Joyce Mochrie

Certified Copy Editor and Proofreader

Services

My services include two complete rounds of both copy editing and proofreading.

Copy Editing

Deals with content and focuses on the following:

  • Improving style, accuracy, sentence structure, and overall cohesion so the story line flows well;
  • Rewording awkward sentences and/or phrases and inserting omitted words;
  • Checking for technical consistency in grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, font usage, and numerals;
  • Correcting discrepancies (such as same name spelled two or more different ways) and redundancies (such as identical words/phrases repeated in close proximity to one another);
  • Fact-checking for incorrect words, names, places, and dates;
  • Checking for continuity errors and inconsistencies with characters, plot, and settings, including sequential slipups and lapses in logic;
  • Ensuring adherence to style guidelines, specifically The Chicago Manual of Style; and
  • Making certain that every element of the story is consistent, cohesive, and complete.

Proofreading

Deals with presentation and focuses on the following:

  • Correcting minor surface problems, such as punctuation, spelling, and typographical errors;
  • Checking for extra or missing spaces, variances in margins, fonts, numbering, etc., and double or omitted end punctuation;
  • Ensuring the proper use of commas, dashes, hyphens, etc.; and
  • Checking the accuracy of page numbers, table of contents, hyphenation breaks, and line spacing.

With three different methods of editing that I offer, authors may choose the technique they prefer.

I utilize the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus as my reference guides.

I would be more than happy to provide a complimentary five-page sample edit upon request.

“I found Joyce to be an exceptional copy editor and proofreader who not only caught a myriad of routine issues, she also went back to my first novel to ensure consistency within the second novel. Clearly, she goes above and beyond, and her business model is one manuscript at a time—you have her entire focus when she’s editing your work. I highly recommend that you avail yourself of Joyce’s dedication, superb attention to detail, and extraordinary talent for your copy editing and proofing needs. You won’t regret it!”
– Joseph Gary Crance, Published Author