Editing Services

EDITING SERVICES

Tumbleweed is pleased to afford authors and publishers a broad range of services to ensure that their books are ready for publication.  Scroll down to learn about our editing services, beta reading services, and access to proofreading and formatting services. Tumbleweed is committed to helping authors’ and publishers’ books achieve their full potential. Since offering our services early last year, editor-in-residence Mark Greathouse has copy edited a satire for a best-selling author, two historical factbooks, a fantasy novella, a novel, and several dozen magazine articles for Military Miniature Magazine plus has Beta read three novels. He also maintains a monthly op-ed column in a local newspaper and has edited scripts and speeches as well as all manner of business writing from plans to reports to proposals.

Tumbleweed Editing Services for Authors & Publishers

Why Do Authors & Publishers Need a Copy Editor?

Copy editing aims to help the author reach the full potential of his or her book.  Just as actors need skilled directors, so authors – even best-selling authors – need editors.  In addition to checking your manuscript for basic grammar and punctuation errors, editors take a deep-dive look at your work.  The editor provides feedback on elements such as plot and character development and the overall organization, and flow of your book.  Editing is your final step before sending the book you’ve worked so hard on to the publisher for production and distribution.

Finding the copy editing service that is right for you and your book is important.  You want an editor who has experience with the publishing industry and knows what publishers are looking for.  Moreover, a good copy editor will identify problems in your manuscript that you may not even be aware of.  Only a copy editor with decades of experience can edit with such perspective.

Why Tumbleweed Copy Editing Services?

Tumbleweed Copy Editing Services respect the creative talents of its authors and high standards of its publisher clients.  For authors, Tumbleweed understands that your book is yours, and all decisions as to style and content are yours alone to make.  Tumbleweed’s job is to make as certain as possible that your book will be editorially correct for maximum audience acceptance.  It’s not enough to simply edit and return a marked-up manuscript to you, Tumbleweed explains its edits and suggestions to you in writing, generally a report of up to two-pages in length.  We aim to transform your book into a far better one.  Tumbleweed strives to equip its author clients with the knowledge to apply our edits and suggestions to future book authoring efforts.

What of Tumbleweed’s editor-in-residence?  In addition to having authored and published five western genre novels, an anthology of short stories and poetry, a teen novel, a poetry chapbook, and a biography, Tumbleweed editor-in-residence Mark Greathouse offers authors access to his more than 40 years of experience in writing and editing across multiple genres and forms of writing.  He assures authors that, “The Chicago Manual of Style has long been my trusty ‘editing bible’ of choice.”  Greathouse holds a BA in English from University of Maryland in addition to an MBA in marketing from The American University.  Given his background as a successful business executive, educator, and community leader, he brings special perspectives that contribute toward the success of your book.

Do Tumbleweed Copy Editing Services have genre preferences?  Tumbleweed genre specialties include westerns, romance, historical, suspense, mystery, adventure, young adult, science fiction, and mainstream books.  Tumbleweed does not provide its services for pornography or erotica.   Manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word in 12-point Times Roman typeface in 1.5-space or double-space format.

What does Tumbleweed Copy Editing Services charge?  We charge 2.75 cents per word, and we’d be happy to discuss our value proposition with you.  A 50 percent non-refundable deposit is required.  Simply go to “Contact Us” on our website menu and express your interest via email.  Do include your contact information.

TUMBLEWEED Beta Reading Services

Why Do Authors Need a Beta Reader?

First of all, what is a beta reader and where is the term from?  If you’ve been around the software industry, you’ve likely heard of “beta testing” wherein a software company uses hands-on testers to help work out the kinks in a program from a user perspective.  Beta readers perform a similar function for authors by reading your book with the eye of a reader.

Beta readers are not editors.  They don’t perform nearly to the depth that editors do.  Beta readers are essentially giving you a view as to the readability of your book.  Is it boring?  Are their huge holes or confusions in the story line?  Is your protagonist truly an interesting main character?  The beta reader often will reveal problems to you that have been right under your very eyeballs, but you’ve been too close to be able to see.

What are the best characteristics of a beta reader and how many do you need?  Your beta reader should be an avid reader, be reliable, be willing to be honest, and be at least nominally familiar with your genre.  As to the number of beta readers, it’s up to you.  One reader can be sufficient but three is recommended.

Why Tumbleweed Beta Reading Services?

As with Tumbleweed Editing Services, our Beta Reading Services respect the creative talents of its author clients.  Tumbleweed understands that your book is yours, and all decisions as to style and content are yours alone to make.  Tumbleweed delivers a one- to two-page beta reading summary of our findings.  We aim to transform your book into a far better one.  Tumbleweed strives to equip its author clients with the knowledge to apply our observations and suggestions to future book authoring efforts.

What of Tumbleweed’s reader-in-residence?  In addition to having authored and published five western genre novels, a teen novel, poetry, and a biography, Tumbleweed editor-in-residence Mark Greathouse offers authors access to his more than 40 years of experience in writing and editing across multiple genres and forms of writing.  He is a prolific reader across multiple genres, reading more than 50 books per year.  Greathouse holds a BA in English from University of Maryland in addition to an MBA in marketing from The American University.  Given his background as a successful business executive, educator, and community leader, he brings special perspectives that contribute toward the success of your book.

Does Tumbleweed Beta Reading Services have genre preferences?  Tumbleweed genre specialties include westerns, romance, historical, suspense, mystery, adventure, young adult, science fiction, and mainstream books.  Tumbleweed does not provide its services for pornography or erotica.  Manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word in 12-point Times Roman typeface in 1.5-space or double-space format.

What does Tumbleweed Beta Reading Services charge?  Tumbleweed charges authors $15 for every 10,000 words of manuscript submitted with a $20.00 minimum.  If you engage Tumbleweed for your copy editing, the beta reading charge will be applied against the editing fee.  Oh, and some folks feel that beta readers should offer their services for free; however, it’s likely fair to say that it disrespects their time and value.  Tumbleweed believes you will find our beta reading service an excellent value. Simply go to “Contact Us” on our website menu and express your interest via an email.  Do include your contact information.

Proofreading Services

Tumbleweed does not offer proofreading services, but we would be pleased to connect you with our preferred proofreading provider Armadillo Editing.  Proofreading happens at or near the final stage of the publication process. It is one of the last checks for errors before the document is submitted, published, printed, or otherwise finalized. Proofreading assumes the author has written the content as they would like, and it involves reviewing a document for overlooked mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, double words, formatting, and word choice. You will receive a Word file with notes and all edits for suggested corrections.  Contact Armadillo Editing at www.armadilloediting.com and tell them Mark Greathouse at Tumbleweed sent you.