An experienced editorial eye, ready to make your words shine
Working on a writing project but not sure it’s ready for an audience? Have something you want to submit for publication but want to get another set of eyes on it? I’m here to help! I have decades of experience as an editor for a variety of professional publications. I specialize in helping writers make their ideas accessible and engaging to readers.
Who am I?
My name is Teresa Preston. I am the former editor-in-chief of Phi Delta Kappan, a magazine focused on preK-12 education. I have also served as a managing editor and associate editor for the Association for Talent Development, Educational Leadership magazine, and Music Educators Journal.
I am an avid reader, who wrote about books for more than 10 years on my personal book blog. I was also a regular contributor to the Book Riot website.
What services do I offer?
If you’ve never hired or worked with an editor before, you may not be aware that there are different types of editing, each of which is important at a different point in the writing process. At each stage, your editor will focus on different aspects of your work. Then, as the author, you’ll make changes based on your editor’s advice before moving on to the next phase in the process. These are the types of editing I specialize in.
Developmental Editing
This level of edit focuses on the structure of your manuscript, making sure the ideas make sense and that each section flows well into the next. At this stage, editors may pay less attention to finding the perfect words and catching every error and instead look more at the big picture. This type of edit takes place early in the process, once you have the words in place and want to make sure you’re on the right track.
Copyediting
This level of edit is my favorite. It focuses on the sentences and words you’re using. Copyeditors look at whether the words you’re using make sense, whether they flow nicely, and whether they adhere to a particular style manual. Copyeditors might look for overuse of certain words or phrases or confusing diction. They’ll also try to catch any errors.
Proofreading
This level of edit focuses primarily on checking for glaring errors, such as misspellings and grammatical slip-ups. It is typically done after a publication is designed, but some writers appreciate proofreading before they submit a piece to an editor for possible publication. Proofreading may also involve checking previous versions of a manuscript to ensure that changes were made correctly.
Not sure what type of editing you need? That’s OK! Get in touch, and I’ll help you figure it out.