I hold a copyediting certificate from UC Berkeley and have completed a developmental editing course at UCLA. My undergraduate degree in Psychology and five years in the education field, provide me the knowledge to give thoughtful, yet effective feedback to build your confidence and strengthen your writing. I've taught creative writing courses at the YMCA and adult education programs within the state of Maine that specialize in developing character motivation and a strong first chapter. Outside of editing I'm a casual bird watcher, hiker, and photographer. Come monarch season you'll find me in the milkweed fields rescuing caterpillars before the mowers get them.

Although I am a lover of all genres, my soft spot is for character-driven YA and adult novels that are adventurous, mysterious, or emotional. Adult or YA fantasy, sci-fi, and psychological thrillers are my favorite genres. When it comes to children's books my interest is in stories that advocate social-emotional health, therapeutic concepts, and medical advocacy. I take on the occasional non-fiction book. Should your book be outside my preferred genres, but you think I'd be a good fit, please fill out this editing questionnaire.

All pricing is within the EFA’s parameters. To get an idea of cost, please see the EFA’s webpage on editing rates: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/. Brainstorming calls: perfect for developing a story concept you’d like to talk through, support in getting unstuck, techniques for strengthening character motivation, or asking questions about the writing craft. This service is an hourly fee. First Chapter assessment: Ideal for querying authors, especially those that have received feedback from an agent along the lines of: It has a compelling premise and there is much to recommend about the story, however, after careful consideration I didn’t connect with these opening pages as much as I had hoped. For this reason I have decided to pass and step aside for now. Editorial feedback will support authors in identifying potential improvements. I’ll provide a 1-5 page document detailing what worked, your strengths, and suggestions on strengthening the first chapter. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates. Manuscript assessment: perfect for authors who wish to strengthen their story prior to a developmental edit. This 10-15 page document will assess your manuscript as a whole, focusing on structure, character development, plot development, pace, setting, etc. Should you have a specific section of the book you’d like feedback on, please indicate the page numbers in your inquiry. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates. Developmental editing: an in-document edit of your manuscript that provides feedback, notes, and suggestions on plot, narrative arc, structure, flow, dialogue, character development, clarity, voice, themes, conflict and tension, any overarching and recurring grammatical issues, and other relevant elements of craft. My suggestions are free for you to take or to spark your creative juices to find your own solution. The goal of a developmental edit is to give you hope, spur you forward, and help your story shine. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates. Please note that at this point in time I am taking on a limited number of developmental editing clients. proofreading: the final edit of an already-copyedited manuscript that corrects any remaining or hard-to-see errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates. Ready to get started? Fill out this editing questionnaire.

Updated January 2023 I am currently open to all editing services. At this time I have an opening to take on only one developmental editing client.

I follow the Editorial Freelancer Association's rates. For their list of rates by services please go to this website: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/ To receive an estimate please fill out this editing questionnaire.

Yes! In lieu of a 15 minute consultation I'm happy to provide a sample edit of five pages you're seeking guidance on and five pages you believe are strong. Please email me directly: margaret.ellis.raymond@gmail.com with the topic of the email as 'Sample Edit - [Your Name]'

Books: Catherine Morrill Day Nursery Katie Lockwood, CSC Marketing: 2MO, NY, New York imre, Los Angeles The Woodmont Group