We’ve returned your project. What now?
Updated: 2 hours ago
After we have read/edited your work and returned it to you (via email), you have a number of options. I’ll touch on these briefly below. (You can find more details about our editing services, including prices, here. For much more on the different kinds of editing we offer, Josie’s essay might come in handy.)
Here are the options ...
1. Return your work to us for submissions
If you’ve already purchased a submission package, the simplest next step is to return a clean version of your work to us (via email). We’ll run your work through our algorithm and then send you a list of journals for approval. And then: submissions!
Note 1: For Journals List Only projects, you don’t need to return your work; just let us know (via email) when you’re ready for the list.
Note 2: If you’ve made a few changes that you’d like your reader/editor to check out, please mark these with comment balloons and return the (otherwise) clean file to said reader/editor (via email). For extensive changes, we can either bill you for our time, or please consider at least a Quick Critique (see below).
2. Quick Read
We recommended this service if you’ve made a number of changes to your work and you’d like us to look for any typos or formatting issues that may have cropped up. Keep in mind: this is absolutely, positively not a substitute for official copy or line editing. Think of it as a second set of eyes, checking for any obvious problems.
3. Quick Critique (NEW!)
This is similar to a Quick Read, since we’re still not officially editing, but with a Quick Critique, you’ll typically get personalized feedback covering our general thoughts or answering specific questions you might have about your work. What’s working? What’s not? Might the piece need a copy edit (grammar/usage)? Might it benefit from a full line edit? What submission strategy do we recommend? If an edit is too deep, but a Quick Read is not deep enough, a Quick Critique may be for you.
4. Copy Editing
If you’ve made changes to your work, copy editing—which focuses on errors of grammar (including punctuation), spelling, syntax, and common usage—is a good idea. Submitting work with grammar/usage errors will make getting published spectacularly unlikely. For many writers, a copy edit after major revisions is a must.
Note: If we’ve already completed a copy edit of your work, and if you haven’t made excessive changes to the revised version, you can select a “Second Copy Edit” (15% off the usual copy edit rate). With these second edits, we plan to move, yes, around 15% faster (since it's likely we corrected many mistakes during our first edit).
5. Line Editing
If you’d like us to go beyond copy editing, we recommend a full line edit. Line editing focuses on topics such as craft, style, voice, and character development. And sometimes, when the piece is already in good shape, we’ll have time to discuss larger (developmental) issues, like overall structure and plot.
Note 1: Line editing always includes copy editing. We do both at once. We’re like magicians over here!
Note 2: As with copy editing, if we’ve already completed a line edit of your work, and if you haven’t made excessive changes to the revised version, you can select a “Second Line Edit” (15% off the usual line edit rate).
6. Consultation
A consultation is a meeting of voices (and usually faces—we do these online, via Google Meet). Do you have general questions about your work? Curious about its chances of getting published? Would you like to discuss submission strategies? Or dig a little deeper into our edits? Or simply discuss writing or the submission process in general? Consulting is a great next step.
Note: While editing services are not included in a consultation, we strongly recommend—but, to be clear, do not require—a line edit, or at least a Quick Critique, of your work prior to a consultation.
Any added services can be purchased at your Client Portal. After logging in, just click the Add-on button (not the New Project button):
Please make sure to double-check the word/page count (most of the above services are based on word/page count). If you have any questions on these next steps, feel free to let us know.
For updates, tips about submitting, discussions of craft and style, and other miscellanea, please subscribe to Submitit's blog here.
