I'm Lisa, and I'm happy to meet you! I copyedit all kinds of fiction.

I'm Your Secret Weapon
There are algorithms that can spot misspellings or suggest a word, but only a human can read and edit for context—distinguishing between homophones or noticing any flawed logic, for example. That’s where I come in, identifying and quietly disarming any land mines in a manuscript. Experience is important, because what you do is special. Creative standards exist in fiction that don’t apply elsewhere (fragmented sentences, hello!), and it’s only through years of hands-on experience that I can carefully handle such subtleties, knowing when to leave something alone and when to modify it.

How I Can Help
I offer a deep, thorough edit in U.S. English, combining basic copyediting with line editing because if I see something that needs attention, it’s in my nature to fix it. Other editors may charge separately for these two services, but I like the freedom of an inclusive package, and my clients appreciate the comprehensive scope. These are the sentence-level particulars I focus on:

-Correcting punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax, capitalization, and word usage while preserving the meaning and voice of your original text
-Eliminating repetition, redundancy, wordiness, and incompleteness
-Substituting or suggesting weak words or phrases with stronger alternatives
-Addressing basic point-of-view issues
-Fixing or indicating flawed logic (a character suddenly has red hair or walked through a locked door)
-Reading for overall clarity and sense with regard to the target audience
-Adhering to or imposing a consistent style, and creating a custom style sheet to maintain your preferences
-Performing light fact-checking to verify content as needed (looking up the spelling of Kathmandu but not checking on how a character would get from there to San Francisco—authors are wholly responsible for facts)
-Rearranging the order of words or sentences within paragraphs to better convey a point
-Deleting or querying nonessential elements for better flow
-Identifying language differences: localizing words not familiar to a U.S. audience (petrol --> gas)
-Flagging for possible biased or outdated language, as well as cliches

---> Two things to note <---

1. I don't provide developmental editing, meaning "big picture" stuff: identifying and solving problems in the text regarding plot, story arc, timelines, characters, etc.; reorganizing or rewriting whole paragraphs, sections, or chapters; suggesting further topics…yada-yada-yada. All this should be addressed during an early editing stage, before it gets to me.

2. I don't work on horror or material that contains very graphic descriptions of violence; however, mentioning in the manuscript that such things have occurred is fine. (If you're unsure, feel free to ask.)

My Background
There's a quote that thrilled me when I read it because it ​perfectly expresses my editing philosophy: "You write to the communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke." (Thank you, Arthur Plotnik.) After earning my Certificate in Copyediting through Media Bistro’s former program and attending NYU, I started my career in education, working as a staff copyeditor. Two years later, I broke out and set up my own business, collaborating with indie authors and publishers in almost all genres of fiction. Since 2010, I’ve copyedited more than 80 novels in most genres. These days I specialize mainly in contemporary fiction, women's literature, and thrillers/mysteries, but I'm open to others.

I do offer a free, short sample edit! This is a great way to see if we're a good creative fit.

I'd love to hear about your project! I strictly communicate by email, so please reach out via Busy Bee or directly: LisaKaitzEditorial@gmail.com

You can find out more about me on my website too: https://www.lisakaitzeditorial.com/