About Me

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Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.

My Editing Services



As a writer, I have learned that no matter how skilled I am or how many times I read the manuscript, I can't do final edits of my own work. Other writers have expressed the same inability to distance themselves from their work in order to find all the errors. That's why it is so important to have an editor look over the final manuscript. I understand how difficult it can be to afford a good editor, so I have decided to make my prices affordable without compromising quality.

My pricing is based on the manuscript length and on how much time it will take me to edit. If you would like to see what I can do to help you polish your story, send me 10 pages for a free edit and quote to kelleyheckart@gmail.com. Once we agree to work together, the first payment is due.

(See Payment Options below.)

There may be an additional fee for rush jobs.

Questions are welcome during post edits.

Payment options:

I accept payment by Paypal (zorthon2004@yahoo.com). I require half the payment up front, final payment due upon completion of edits. Send inquiries and manuscripts to kelleyheckart@gmail.com DOCX, DOC or RTF files only: double-spaced, indented, 12-point font.

My Process:

I will not rewrite your manuscript or trample on your "‘voice." I work with you to polish your story. Using track changes in MS Word, I will offer suggestions for you to accept or reject. I use the current Chicago Manual of Style as my reference.

My Experience:

I am a multi-published author and started editing for a small press publisher in 2010. Plus, I am detail-oriented and have a talent for finding obscure errors. One of my authors nicknamed me Eagle Eyes. I enjoy helping writers polish their stories and will edit just about any fiction genre, including erotica or gay romance. My main experience is in paranormal/fantasy romance and settings in ancient Greece, Roman Britain, and Dark Age Scotland.

COPY EDITING

This combines proofreading (grammar, punctuation, typos, and spelling) with some content edits like overused words, awkward sentences, and inconsistencies. One round. I do a spell check, a thorough read through, and a quick review. Pricing starts at .003 per word.

CONTENT EDITS AND COPY EDITING

This is more extensive editing for passive voice, point of view, head-hopping, show vs. tell, tenses, overused word, awkward sentences, plot holes, inconsistencies, pacing, plus grammar, punctuation, typos, and spelling. One round. I do a spell check, a thorough read through, and a quick review. Pricing starts at .005 per word.

DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

I will give you feedback on your story using comments in Track Changes in MS Word. I will look at your opening chapter, your plot, look for plot holes and story inconsistencies, give feedback on your characters, dialogue, your ending, and anything that jumps out at me that might need a second look. If I notice any punctuation or grammatical errors, I will flag them, but this is not an edit. Pricing depends on how much of your story needs to be developed and starts at .005 per word.

PROOFREADING

Proofreading is the final step in polishing your manuscript. Your story should already have gone through some type of developmental editing and copy editing before you reach this final step. This service involves rooting out typos, grammatical and punctuation errors, overused words, awkward sentences, and formatting errors. My fee is .002 per word.

Customer Endorsements

"There's nothing like having a trustworthy proofreader like Kelley. When I asked her for her help with my novella, she worked with the PDF copy I sent her and she made some good suggestions and corrections. She is not only proficient in proofing for spelling and punctuation, she is also pretty fast in getting your file back to you. If you are on a limited budget and need a fresh set of eyes to go over your writing, I recommend the very affordable Kelley Heckart for proofreading services."

E.V. Medina, The Priestess and the Ravenknight

"I highly recommend Kelley Heckart -- she is an excellent, perceptive, and insightful editor who will help you polish your manuscript until it shines."

Nina Lane-USA Today bestselling author

“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Kelley as my copy editor. She is professional, knowledgeable, and efficient. Her prices were also very affordable. Her keen eyes helped polish up my manuscript and her enthusiasm really shone through. I highly recommend her and can’t wait to work with her again!"

~ Rachael Slate

"Kelley is an amazing copy editor who has a unique talent for weeding out overused words, catching misspellings, and fixing my misguided attempts at using commas. Her attention to detail and gentle suggestions help make my manuscripts shine. Always professional and on time, Kelley is an absolute joy to work with. If you’re in need of copy edit services, you’ll be glad you chose her!"

Award-winning author Rosalie Redd. Marked by Love


Editing/Publishing/Writing Articles by Kelley Heckart

A Word about Editing

https://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/2015/02/monday-musings-word-about-editing.html


The Journey to Self-Publishing

https://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/2014/11/monday-musings-journey-to-self.html


Can there ever be too much action?

https://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/2014/06/monday-musings-writing-fiction-can.html


My Biggest Frustration as a Writer

https://tabithablake.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-biggest-frustration-as-writer.html?zx=3a20b13cadd2bd38


Writing Fiction--Don't forget the Goal, Motivation, and Conflict

https://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/2019/02/writing-fictiondont-forget-goal.html




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