FAQs

What kinds of books do you work on?

We work on most genres of fiction, including historical fiction, mysteries, literary fiction, fantasy, romance, and thrillers. We also work on occasional nonfiction projects, including creative nonfiction like memoir, if we feel we have the right knowledge and skills for the project. We do not work on horror (Kristen is a wimp!), YA, hard sci-fi, or children’s literature.

How do I pay you?

Once we agree on a price and schedule for your project, we will email you an invoice for 50% of the full price of the project, which is due before work begins. An invoice for the final 50% payment will be sent during the editing process and is due before your edits are returned. The invoice includes links to pay via credit card. Payment plans are available upon request—just ask!

Do you use a contract?

Sure do! We use an industry standard contract outlining the scope, pricing, and schedule of the work, plus boring (but important) legal stuff like confidentiality and ownership. You’ll have a chance to review it and request changes before signing.

How do you set your rates?

Our rates are based on industry pricing guidelines such as those listed by the Editorial Freelancers Association. Our rates are not the cheapest in the business, but remember that old adage about getting what you pay for. When you hire Kristen, you are getting a highly trained professional who spends the better part of her waking hours (and some of the dreaming ones too) thinking about words and stories.

Do you review books you have edited?

Once we have worked on your book, we are invested in your success and therefore can't give an unbiased review. So we don't review books we have worked on, but we do love to hear about your progress. We are happy to post about your book launch on our social media channels and to include your book in our monthly newsletter.

What style guides and references do you use?

For fiction and most nonfiction, The Chicago Manual of Style and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary are the industry standard references. That said, Chicago is not primarily written for editors of fiction, and so we supplement with other style guides and—most often—by checking what other authors in your genre are doing. When it comes to word usage and spelling, we consult a number of sources, including The Oxford English Dictionary, Google Ngram, and Urban Dictionary.

Do I need to submit a 1099 or other tax form for your services?

If you paid your invoices using a credit card or PayPal, you don’t need to submit a 1099 or other paperwork because the payment services take care of that. Read more here or consult with your accountant or tax preparer. Note that if you are self-publishing, you may be able to deduct editing services as business expenses—again, consult with your tax preparer to make sure you qualify.

Do you hire other editors to work at the Blue Garret?

At the moment, the garret is largely a one-woman shop, and I have a healthy roster of proofreaders to draw from. If that changes, or I need a specialist proofreader for a project, I will post a job ad via the EFA and in the EAE Ad Space (both good resources to know about if you are looking to expand your editing business!).

Didn’t find an answer to your question? Send us an email, and we’ll be happy to help.