I get especially excited about speculative fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. Send me all your folklore and fairytale-inspired stories as well! That said, I read a wide variety of genres and am interested in story structure more broadly, so don’t hesitate to contact me if your story falls outside this scope. I am likely not the best fit for poetry, nonfiction, or erotica.

Reach out through the Contact form or send me an e-mail at greta@gretavalentine.com. We’ll walk through the next steps and I’ll answer any questions you may have along the way.

I firmly believe in preserving an author’s unique creative vision and voice. The world needs the art that you alone can make. My role is to provide feedback on big-picture elements such as characterization, pacing, motivations, and plot so that you can decide how to hone the story you want to tell in a compelling way. The winding labyrinth of the writing journey requires support as you move towards publication. I aim to provide that support through honest feedback, resources to guide your revisions, and communication that is clear and kind.

Every project is different, and will consequently be priced differently based on factors such as length, complexity, and the desired level of feedback. My rates are competitive with the standard rates for developmental editing set by the Editorial Freelancers Association, of which I am a member. See the Editing Services page for rate estimates for various services. I’ll always share a draft service agreement that we’ll both have the opportunity to discuss and edit before signing so there are no hidden costs or surprises.

My aim is always to support YOUR visions for your project, and to provide feedback that is actionable, clear, and kind. You can take a look at my Process page to see the steps in a typical editing project.

As with pricing, turnaround time will depend on the story’s length, complexity and desired level of feedback. I aim to complete short story critiques within 2 weeks, manuscript evaluations in 6-8 weeks, and developmental edits in 8-10 weeks.

In order to determine whether I connect with your work and whether you resonate with my editing style, I will perform a sample edit of your work. After you have contacted me, I will request your manuscript so I can perform the sample edit, which I’ll aim to return within 7 days. For novels, I will read your first 10 pages; for short stories, I’ll read 1-2 pages. I will provide sample in-line notes (manuscript markup) on several pages and a paragraph or two of feedback. You will get some time to review my notes and decide whether you’d like to work with me.

There is always the possibility that an edit may need to be canceled by either you or I due to events beyond our control. I make every effort to be fair and flexible in these circumstances while being mindful of the value of both our time. If you must cancel a project we have agreed to proceed on, please notify me as soon as possible. Typically, if a cancellation is made after I have begun work on an edit, I will retain the initial deposit. Additional details regarding cancellations are spelled out in the Service Agreement that we will both sign before work begins.

While editing is an important step in your journey to publication, hiring an editor does not guarantee that your story will be published, sold, or represented by an agent.