I will
continue to use him for every project in the future and would highly recommend
any serious writer do the same.”
-- Gary Ponzo,
bestselling author of A Touch of
Deceit
THE SERVICES I OFFER
Writing is a creative, challenging
journey. As a bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction, I
know—first-hand—that all writers make mistakes along the way. We all
need a “second set of eyes” to help us catch errors, clarify meaning, and
improve readability. As an award-winning editor, my job is to suggest
improvements that will help you produce writing you’ll be proud of and your
readers will enjoy.
If you don’t like the idea of someone “tampering” with your writing (and who does?),
fear not: You are, and will remain, the author of your book. You may accept or
reject any of my suggestions. And you may choose whatever level of
editing services you would like me to provide:
Developmental/Structural Editing
As your developmental (sometimes called “substantive” or “structural”) editor,
I provide a big-picture editorial overview of your book’s elements,
organizational structure, pace, and flow. This level of editing gets me
involved in revising and improving your book in basic ways, but it does not
include proofreading or copyediting services (explained below). Ideally, developmental editing should be done first, because its purpose is to
identify any major, general, and recurring problems, and to provide you a detailed
blueprint to revise your manuscript, before any further copyediting or proofreading is
done to polish it.
If you hire me as your developmental editor, expect to be challenged. Expect me to
tell you that a paragraph you’re in love with may have to go, if it doesn’t
move the story forward. Or that a character needs clearer motivation. Or that
you use your favorite phrase way too many times. Or that chapters should be
moved around.
But expect to be really proud of your work when the process is done.
I’ll evaluate your entire manuscript and prepare a
detailed report for you. Here’s what the report will contain:
For fiction, I’ll assess the dramatic structure of your story,
suggesting ways to “hook” the reader immediately, then build and pace
suspense to keep the reader turning pages all the way to the story’s climax.
I’ll examine your main characters and their conflicts, and I’ll offer advice to
strengthen those conflicts and to intensify their emotional impact on the
reader. I’ll analyze any subplots and tighten their integration into the main
storyline. I’ll also weigh in on other elements of the story: the credibility
and depth of your characters, their dialogue, your descriptions, the plot logic and
any inconsistencies, the overall thematic focus, any repetitious words or plot
devices, “telling” too much rather than “showing,” and much more.
For nonfiction, I’ll examine the structure of your book or article for a
logical and engaging flow, and I'll analyze your writing for clarity and interest.
I’ll point out such common problems as: using confusing abstractions with too
few clarifying examples; logical lapses in your arguments; wordiness and
pompous language; excessive use of passive voice; redundancies; and similar
issues. I may suggest removing paragraphs, even whole sections and chapters
that aren't doing their job—or moving things around for a better, more
interesting flow.
If I think your manuscript also will benefit from copyediting and
proofreading after you make the substantive changes, I’ll suggest that, too.
"Hiring an editor is
what most writers do at some point in their writing career. You expect an
editor to do a good job in improving your product, in my case, a coming-of-age
novel. Robert Bidinotto, himself an excellent author of the Dylan Hunter
thriller series, not only improved my novel substantially, but he went above
and beyond by essentially tutoring me on some glaring errors I was unaware of
making. He offers all levels of editing services at an extremely reasonable
price and does so in a timely manner. I strongly recommend using Robert
Bidinotto for whatever type of editing services you require. You won’t regret
it."
-- Walter F. Curran
Copyediting
Copyediting often (though not always) takes place after a
manuscript has been subjected to developmental editing. As your copy editor, my
main focus will be to improve the clarity and
readability of your manuscript. My work for you will include proofreading
services, to check for errors (see below); but I’ll also review your manuscript
for awkward syntax and clumsy phrasing, confusing passages, plot
inconsistencies (in fiction), too much use of passive voice, and anything else
that will make it hard for your readers to understand and enjoy your work.
While I may suggest options for rephrasing a brief passage to solve a problem,
copyediting does not involve extensive rewriting on my part. I’ll only point out
where you might reword something to make your meaning clearer.
And while I normally include in my copyediting easily checked facts (names,
places, or details that can be confirmed quickly online), extensive research to
fact-check a manuscript—especially for a work that involves specialized or technical
knowledge—is beyond the scope of what I can offer.
"I recently
contracted Robert to re-edit and re-format a previous work of mine that was
thrown together in a rush so it could be posted to the now-defunct 'Kindleworlds.' Although it had issues, it was considered one of my
best novels to date... So I got in touch with Robert to do the arduous task of
'fixing' it. His work was very precise, including many things I couldn't even
see with my own eyes. Sometimes literally. His recommendations on story flow
and formatting were excellent. Although I haven't republished the book yet, I'm
happy knowing I have a clean manuscript that will stand the test of time."
-- Ross Elder, author of
Patriot Deception, Trane,
The Fireman Saga, and Scavenger
Proofreading
This is the most limited editing service I offer. Assuming that you submit to
me a manuscript that is already well written and in pretty decent shape, proofreading is usually the final
stage of editing: It takes place after a manuscript has been formatted for publication, to
catch any remaining issues not identified in previous stages.
A proofreader looks only for outright errors, such as typing
mistakes, formatting glitches, misspelled words, and improper punctuation. For
example, if a word is repeated in the text (e.g., “I fed the the cat”), I’ll
correct it. However, in the limited role as your proofreader, I won’t comment if something is phrased
awkwardly, or if a passage is wordy, or if your story’s character isn’t
credible, or if its plot is boring. Those things are up to a developmental
editor or copy editor to point out to you. If you request only proofreading, but I notice a number of those kinds of issues, too, I may suggest that your manuscript undergo more extensive editing.
Comprehensive Editing
Comprehensive editing incorporates all of the
preceding levels of editing: structural/developmental
editing, copyediting, and proofreading. In effect, I become your full (if unofficial) partner in transforming your raw
manuscript into a work revised and then polished for publication.
Summing Up…
Now that I’ve explained the differences in the kinds of editing services I
offer, you can decide which level of work you want: proofreading,
where I clean up any typos, formatting errors, misspellings, or glaring
mistakes in your manuscript; copyediting,
where I offer proofreading corrections plus advice to improve your writing’s
clarity, appeal, and accuracy; developmental editing,
where I provide an overview of your work, in the form of a written critique; or
comprehensive
editing, where
I partner with you to substantively revise and to completely polish your
manuscript for publication.
"Contrary to my previous experience with other editors, I found Robert to be interactive during the process. His work was of the highest quality, exceeding my expectations. There are three components of any product: quality, speed, and price. They say you must pick two because you cannot get all three. Robert defied that adage. He gave a very high-quality product, in a timely manner at a very reasonable price. He explained his edits, offered alternatives and constructive criticism where necessary, and provided praise when deserved. For me, he extended the enjoyable part of writing into the editing phase.
"Contrary to my previous experience with other editors, I found Robert to be interactive during the process. His work was of the highest quality, exceeding my expectations. There are three components of any product: quality, speed, and price. They say you must pick two because you cannot get all three. Robert defied that adage. He gave a very high-quality product, in a timely manner at a very reasonable price. He explained his edits, offered alternatives and constructive criticism where necessary, and provided praise when deserved. For me, he extended the enjoyable part of writing into the editing phase.
I highly recommend his
service."
-- William J. Kennedy
Author of the Jonathan West Thrillers
EDITORIAL
RATES AND PROCEDURES
My rates are highly competitive
with those of other developmental editors, copy editors, and proofreaders.
However, I do not list flat-rate charges, either “by the hour” or “by the
word.” Instead, I customize my fee to fit the requirements of the project.
Here’s why:
Charging “by the hour” could be bad for you, the author, because it’s
too easy for an editor to inflate his claimed work time and pad his bill. You
should pay me only for the work I do—not for
my time.
Charging “by the word” also can be bad for you, the author. Some manuscripts
don’t require much work, while others do. If I were to charge the same per-word
rate for all manuscripts, then I’d have to set that rate high enough to
compensate me adequately for manuscripts that need a lot of attention. But that
higher rate would penalize skilled writers whose manuscripts are
comparatively “clean” and require less attention from me. If you’re a good
writer, you should pay me less for my
services—not as much as a less-talented writer should.
So, before I quote you a customized price, I first need to determine . . .
* the kind of book you wrote, fiction or
nonfiction;
* the word count of your manuscript (articles or short fiction will be
priced far lower);
* the level of
editing it requires: proofreading, copyediting, structural/developmental
editing, or comprehensive editing involving all of these services.
INTERESTED? LET’S GET STARTED...
After you tell me whether your manuscript is fiction or
nonfiction, then give me its approximate word count, here’s how we can proceed:
If you are a
nonfiction author, send me your chapter outline and the first 2,500 words
of the manuscript. I’ll perform a sample edit for only $50.00. Based
on what I see, I’ll then suggest the level of editing I think your whole
manuscript requires, and I’ll quote you a price. You can agree, or you can
select a different level of editing, if you prefer.
If you are a
novelist, for a $150.00 fee I will do the following things: First,
I’ll read your
entire manuscript, up to 90,000 words; next, I’ll evaluate its
requirements and suggest
a level of editing (proofreading, copyediting, developmental editing, or
comprehensive editing); then, I’ll copyedit the
first chapter for you, up to 4,000 words, to give you a sample of my work; and finally, I’ll quote you a fee
for the entire project, at whatever editing level you choose.
If you have written a short work, fiction or nonfiction, please
write me and describe the length and nature of your work. We can then discuss
how to proceed.
Should you decide to hire me to work on your
manuscript after my initial evaluation, the evaluation fee will be included in the total price I
quote for the project. It won’t be added to your
final charges.
Finally, I prefer to work in Microsoft Word, using its “Review/Track Changes”
features to share my fixes and suggestions with authors. I can explain to you
how that works, if you’re unfamiliar with it. Let me know if you think that may
pose any problems for you.
"Robert
Bidinotto is the ideal editor. I gave him a 600-page manuscript of complex
philosophical and historical material and he edited the whole thing in a
week! I was genuinely amazed that he could work so fast and with such a
high level of skill and acumen. I can sum up his contribution to my
manuscript in two words: maximum
clarity. Robert understands that clear writing is a function of clear
thinking, which means that he not only edits the words and sentences on a page
but he's actually editing and improving an author's thinking process…
Robert
caught typos and made necessary grammatical and syntactical corrections; he
moved paragraphs around to improve the flow of the argument; he encouraged me
to rewrite sentences and paragraphs so as to say more clearly what I was
thinking; and, finally, he had the courage and honesty to tell me when he
thought I was wrong about something. Finally, Robert is a consummate
professional. He would email me edited chapters at 4:00 a.m. and then
speak to me on the telephone several hours later. He doesn't know it yet,
but Robert Bidinotto will edit my next book as well, which is my highest
recommendation."
-- C.
Bradley Thompson,
Professor
of Political Philosophy,
Clemson
University
Author, America's Revolutionary Mind
Author, America's Revolutionary Mind
Once again, as an award-winning editor and a bestselling novelist, I’m eager to
help you prepare a manuscript that you can be proud of and that your readers
will enjoy.
If you want to discuss with me how I can help you, PLEASE
WRITE ME TODAY AT:
P.O. Box 555, Chester, MD 21619
