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Payton Hayes Writing & Editing Services

Editing Services For Writers

 

COPYEDITING

Content editing may appear in two forms—as developmental (or substantive editing) or as line-by-line editing known as copyediting. Depending on the level of editing needed, I provide line-by-line edits to ensure correct and consistent spelling, capitalization, punctuation, numerals, abbreviations, formats of lists, hyphenations, and similar elements throughout the manuscript. I check for properly cited quotations, correct style of in-text citations, bibliographies, reference lists, and footnotes or end notes. I also make sure that dedications, acknowledgements, and about pages are properly formatted. Additionally, I make suggestions throughout the manuscript to recast the sentence structure or reorganize content, with regard to overall flow, style, tone, plot, theme, character development, pacing, story-tense, point of view, dialogue, readability, and other important aspects of storytelling. I also flag wordy or awkward language that may need to be revised in order to ensure brevity throughout the manuscript.

MENTORING

A mentor can be your greatest asset, but they aren’t always easy to find. As an experienced writer, editor and project manager, I offer one-on-one mentoring to help writers and editors alike navigate their editorial journeys. I help you determine professional goals for growth, create actionable and sustainable steps for your business, offer a sounding board for ideas, share tips, tricks, and mistakes to avoid, supply feedback on practices, and assist in fostering viable connections with other editorial professionals in the field, while providing encouragement and guidance along the way.

PROOFREADING

This is usually the type of edit most new writers gravitate to, but it is the final stage of editing where words are polished, and the manuscript is fine-tuned in preparation for submission to a publisher. In this stage, I examine the manuscript for minor errors that can conceal the quality of the work. While often missed, these errors can easily misrepresent your writing talent or your company’s professionalism. During the proofreading phase, I check for grammatical and typographical errors, usage errors, widows, orphans, and breaks, capitalization and punctuation, misspellings and other discrepancies, overall appearance, typeface and fonts. During this stage, I also ensure consistency within format and style rules.

WRITING EVALUATIONS

Maybe you’re not ready for line-by-line edits or proofreading. A good, first step before the developmental editing phase is a manuscript critique. During the writing evaluation, I provide clear, constructive, and actionable feedback regarding the big-picture ideas of the story, assessing its strengths and weaknesses. I highlight inconsistencies in the plot, prevailing themes, and other important elements to illuminate problem areas and the stronger parts of the manuscript alike.

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 Writing Services for Businesses

 

WEBSITE DESIGN AND LAYOUT

With a background in programming and editing, I provide a unique skillset when it comes to designing an online presence. For websites and social media, I may simply visit the site and provide clients with a critique and list of suggestions. For in-depth marketing recommendations and copy-editing, I typically examine the site, and related social media accounts, and provide a sample edit of the current content. I then develop a realistic and sustainable strategy for creating compelling content while retaining a brand’s identity across multiple platforms. I help design a brand-kit, make suggestions for recasting a website’s layout and design if necessary and provide writers, publishers, and other editorial agencies with a list of tailored practice posts to get more accustomed to any new changes in style or formatting.

SOCIAL MEDIA COLLABORATION

Are you interested in guest writing for my blog and getting a guest post from me in return? Want to collaborate with me on my blog or other social media? Working together can spark creativity, inspire innovation, and foster mutually beneficial editorial connections. Let’s craft exclusive content for each other and reach new audiences by providing accurate, actionable, content on both sides.

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITING

Not looking for traditional publishing? Perhaps you’re looking to self-publish or market your brand online? An online presence is crucial in this social-media-driven age but despite the capture and post nature of Instagram, it’s easier said than done. During an online edit, I evaluate the overall aesthetic and feel of your website, related social media accounts and/or blog posts. I make experienced assessments of quality, consistency, and uniformity throughout your online presence and provide actionable and sustainable solutions for implementation.

BLOG COPYWRITING

All online businesses can benefit from having a professional copywriter on their staff. From writing knowledgeable, detailed blog posts, to enagaing with your audience on social media, online copywriting is an important aspect of your online presence. I work with authors, publishers, and editorial agencies to understand and develop their brand voice and craft compelling content for their online social media accounts. Depending on the company's needs, this might include writing copy, layout and design, and photography.

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 Other Editorial Services

 

CO-AUTHORING WITH WRITERS

Sometimes writing a full-length novel on your own can be daunting for new writers. Depending on the experience level, genre, and premise, I am open to co-writing novels with budding authors. This benefits both parties, because the combination of my editorial experience and our mutual legwork, the co-authoring process results in a finished product for us both to take pride and ownership in creating. Co-authoring is a great way for inexperienced writers to get out of the woods when it comes to writing, and by having a completed novel under their belt, new writers gain confidence in their writing abilities, thus future projects become less stress-inducing and more approachable.

BETA READING FOR AUTHORS

I offer beta-reading services for published authors as well! Established and new authors alike can benefit from having a second set of eyes examining their work. As a beta reader, I can assist you in bettering an existing story or act as the last line of defense against pesky typos and other errors making their way into the final copy. I work with your Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) and help you perfect a manuscript that is almost ready for publishing or has been previously published.

MARKETABILITY ASSESSMENTS

Marketability assessments can be crucial to authors, publishers, and editorial agencies because they help to gauge the current market and determine whether the sale of a certain product or service makes financial sense at the time. These kind of evaluations provide clients with an estimated value and projected length of time the product or service should be sold, as well as comparable sales in the industry, specific outline of the target market, and any relevant trends that will provide the client with additional information on their product or service.

GHOSTWRITING AND RE-WRITING CONTENT

As a business, it can be hard to find a writer who can effectively capture the essence of your brand in their writing. With my history in editing, I’ve learned how to write in a variety of voices whilst remaining true to each brand respectively. As a ghostwriter, I will write content for your website or blog, online social media, novel, articles, or any other form of writing except for academic writing. As a re-writer, I will expertly assist in recasting previously published or posted content so that it is constructive, compelling, and concise.

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 Looking for a service not listed above?

I am happy to work with you to get your editing needs met and will negotiate rates for services not mentioned. Please consult my Process and Rates page, and my FAQ’s page to get a better understanding of the services I provide, pricing, and my editing process. Feel free to reach out if you’re in need of writing, editing, or website design services that may not be listed above.

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