The Nocturnal Editor

You may or may not have noticed, but I have renamed the Abraxas Writing & Editing Services FB page to The Nocturnal Editor. If you haven't dropped by and 'liked' my page, please do! If you need writing or editing services, PM me or e-mail nocturnaleditor@gmail.com.

~Bev
The Nocturnal Editor

Need an editor or proofreader? Hire me!

I’ve been a professional writer and editor for nearly two decades. If you have a book manuscript that needs polishing, I can assist you. You’ll get a professional copy edit or proofread at a reasonable price. Plus, I tell great jokes if you catch me on the right day. ;-) I may also share virtual coffee, tea, and chocolate, depending on your preferences.

But seriously, if you’ve written something for publication and you need a professional edit or proofread without a lot of hassle and without busting your budget, I’m your best choice.

Not sure if you need copy editing or proofreading? Here’s a link that will help you make that determination: http://thewriteoneblog.com/substantive-editing-copy-editing-proofreading/

Once you’re clear on what you need, here’s what I charge for the services I provide:

Copy editing – $2 per double-spaced page (must adhere to standard ms. format)

Proofreading – $1.50 per double-spaced page (must adhere to standard ms. format)

Coaching sessions for writers (Skype or telephone) – $20 per half-hour session

Professional writing courses – $20 per week and up. Go here for more info: https://www.facebook.com/Abraxas.Writing.Courses

* I DO NOT provide developmental editing services.

* I DO NOT provide ghostwriting services.

* I am NOT a literary agent.

Anything else I might agree to do for you – $25 per hour
(Hint: paying a flat fee is easier on your wallet).

Before you contact me, please note:

* I’m an editor and proofreader, not a ghostwriter. I will NOT rewrite or write your manuscript.

* I’m not your therapist. I will edit or proofread your manuscript.

* If I don’t know you well or you’re not a close friend, please do not friend me on Facebook.

* I do not work for free or for a promised share of royalties.

* A deposit of half my editing or proofreading fee is expected upfront.

* You are paying for my time as well as my knowledge and expertise.

* I work during the week, but not on weekends.

* Rush jobs are not welcome. I don’t do rush jobs. I often work with more than one client at a time and I won’t cut corners for existing clients to satisfy rush jobs.

* I’m a nice, patient person under most circumstances. Do not take advantage of my jocular nature ;-)


If you have other questions, drop me a line.

If you think we’ll make a good fit, proceed to the info below.

Ready to get started? E-mail me at nocturnaleditor (at) gmail.com. I’ll need no fewer than five pages of your work to determine if I will agree to edit or proofread it. Unfortunately for some people, but fortunately for me, I have minimum standards for manuscripts I will edit or proofread. To get a clue what those standards might be, see this post: https://writersdominatrix.wordpress.com/2015/10/14/this-shouldnt-even-be-a-thing-and-yet-it-is/

I look forward to hearing from you.

Abraxas Writing & Editing Services: Notice to Writers & Authors

Posting this on several pages and blogs to ensure I get the point across
========================================================

Effective immediately, Abraxas Writing & Editing Services will no longer accept manuscripts for editing that do not meet basic standards of manuscript formatting and readability. If your manuscript includes the following, we will not edit your work:


* Lack of paragraphs throughout the manuscript
* Lack of quotation marks throughout the manuscript
* Commas used instead of periods to end sentences
* Hard returns throughout the document
* Hidden characters throughout the document (if you aren't sure what that means, use Google for further information)
* No capital letters at the beginning of every sentence
* Incomplete words as shorthand. Example: 'e one' used for 'everyone' throughout the manuscript
* Run-on sentences that turn the entire document into one or two long sentences
* Nonstandard fonts and font sizes (if you are unsure what standard fonts and font sizes are for manuscript submissions, it's time to do your homework)
* Backward quotation marks throughout the document

There may be other egregious errors involved that are not listed here, but you get the point. Any proper document or manuscript must have a minimum of readability and formatting. If your work ignores such basic conventions, then you have corrections to make before you have any business submitting your work to anyone in the publishing industry.

Once you take the time to get your manuscript into proper form, you may then resubmit your manuscript to us for editing or proofreading. If you prefer, you may choose to keep your manuscript as-is or in barely readable form and find someone else who will take the time to muddle through and render it somewhat readable.

We will no longer ask our team of professional editors and proofreaders to wade through thousands of words and hundreds of pages of narrative and dialogue that is barely decipherable or understandable. To submit work in such a manner shows a lack of care and respect for any editor, agent, or publisher.

An essential part of writing professionally is learning the basics of submitting a manuscript for review and revision. If authors cannot or will not take the time to make these changes, we cannot and will not spend our time and energy correcting and improving their unreadable work.


Regards,
Bev Sninchak
Abraxas Writing & Editing Services
nocturnaleditor@gmail.com

What are your favorite tunes for writing & editing?

Added more to my Writing & Editing playlist. If you have any song recommendations for me, let me know. To get an idea of the kind of tunes I prefer for this specific list, go check it out. If you're on Spotify, follow me and I'll return the favor.

Writing & Editing Music

On retraining myself, and others

This is long, but it addresses some of you. Therefore, this is why it's not only posted on my blogs, but on Facebook as well. If the shoe fits, wear it. If it doesn't, don't worry about it. Savvy?:

Ever feel like you're shouting into the void and nobody is hearing you? Of, if they are hearing you, they aren't listening? I feel that way much of the time. Not with every person, but with most.

Until I lose my shit, hardly anybody takes me seriously or listens, and that's a big pet peeve of mine. It's unnecessary to become a volcano and erupt. Much easier to listen, understand, and try to do something about things BEFORE the lava flows, right?

I don't like to erupt. It's not pretty, trust me. You've seen me upset on here, but you've NEVER seen me erupt (well, save for maybe a few of you). It's not healthy for anybody involved, including me, and it leaves wounds and scars afterward. But alas, I AM human and I can only take so much.

If you need or want things from me, I ask that you be respectful and considerate of me in return -- that goes for family, friends, FB acquaintances, and strangers. That includes impositions on my time, energy, and attention. Because, just like yours, it's precious. It's more precious than money, in fact. I put the value on my time and attention, and from here on, it's gonna be high.

Unless you put me on retainer 24/7, I'll respond when it's convenient for me (this applies to personal communication, not professional communication). Your emergency is not automatically my emergency, either. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Tired of putting myself in crisis mode over other people's crises.

Also, my immediate family comes first -- always. Everybody else stands in line. And on down the line...you get the drift. Believe me, I have more than enough to juggle here on the home front. Husband and children first, then comes my career. Everything else is a lower priority than those two things. It has to be that way.

For most of my life, I've allowed others to eat up my time, energy, and attention because I felt I needed to always please them or I needed to bow to their whims. No longer, so get used to it. I'm 50 and I have no idea how much time I'll be on this plane of existence. I no longer have time to say yes to everything or try and bend myself to the whims or wishes of others.

It's time for me now. It's time for my dreams, my goals, my ambitions. And, considering the time I've spent giving to others, sacrificing for others, and putting myself at risk to shield others from problems, I think I damn well deserve to draw some boundaries. If I were a man, I wouldn't have to ask or beg for this. I'd do it, and I'd do it without emotion.

As a woman, society has raised me to think that I need to ask, beg, or justify time for myself. Well, I won't do it. I'm taking it. People can either like and understand it or not. That's not my issue, it's theirs. Men typically don't have to explain such things, but women are selfish if they're not there for everybody all the time or waiting in the wings to nurture, support, or encourage everybody else on the fucking planet.

Yes, I do care about all of you. But friends and family, it's time for me. I'm going to train myself to stop chasing after people, to stop trying to please everybody every single minute of the day, and to stop doing things that others can (and should) do for themselves. I've said this before and gotten off track, so this is a reaffirmation of what I MUST do in order to maintain whatever sanity I have left. This is a reminder for both me and all of you.

There's more, but you can fill in the blanks. If not, Google is your friend. Speaking of which, I will no longer do research for anybody, either. If you're hooked up to the Internet, you can use the same method I do: type in Google, enter your inquiry into the search box, etc. My time is as precious as yours, after all. Or, find experts and ask them. There's a website for that as well.

If you have a book manuscript, I do not have time to read it. Are you kidding? With editing and reading for pleasure, when do I have time to read other manuscripts? Same with short stories. I cannot tell you if it's good enough to be published. That's up to an agent, editor, or publisher. So submit it and you'll find out. That's what I had to do (and still have to do). 

Also, don't ask to give me an idea so I can write a book and split the royalties with you. Really? Ideas are a dime a dozen, and I have more in my head than I could EVER put on paper. When you ask a writer that, you're asking THEM to do all the work so you can reap the benefits of the results. Not cool. The answer is no. Write it yourself or pay a ghostwriter (and they aren't cheap).

I'm not being harsh; I'm being upfront about things. If you want feedback, a critique of your work, and one-on-one attention, I have writing and editing courses for $20 to $25 per week. I'm a cheap date, too! And if you don't think I'm worth $20 a week, I don't have time to discuss this with you anymore. Because, you see, I am worth that -- and a lot more.

I'm tired of devaluing myself for others. After 18 years as a professional in the publishing industry, I sure as hell hope you think my time is worth that small amount. You'd spend a lot more on one dinner and I'll give you more value for that price. I support my family with my work, and the utility company doesn't take IOUs (I wish they did!) So please, don't put me in an uncomfortable position by asking me to things without payment or an equal barter in return.

In general, it's my belief that people do not truly care about events or situations unless they're directly affected. That's true for me at times as well, because I'm human. I have a ton of flaws myself, believe me.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm much more critical of myself that anybody else. I've gotten better over the years, but I still struggle with self-loathing in many ways. It's hard to love oneself, but it's become clear that if I don't learn that, I'm destined to destroy myself. I'm loving myself by redrawing boundaries and reasserting them to me, and to all of you.

Anyway, enough with that. Having spoken my piece, the matter is resolved. Now, let's see what trouble I can get into for the rest of the day *evil laugh*

Freelancing for nearly eighteen years -- already?

Just realized that, in three weeks, I will celebrate 18 (yes, that's EIGHTEEN) years as a freelance writer, editor, and writing instructor. In May 1997, I left my job in municipal government, where I worked in utility billing AND the police department, to set out on my own.

One of the best perks of freelancing is that I am able to set my own schedule. That made it easy for me to attend my kids' school and extracurricular events. BIG plus. I think it made a difference in their lives (at least I hope it did).

It has NOT been easy. I wouldn't recommend it for most people, in fact. However, it's been rewarding, surprising, and unpredictable (in good ways and bad -- but mostly good!)

Hardest job you'll ever love, methinks. Where does the time go?!

[Limited time offer] Get 10% off my online professional writing and editing courses

Nearing 100 likes on my FB page for Abraxas Professional Writing Courses. If you haven't liked my page, please stop by and do so at https://www.facebook.com/Abraxas.Writing.Courses

I've been teaching online courses since 1997 and many of my students have gone on to become freelance writers and published authors. I love to help people make their dreams come true ;-)

To show my appreciation, for a limited time I'm offering 10% off any of my courses. Just e-mail me at scribequill -at- gmail.com with WRITING COURSES in the subject line of the message. Let me know which featured online professional writing/editing course you're interested in:

* Professional Freelance Writing - 4 weeks-$80 or $20 per week

* Creativity 101: Tapping the Muse Within - 4weeks - $80 or $20 per week

* Marketing/PR for Writers - 4 weeks - $80 or $20 per week

* How to Write, Sell, and Market Your Nonfiction Book - 4 weeks - $100 or $25 per week

* Editing 101 - 4 weeks - $100 or $25 per week

When you e-mail me, I'll give you a special link to sign up and enroll in the course of your choosing at a 10% discount. You can begin right away! If you have questions, you can ask me those as well. 

Thanks for your attention ;-)

Summer wave of online writing courses, including my new Elements of Editing course!

I’m launching the next wave of professional writing courses, along with a BRAND NEW “Elements of Editing” online course. I‘ve been teaching online writing courses since 1997 and many of my students have gone on to become part-time or full-time freelance writers and editors — as well as published authors. If you or someone you know would like to take a course (they cost roughly $20 to $25 per week), contact me and I’ll get you set up.

You can pay for your course in weekly increments if you need to. Again, courses range from $30 for a weekend to $20 or $25 per week for a maximum of four weekly lesson presentations, handouts, instructor feedback and homework/exercises. You will get one-on-one instruction (yes, personalized instruction with me — not sharing time with others in a virtual classroom). I will bill you in weekly increments if it helps. I accept PayPal, credit cards, eChecks, regular checks or money orders. Doesn’t matter.

Even if you don’t want to take a course, you can give one as a gift and pay for someone else. Just let me know who you’re paying for. I will accommodate in any way I can. Here is the link for my course listings: http://www.abraxasediting.com/contact.html

Let me know which course you want to take and I will send you the outline and instructions for setting up your payment options. You can fill out the contact form at the end of this post or email me at bev@nocturnalmuse.com. If you are ready to enroll, select your course and register via PayPal by sending your payment to bev@nocturnalmuse.com. Once your registration is received, I will send you a confirmation and instructions for beginning your course. It’s that simple! Your course will start right away.

“Elements of Editing” is a NEW course (and one I’m VERY EXCITED ABOUT!), so ask for the syllabus for that one as well. It’s four weeks long and costs only $25 per week. If you want to self-edit or are looking to break into professional editing, this is the course for you. Email me and I’ll send you the syllabus.

I’m working to update the website tonight & tomorrow. I’ve spent last evening writing articles and now I need to do site updates to include updated content, including the NEW editing course.

Thanks for taking the time to read about and/or sign up for one of these courses. Courses begin on the day you sign up. You have up to 90 days to complete the course, so it’s easy to fit into your schedule. If you sign up within 48 hours I will send you a free copy of Sun Signs for Writers AND Secrets of the Professional Freelancer as my thanks to you. :-)

Finally, I am currently open for any and all editing jobs. If you have a written document, sales copy, website copy, short story, book manuscript, academic paper or anything else, I will do a professional edit for you with a quick turnaround time for only $2 per double-spaced page (allowing for 12 pt Times New Roman font in MS WORD or similar). Email me at bev@nocturnalmuse.com or fill out the contact form below and I can get started right away on your project!