Services Offered

Several kinds of writing and editing services for which I have extensive experience, are available to authors.  Fees will depend on your needs. An overview with details below include:

• Review/evaluation of your existing manuscript or article as to its readiness for publication.
  
• General editing, copyediting, restructuring as needed. Suggestions for title and subtitle as related to content, grammar, punctuation; may also include sentence and paragraph restructuring as needed and checking for proper flow.
  
•  'Conversational' English, means rewriting already translated English manuscripts into conversational English, rather than the literal translation..
  
• ​Coaching for writing your book.
  
• Ghostwriting for those who do not currently have a manuscript and need help getting thoughts down.
  
• Legacy writing and/or Ethical Will writing is an exciting way to leave a legacy for descendants.

A review/evaluation of an author's work and its readiness for publication.  Fee for

 this service is $150 US.

Payment is requested through PayPal to this address, jami@jamilynnsands.com

 unless other arrangements are made. 

I then request an unformatted  'Word' document.  This allows me to make suggestions 

right on the document. Pdf format and some other forms of files cannot be altered and 

are sometimes a problem to convert for review or editing. 

The review will consist of a one to two page evaluation on several points throughout the content. I will also include a free sample edit, if appropriate. 

You may choose to implement the changes yourself, or as an alternative, if you do not 

have the time or wish to do so, I am available for additional services. Again, fees vary as each manuscript is unique depending on its needs. 

I promise to be fair, honest and offer a review/evaluation lovingly and helpfully to assist 

you in creating a quality manuscript with the potential for success.  Therefore, suggestions for improvement may be offered.

Editing Service Fees for all editing services are based on the length of manuscript, the amount and type of work that is needed and the estimated amount of time it will take to complete.  

Each manuscript is also unique in content and the number of drafts required.  As it progresses, there may be other issues that need addressed that could add additional cost (or it could end up being less than the original estimate.)  

Fees can be quoted once we have completed a review/evaluation process to determine what is needed.  If it works for you we can proceed with a good faith deposit/down payment; subsequent payments are usually made as the work progresses.  I look forward 

to hearing your story and am honored to assist in the process.

Types of Editing

Depending on the readiness of your manuscript and your goals, here are some options.  Types of editing that may be needed are:

A.  It can be as simple as  general editing that includes grammar, punctuation and fixing typos.

B. In addition to the above, it may also require what is referred to as line editing and/or copyediting. This is particularly important for non-fiction. There are different levels of copy editing;. It is much more comprehensive and may involve restructuring of sentences and/or paragraphs where needed for better flow.  

C. In some cases it may require eliminating unnecessary content or expanding on some points in the content in order to add clarity.  In more advanced cases, it could also mean moving some content around, doing research, checking claims for accuracy and making sure it flows well.  If appropriate, suggestions or recommendations for titles, subtitles, etc, can be made based on the content.

Conversational English - If your first language is not English, but you have had your work translated into English, it may still require some extensive restructuring so that it flows well and is in 'conversational English' for a western/American market rather than in a literal translation.

Proofreading is normally done after you have received your proof copy or copies. It is the final step before you hit the publishing button (for those who are self-publishing.)  By this time you should already have a marketing plan in place, so that you are off and running when it comes off the presses.

Procedure Options

Opt. 1 - If you wish to be involved in the process and be kept informed every step of the way,  I normally work the editing process by sending the author a chapter or a section at a time to review.  To accept  color-coded  edits, you need do nothing.  To make any additions or comments simply add them to the Word document in different (unused) colors. You return it to me and I will make all appropriate changes, remove the color-coding and save to the next draft.  I then add it to the queue to proceed with the work; the queue is normally not a problem, as I continue to work on others while waiting for work to be returned.

The color-coding system I use seems to work better as changes are easier to see and less confusing than all the lines generated in Word Tracker. for every punctuation mark.  

The timeframe is largely determined by how soon we are able to get it back and forth to each other.  

Opt. 2 - Some  who do not  have the time or wish to be that involved, may prefer this option. I will edit and restructure as needed and submit for your review/approval.  This can be a section at a time, at the half, or at the completion of the draft. You can then make  changes or comments in a different color and we will rcreate a new draft from that point.  Of course,  I will seek your opinion if I encounter a questionable area that needs clarity; we can also discuss what might work best for the book.  This too can be done in chapters or sections as desired, or if you prefer, at the completion of each draft.

Opt. 3 - If you do not yet have a completed manuscript and wish to have it edited as you progress, we can work on a 'per chapter' basis. I request an initial good faith deposit/down payment; I will then give you a pre-estimate as each chapter progresses. If it works for you, 

I will then put it in the editing queue. ​

Coaching for Writing Your Book

Coaching is normally free for the first 30 days, there will be a fee beyond that unless we are working together on a project you have signed up for. 

Throughout my years as an editor and writer, I have had the honor of assisting hundreds of authors in getting their messages out.  To assist you in preparing, I offer my free e-booklet upon request::

A Tutorial Guide for Authors, Creating from the Soul - (2017 edition) 

It is designed to help you organize your thoughts and prepare your book for editing. While all may not apply to your particular project, you should at the very least, receive some helpful ideas and tips.

Ghostwriting

May be best for those who do not currently have a manuscript and need help getting thoughts down.  This is usually the proverbial ‘starting from scratch’ book.  If you have always wanted to write a book or are inspired to share life’s lessons with others, I can help you.  Perhaps you  prefer not to write it yourself so don't need coaching.  Or maybe you just don't have the time, I can help you.

If you have no content to work with yet, we will use various methods to obtain your story.  This can be done through phone interviews, emails and whenever possible, in-person interviews with you and even others in your story to get their perspective. 

It may also involve research when and wherever is necessary. In addition, if you already have a rough draft to work with, such as notes, journals, photos, recordings, we can incorporate these assets as a basis for a starting point. 

This does not mean it all needs to be used in your book;  we will take the best content and expand on it.

As far as costs associated with ghostwriting, a free consultation is offered so that I may know your goal and vision for your book, expected length, desired timeframe  and the particulars involved.  Because there are so many variables to take into account, it is impossible to give an estimate until we know what we are dealing with and what the bigger picture looks like. 

Obviously, because we are starting from scratch, creating a manuscript in this way will be more costly than just editing.  Another factor would be if there is a need for research online or through travel and what all it would entail.  However, many beautiful and successful stories have been written in this way and were so worth it to the author, as well as the readers.  I am confidant that we will create the book you are envisioning; we just have to capture that vision.