Susan Reynolds has authored, co-authored, book doctored, or edited more than sixty nonfiction and fiction books since 2007. Recently, she co-authored Train Your Brain to Get Happy, Train Your Brain to Get Rich, and Meditation for Moms. She also authored Everything Enneagram, and was the creator and editor of Adams Media’s My Hero series (Teacher, Mom, Dad, Dog), and Woodstock Revisited, 50 far out, groovy, peace-inducing, flashback-inducing stories from those who were there. Click here to link to Susan’s Amazon Author Page.

Ms. Reynolds also works as a writing consultant/editor and writes the “Prime Your Gray Cells” blog on Psychologytoday.com.

To cultivate creative fulfillment, Ms. Reynolds uprooted her life and lived a year in Paris, reinventing herself. Upon return, she founded a literary consulting company, through which she edits and coaches other writers in pursuit of happiness through publishing. She is currently writing a novel that takes place in Paris.

Susan is available for presentations and workshops. She also regularly provides various writing and editing services, as noted below:

Coaching: Many nonfiction authors come to me with a premise, a rough outline, and hundreds of pages of what amounts to notes. For these authors, I read everything and then we discuss what needs to be done. Typically, I help the client create a detailed outline; and then I insert all existing material into appropriate chapters. Whether I edit or the author regroups is up to the author. Once a first draft of the complete manuscript is pulled together, I typically provide a line-by-line (Level II) edit.

 Read/Review: Because editing costs can be steep for writers, I do offer to read your novel and provide feedback on how it’s working in general, touching upon character, plot, setting, scenes, dialogue, and so on. This is not as in-depth as Level I, but it does include a written report that will offer concrete suggestions for a rewrite.

 Level I Services: A Level One review is an in-depth manuscript review & analysis (a developmental edit), which results in notes specific to the manuscript’s strengths and weakness, from your initial premise, to organization and content development, to language. I provide an in-depth report (typically 2-3 pages, single-spaced), which addresses premise development, overall execution, gaps, repetition, clarity deficits, language, and so on. The report will contain specific recommendations I have for improvement. I also often insert notes into the manuscript, but Level I is not a line-by-line edit. Generally, the author rewrites the manuscript and proceeds to a Level II (line-by-line edit). Some leap right to copyediting, but it all depends on how much work the author wants to do, or how he or she wants me to do.

Level II Services: A Level Two review is a line-by-line edit, which means that I read the entire manuscript, mull it over for a week or so, and then crawl through the manuscript inserting notes and making edits, line by line. I use “Track Changes” so the author can see exactly what I have changed or suggested, and the author always makes final decisions (Often my edits take the author’s work to the next level, as one quickly sees what his or her weaknesses have been.). If needed, I also prepare a report that addresses strengths and weaknesses, areas that need expansion (or contraction), your writing style (and notes as to what works and what needs work in terms of your writing), as well as any suggestions I may have in regards to the overall work. The author typically institutes the changes suggested and proceeds to copyediting (if needed), which is covered below.

Copyediting: Copyediting services are based on the author having a very clean manuscript, one that is ready for copyediting, i.e., one that does not require extensive editing because either the author, or I—if I have conducted a Level II review—have addressed all execution issues, and what’s left to be addressed are grammatical challenges. This is generally a clean-sweep to make your manuscript virtually flawless and very impressive to editors.

Timeline: Generally, Level I reviews: 2-3 weeks; Level II: 3-4 weeks; Copyedits: 1 week.

PAYMENT: Each project has unique needs, so I will ask to see your manuscript for a quick review before we discuss which level you need and the cost. I request ½ payment up front, and ½ upon completion. Coaching clients pay upon invoicing, which occurs once a month.

To contact Susan regarding services, email her: susanreynoldswriter@gmail.com