Recent work includes:
“Chasing Melville Chasing a Whale.” LiteraryTraveler.com, June 2019.
“Eureka! The Boats That Helped Win World War II.” Cricket Magazine, March 2019, print edition.
“Indelible Tracks.” Streetlight Magazine, Sept. 2018.
Please use the contact form below or email me directly at wordphoenixediting@gmail.com.
I am happy to do a free sample edit and/or take an editing test.
WordPhoenix Editing
Certified Copy Editor and Proofreader, ACES: The Society for Editing; Editorial Freelancers Association
Every writer can benefit from a second pair of eyes on their work. As we write, revise, and rewrite, we start to focus more on the big concepts and lose sight of the nitty gritty details that seem to fade into the background.
My goal is to apply my eagle eye to your project. I will focus on those “invisible” details like spelling, grammar, usage, sentence construction, and punctuation.
My services include copy editing, line editing, developmental editing of fiction, proofreading, fact checking, and research.
Services
Copy Editing
Copy editing includes reading for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, clarity, and style. This is the next step after completing a draft. Often this stage of editing is done in Word’s Track Changes. After editing, you have the opportunity to go back and revise, making the decision to incorporate suggested changes as you go.
The editing process includes checking for any inconsistencies, and I will create a style sheet for your project as a guide for accuracy and consistency.
Line Editing has more to do with the writing itself. In this capacity, I will read for content and writing style, run-on sentences, bland language, clichés, confusing action or scenes, etc.
Rate:
$.006/word or $25/hour
Proofreading
Proofreading is a separate process from copy editing. It is usually done at a later stage than initial editing.
Proofreading is done when you believe your work is ready for publication or to be sent to agent. In this stage, I will not only check for errors that may have been overlooked in the editing process or introduced in revision but also for issues like missing italics, incorrect page numbering, problems with layout and formatting, missing quotation marks, typos, etc.
Rate:
$.003/word or $25/hour
Fact Checking and Research
Allow me to help you with the sometimes tedious task of fact checking. Researching is a joy for me, and I want to help you make your work as accurate and correct as possible. I am a library rat, experienced in the use of research databases, and have excellent communication skills.
Should you need help amassing research before embarking on a project, or if you’re running short on time during the writing process, I can assist with finding out all you want to know about your topic.
Rate:
$25/hour
“I could not be happier with the final product.[Erin] quickly grasped the nature of my writings.She made me look like a better writer AND made me a better writer.It has been a pleasure to work with her and I intend on using her for future efforts.If anyone feels the need to discuss her abilities I would be happy to talk to you.”-Robert Jacobs
“I wanted to put my poetry out there, but I’m insecure like you read about. So I asked a poet for help finding an editor, and he suggested Erin Levens. After a few days – sending the manuscript back and forth – I knew why she came so highly recommended.
* Easy to work with!
* Pleasant, professional and very knowledgeable!
* Easily understood my needs and addressed them all.
I recommend Erin as an editor – she understands me.”
-Darwin
About
I’m Erin Levens, a writer, freelance copy editor, proofreader, and researcher. I taught myself to read at the age of four and started writing around age seven, as seen in the image of me with our electric typewriter at the kitchen table. I’ve been an insatiable bookworm my whole life.
Knowing my calling was books and words, I majored in English at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I almost went to law school but decided against it and earned an MA in Writing and Rhetoric from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, instead.
During graduate school, I worked for the Capital Writing Project, a program for helping teachers hone their teaching writing skills.
After graduation, while considering law school, I worked as a paralegal where I wrote and edited letters and documents, worked quickly and on deadline for multiple projects, and kept cases and projects organized.
For the past 10 years, I have been a freelance writer. My work has appeared in publications such as LiteraryMama.com, LiteraryTraveler.com, Streetlight Magazine.com, and Cricket Media.
For many of those years, I have also worked part-time for James River Writers, Richmond’s non-profit writing association and community. I worked closely with the administrative director on many projects, including registration and logistics of multiple writing conferences, maintenance of member database, and communication with members and conference attendees.
I’m currently working on a historical fiction novel and have two other ideas waiting in the wings. When not reading or writing, I can be found taking long walks with my dog and hanging out with my husband and two children just outside of Richmond, Virginia.
Hello and Welcome!
I’m a writer, bookworm, and freelance editor and proofreader. My services include fact checking and research. I am happy to help you with any of your projects including but not limited to, books, articles, essays, websites, subscription online or print newsletters, and podcast shownotes.
I write articles, essays, stories, and am currently working on a historical fiction novel set in 19th-century Nantucket.
Find out more about WordPhoenix Editing Services.