About Me

As a lifelong reader and writer I majored in English at James Madison University where I received a Bachelor's Degree in 1997, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of South Carolina in 2002. While there I worked in the Writing Center where I helped students and members of the public with academic papers, stories, and essays. Also while in grad school, my writing was graded and so was my critiquing, and this is where I really found my calling. Since then I have edited several books for friends, and finally decided it was time to put my editing and critiquing skills to use professionally.

I am also an avid reader for pleasure. My interests in this field encompass historical fiction, history (especially American Indian, Russian, British, and Civil War/American), literary fiction, fantasy, and children's literature, but I am open to reading and editing all genres of fiction.

The name "Sasha Editing" is in honor of my beloved cat Sasha, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 19. That's her adorable face in the logo!

Andrea Drummond

Services Offered

Proofread

For those who are at the final draft stage and do not need a full content edit, but prefer to just have someone read through their manuscript for typos and other errors.

What you get:

Full line edit to fix spelling, grammar, sentence structure issues, incorrect word usage and flag unnecessary repetition. While this does not include a full content edit, I will note any overall issues I may see, or make suggestions on areas that could be worded better or otherwise improved. If there is something glaring at me, such as a jarring continuity problem or confusing plot twist, I won't ignore it just because you're only paying for a proofread. I will include a quick rundown of any issues I come across when I return the manuscript with your line edits.

Full Edit

For those in the early draft stages that want someone to really go over their work and help them identify and solve potential issues and improve their writing.

What you get:

Everything in the proofread package, as well as:

Full read and critique of your manuscript, including content editing for the overall picture: does the story work, and if not, how can it be improved? More in-depth plot critique: are there continuity issues? Pacing problems? Do the various plot twists work? Are there aspects that are too forced, too boring, too far-fetched, too confusing? I'll ask the questions your reader would, so that you can address them before you publish.

Be prepared for honesty, but keep in mind my crticism is nothing but constructive! If I think something is wrong or not working, I will do everything I can to help you figure out the best way to fix it. I will include rewrite suggestions for those parts that aren't working quite right, and will be in regular email communication as I go to keep you apprised of my progress and ask questions. When I have finished, you will get your manuscript returned along with an in-depth report of my findings and suggestions. At that point, you have the option of a phone or Skype call to discuss everything, raise concerns, ask your own questions and go over my suggestions.

How I Work

I work on one project at a time to be sure I am devoting 100% of my attention to your manuscript.

I edit on paper, so I will need your manuscript printed out. You can either do this yourself and mail it to me, or send me your Word file and I will print it for an additional fee.

Manuscripts must be formatted as follows:

  • Single-sided pages
  • Double line spacing
  • 1 inch to 1.5 inch margins
  • 12-point legible font (Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Courier or something similar - no fancy or script fonts)
  • All pages numbered (This is very important, as I will need to refer to page numbers when writing up my feedback and suggestions!)

Testimonials

Andrea found things I would never have seen. She checked facts, offered help with plot points, and made my stories shine! Her edits gave my work the polish it needed to get noticed by editors and agents. Rachel Graves, author of Under a Blood Moon, coming from Wild Rose Press in 2015.
Andrea read through one of my early drafts and gave invaluable advice on what didn't work, what worked but could work better, and what needed a little sprucing up. The only thing I didn't use her for was the final proofread, but I should have. I'll be sure to use her full services for my next book! Allison Kraft, author of Destined.
I needed help. After numerous self edits and listening to recommendations made by family and friends I sought the expertise of a professional. Andrea was the right editor for me. Her passion for the genre of my novel and timely responses to a list of preliminary questions made the decision to go with her easy. She sympathized with the personal nature of my book, but explained the changes she thought I should make in a way that made sense. After meeting all her deadlines and being patient with my rewrites we created a final read that exceeded my expectations. Thank you, Andrea. I will be calling on you to help me with future works. Anthony Massahos, author of Broken

My Rates


My listed rates are for manuscripts up to 80,000 words. Most novels will fall within this range, but if yours is longer I will work with you on a reasonable added fee to cover the extra pages.

Proofread

$400

Full Edit

$600

Extras

Printing

If you cannot print out your manuscript and mail it, or would just prefer to send it electronically, you have the option of emailing the Word file to me. Be sure the formatting meets my above requirements. I will do the printing for you.

Cost: $15 convenience fee plus printing costs
(Copy of printing receipt will be included with your final invoice.)

Second Look

For those taking the Full Edit package, I offer a discount on a second edit once you have implemented any changes needed and reworked whatever was necessary. I will read over your final draft, note any further errors, then offer a final critique of the changes made and suggestions on any further improvements that could still be done.

Cost: $100 discount on the Full Edit price
(Base price as noted above as well as any extra fee for longer works. If the length of your novel changed since the first edit, I will recalculate and discuss any extra fees that may be applicable.)

Contact Me

I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Want to know more about how I will handle your project? Have questions about my rates? Or maybe everything looks good and you're ready to take that first step to contracting my services. You can reach me via the form here, or you can email me directly. I look forward to hearing from you!

andrea@sashaediting.com

Have a question?
Interested in hiring me?

Just drop me a line!