Tips for Writers: Organize Your Thoughts!

Organize Your Thoughts

Most writers are compulsive note takers. They can be found making notes on the bus, at coffee shops, in the parking lot, at the gym, at school assemblies, and more.

What method do you use?

Computer Programs

There are a few computer programs for writers. You can make basic notes in Word as you would on a notepad. There are programs such as Scrivner that can help you become very organized on your electronic devices. You can plan characters, settings, plot points and so much more.

Pen and Paper

Some people prefer to write their initial notes and thoughts with pen and paper. You can use a notebook, scraps of paper, or index cards.

Some people even draw pictures and maps to help them organize their thoughts.

Recordings

There are writers who love to dictate their thoughts. These days, you can speak right into your phone  for this purpose. Since most people carry their phones everywhere, this is very convenient.

You may wish to record your thoughts, play them back later, and create notes from the recordings.

For a bit less work, you  may wish to use the voice-to-text feature for your  notes so that you can see them later.

What Do Your Notes Contain if You Use Index Cards?

Characters

Describe your characters. Use at least one card for each character. Write down full name, physical description, age, hobbies, and anything else you need to create a powerful story. Keep adding to the cards as your characters evolve. You  may never use half the information on your card in the final story. The more you know your characters, the more realistic they will seem.

Settings

Use one card per setting. This can be a bar, a library, a bedroom, or anywhere else your characters go. You can even write down which chapter this place appears so you can refer back with ease.

Chapters

You can use a different card or page for each chapter synopsis. You can write your chapter synopsis before or after you write the chapter.

Outline

You can outline your book on one card or several cards.

Plot Points

You may wish to make notes about important plot points.

Organizing some of your basic thoughts will help you write more quickly and accurately. Being able to refer quickly to characters and places when you’re working on a novel will help with continuity.

Do you have a book or story that needs to be edited?

Contact us today for a free quote!

Sephgiron @ gmail.com

Happy New Year from Scarlett Editorial Services

Happy New Year from Scarlett Editorial Services!

We are here to serve you seven days a week.

If you have a question or concern about editing, drop us a line!

Now Accepting Clients!
Currently, we are booking clients for January and February. Reserve your spot early so that you don't miss out.

We never take on more clients than we can service properly so don't delay when booking your spot.

If you have a deadline, let us know.

If you don't know what kind of service you need, send us an email describing what you need and we'll help you out.  This is an easy breakdown of some of the types of editing we offer: Editorial Services

When asking for a quote, please give us a word count, genre, and if you have to meet any specific deadline.

We offer discounts when you use a combination of services such as developmental editing and copy editing. Members of the Horror Writers Association always enjoy deep discounts!

It is recommended that you hire a proofreader who isn't your developmental editor or copy editor in order to have as many eyes as possible to catch any mistakes.

Hire an Editor
There are many articles about self-publishing these days with people trying to figure out the best shortcuts and advantages. Some offer great advice, some offer not so great advice. The best advice is to hire at least one professional editor. After all, a traditional publisher would hire four or five editors to work on your book before it's released into the world. Yes, they do! There's the acquisitions editor who bought your book, a line editor, a copy editor, and a proofreader at the very least. That's not including input from the publisher, the marketing team, or even the cover artist who might have something unofficial to offer. And that's just one round. Many authors working with a publishing house go back and forth with various editors in different stages of the process several times until each word is perfect. And even then, mistakes happen, as we've all seen.

As a self-publisher, you need to provide the same professional attention to your own book. Never skimp on editing. You are competing with companies who sink thousands of dollars into a product; you need to do the same. If you can't afford to pay an editor, get a job and save up until you can.

I just read an article about someone offering to edit entire books for five bucks because she thinks it's fun and books need to be edited. Do not take this offer.What professional offers any service at all for five bucks? I'm not even talking about Fiverr, that's something different. People who offer to edit your book for free or five bucks or even fifty bucks will likely not give it the professional workout that you need. Sure a book worm can offer great advice, this is your audience and you should at least listen. However, there are things that happen under the hood that bookworms or your mom or your beta readers won't know or understand as they are not professional editors.

Real editors have to pay rent like everyone else and charge accordingly. Real editors edit for a living and therefore charge professional rates. Google the rates, real rates for real editors. Editors, like us at Scarlett Editing, who have actually taken courses, have a degree, and have years in the trenches as professional, working, good quality editors will charge rates that a lot of writers don't want to pay. However, who likes to pay for the dentist or the cleaning lady or a lawyer? An editor is the same. A professional providing a valuable service that takes years of training to achieve shouldn't give it away for five bucks or fifty.

You will see people offering editorial and proofreading services on Fiverr. On closer inspection, many of them aren't "giving it away" at all. They have figured out how to charge a living wage on Fiverr once you look at the process. Scarlett Editing is also on Fiverr (as Sephera Giron) and our rates on there are the same as when you order directly from us on here except there will never be a sale or combination of services discounts on Fiverr.

Eleven Years in the Business
We have worked with self-published authors for over eleven years and hundreds of books. We have not only watched the evolution of self-publishing but have been working in the trenches for years. We were here before it was "cool" to self-publish. We know what to look for and how to help you create a book that will be professional.

We care about your book, your hard work, and will do our best to make it shine!

Happy New Year from Scarlett Editorial Services!

Please think of us when you are looking for an editor for your next book!

sephgiron @ gmail. com

May the Fourth Editing Sale!

It's Star Wars Day!
We are huge Star Wars fans here at Scarlett Editing so what better way to celebrate all things Star Wars than to hold an editorial services sale!

All levels of editing are included in this sale!

After all, Star Wars was written on paper long before it was ever filmed.

All movies begin with a screenplay!

There are novelizations of Star Wars as well. Hundreds of them!

Perhaps you are working on a Star Wars novel or a fan fiction story! We'd love to edit it for you!

All Genres! All Writers!
We have edited over 1000 books and hundreds of short stories and articles. We provide book doctor and ghost writing services as well

We have experience in fiction and non-fiction, poetry, YA, and children's books. There is no genre or story we won't edit.

All genres qualify for this sale. Your story doesn't have to be science fiction or space opera.

Flash Sale!  
25% off all services for the rest of 2016 when you place $100 deposit today.

For the rest of 2016, you may enjoy 25% off ALL SERVICES you order no matter what kind. 

That's right, you can come to us as many times as you desire for the rest of 2016 and enjoy 25% off any and all services that you use!

The manuscript doesn't have to be ready to send today but the deposit needs to be received by MIDNIGHT May 4, 2016

Please feel free to ask any questions about how the sale works. 

Use this button right now to reserve your special price of 25% off all editorial services for the rest of 2016!

May the Force Be with You!

Time for Editing

Summer will be here soon which means long, lazy vacations or maybe it means rushing around with the kids. At any rate, the last thing you're going to feel like doing is editing your manuscript.

If you've been working on a book or a story all winter, you're likely sick of it by now. Why not turn your work over to the professionals at Scarlett Editorial Services?

While you're off having a life, we'll be here bringing your work to life.

Summer is a fantastic time to make notes and start working on your next book. So feel free to jump ahead into the next project while we wrap up what's left to do on your previous one.

For rates, please go.here .

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.

Members of the Horror Writers Association always enjoy a discount. Be certain to tell me that you're a current member.

Spring Forward with Deep Discount Flash Sale!

I'm just finishing up the last manuscript from clients who took advantage of my previous sale! Yes, it took me three months, which shows you how many people recognize value when they see it! I had a lot of interest in my service and now I'm ready to offer you a new deal!

So, in celebration of Spring and the Time Change, I offer the Flash Forward Sale.

The Flash Forward Sale is only available for Developmental Editing Service. All genres. All story lengths from short stories to novels. Fiction or non-fiction.

The Flash Forward Sale is worth 20% off the cost of developmental editing.

You get 20% off the price but 100% of service!

For example, if your manuscript is 55,000 words, the cost of my DE service at regular price would be: $1100

With the Flash Forward sale, your cost for DE service is only $880.

That is a huge savings of $220!

How can you get in on this deal?

It's very easy.

If you put a $100 deposit today through Paypal at sephgiron@ rogers.com or by EFT, you lock in the price for DE service for the rest of 2016.

That's right!

Sale Extended to midnight on March 15, 2016!
For $100 deposit by midnight on March 13, 2016, you can enjoy 20% off all developmental editing services for the rest of 2016.

This offer is for developmental editing only.

So if you're working on a story or a book but it's not ready yet, a deposit will lock in the price for when you are ready!

Easy!

Get Ready for Summer and Publish Your Book!

Spring is nearly here in Toronto. In fact, we barely had a winter.

Sure we had the coldest day in one-hundred years.  A few cold days surrounded by weirdly warm weather of gorgeous sunshine and little need for heavy coats was nothing compared to the past few years of ice storms and Snowmageddon.

We also had a "big blizzard" but really, in the big picture, winter was rather mild this year.

Spring is time for blossoming and new beginnings!

Have you finished your first draft? Your last draft?  Are you ready for developmental editing?

I've cleared my desk from all of the clients who have sought my services over the winter months.  My last prepaid editing project will be completed by Sunday night.

That means I have room and time for new (and old) clients on a first come, first served basis.

I also can reserve specific dates for you if you send a deposit. Just pop me an email and we can discuss!

Getting your editing out of the way now means you might be able to publish your book in time for summer!

Check out my price list and pop me an email so we can discuss your book and how I can help you make it shine!

Clean Up Your Act!

How many times have you hired a cleaning person?

How many times have you hired a cleaning service?

Do you have a weekly cleaning service in place at your home?

Do you have a live-in housekeeper? A cook? A nanny? A dog walker? Someone to mow your lawn? Shovel your snow? Weed your garden?

Do you hire staff when you have a party?

A lot of people hire other people to clean up their messes. It’s always been this way.

Here's A Story

Way back in the seventies, in what was considered cutting-edge times, The Brady Bunch, a fictional TV family, had a housekeeper even though Carole was a stay-at-home mom and Mike was only an architect.

But Alice was there mopping and dusting and cooking while Carole ran around to PTA meetings.

It’s still the same today for many types of (lucky!) people.

Why?

Because no one wants to clean up a mess.

Cleaning wastes time.

It’s boring to clean. It takes time away from earning money or playing with the kids. Most people hate cleaning. And so they will find a way to have other people clean at least a few things for them, depending on their budgets.

A Clean Sweep

I have a friend who was laid off from a great job about a year ago. She set to work cleaning other people’s houses in the neighbourhood for extra cash. A year later, she has a multi-woman team, and is making a great living cleaning other people’s houses, and funny enough, pretty much in her own neighbourhood.

It just goes to show you how many people hate to clean! Or at the very least, don’t have time to scrub toilets and bat away cobwebs. They hate cleaning so much they will pay others to do it for them.

There is a rare breed, and I’ve met a few of them over the years, my friend being one of them, who love to clean. They are in their glory cleaning other people’s stuff. So yes, some people love to clean and they will clean for almost anyone, for a price.

The funny thing about house-keeping is that anyone can do it, even little kids, and yet people will pay big bucks for other people to come in and mop the floors or pick up after a party or shovel the snow.

However, we all admit, nothing in the world feels better than walking into a shiny, clean, fresh-smelling home after a long commute.

Cleaning Is an Art

People who clean houses for a living have it down to an art. They work quickly and efficiently, knowing the short-cuts and how to combat specific challenges.

Freelance cleaning people can make $10 to $100 an hour, depending on how fabulous they are at their jobs, the type of house they are cleaning, and the financial means of their client. Some cleaners receive great tips and perks in addition to their fees.

Clean Up That Manuscript

Editing is much like cleaning. 

An editor’s job is to help the writer reach his full potential without losing his voice or intent. An editor’s role is to remove the clutter of developmental or grammatical errors, trim the fat, tighten up the manuscript, which essentially is cleaning up a writer’s work. When an editor has finished the job, the writer is free to keep or discard the editor’s changes and advice.

Most editors have post-secondary degrees and other training. Years in the trenches as a writer and editor brings experience with the process though not necessarily the skill. Some editors specialize only in specific tasks such as developmental editing or copy-editing. Some editors are well suited to offer all levels of editing. 

Freelance Editors

Considering the cost of education and the millions that publishing houses generate, one would think that a freelance editor makes $100s an hour. But, sadly that’s not true for the average freelancer. The current average of set fees posted on the internet against real editing time, not including emails, phone calls, and meetings, would likely fall between $5 to $60 an hour. It depends on the size of the project, level of editing, the level of the author’s writing ability, and the fee.

When it comes to editing, you often get what you pay for. Editing done dirt cheap will likely be competent but things will likely fall through the cracks, as the editor is working quickly. A really high priced editor may or may not deliver the best darned editing ever invented. A fee in the middle from an editor who has been working for a few years will likely guarantee a good job.

And it’s the same with the cleaning services you use in your home. You likely don’t hire the cheapest cleaning lady on the block but you don’t want to shell out big bucks either. So you go with the middle priced candidate and get a decent job, sometimes excellent.

Start the New Year with a Clean Slate

The next time you decide that you don’t want to pay for editing or proofreading, think about how much you shell out on other people cleaning up after you, your kids, and your dog. Isn't that manuscript you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into worth a cleaning as well?

Holiday Sale for Editing Services Ends Soon!

Enjoy Discounted Editing Services for a Limited Time

DON'T MISS OUT!

Sale ends soon!

Enjoy discounted editing services for six months of 2016 by putting down a small deposit today!

Maybe you have a writer friend who is struggling to pay bills and is working really hard on a story, a book, a poem, or an essay.

Help ease his or her struggle by buying editorial services for him or her.

A deposit of only $100 today will lock in discounted editing rates up to June 2016 no matter how many books, stories, or essays the author wishes to have edited by Scarlett Editorial Services.  You don't have to declare what you want edited if you don't know yet. Just know that you have peace of mind to receive a 10% discount when you're ready to order any service at any time for any amount of work before June 2016.

This offer expires on December 31, 2015!

Every penny counts when you're a writer. You only get one chance to give a first impression. 

Retaining professional editing services is a must, especially for self-published authors in these modern times. Competition is fierce so help yourself rise above the others with professional editing.

Writers write and let the editors edit!

Book your slot today with a deposit of $100.

You can take advantage of this 10% off sale by sending a deposit of $100 to Paypal or by EFT to  sephgiron@rogers.com by December 31, 2015.

If you send $100 deposit, that will ensure you receive the 10% off rate when your work is ready to be edited as long as you send in your manuscript before June 30, 2016. 

NO REFUNDS.

Once your manuscript is ready to be sent, estimate the cost of the service by the word count. When you send your manuscript, you can send the rest of the deposit if it is more than $100.

Example:

For instance, you send $100 on December 10, 2015 because you're working on a romance novel and know you will want DE or CE or even proofreading at some point. You don't know what you want, you have no idea how long your book will be but you know you'll need a professional editing service at some point so you send $100.

On January 15, 2016 you finish your novel and you're ready to send it in. You've decided that you want DE work. The novel comes in at 50,000 words.

The cost of a DE for a book of this size is:  $1000. 

The SALE PRICE for your DE since you reserved your spot in December is now only $900.

This means that the first half of your payment plan is $450 that you would send when you send the manuscript.

However, you put a $100 deposit down back on December 10 towards this work so you only have to send $350 when you send in your manuscript.

The DE will take anywhere from one week to one month. When the corrected manuscript is returned, the final balance of the payment is due which would be $450.

No surprises. No added on fees. No taxes. No bloated hourly rates. The fee is the fee.

If you want to proceed with more services, you will receive a discount of some kind, depending on what you want and the length of the material.

Questions? Just pop us an email at  sephgiron@ gmail.com

Holiday Discount for All Editing Services

Scarlett Editing wants to help you finish up your book in time for 2016 publication!

We will be accepting a limited number of clients before the new year at a big discount of 10% off.

Did you just finish NaNoWriMo and now need to hammer that book into shape?

Once you've tackled a few drafts on your own, you will be ready for a professional to go through your work.

Have you been writing your memoirs?

Did you finally get around to writing that romance novel you've been dreaming about for years?

How's your children's book going?

Most writers begin with a developmental edit. This is a very thorough service that will pinpoint all the areas in your book that may need more information or even a bit of re-arranging. You can read more about DE services elsewhere in this blog.

The DE is returned to the writer and then corrections are made. This can take the author weeks or even months. There is no right or wrong way to edit. There is never a hurry. The goal is the best book possible, not the fastest. No one cares how long it took you to write a book or how many rewrites you went through to make it perfect. All your reader cares about is holding a professionally edited book that won't be confusing and annoying.

Once the DE work is completed, most writers order a Copy-Edit service. This is the service that most people think of when they say they need editing. This service tackles spelling, grammar, and all that technical stuff.

After the author has gone through very thorough DE and CE services, some will order a Proofreading service. It is often advisable to use someone who didn't work on the DE and CE to perform proofreading. This service is what happens just before you click the "publish" button if you're self-publishing or it's the final draft before you send to that big New York publishing house. 

The manuscript should be absolutely perfect in your mind when you send the final proof to Scarlett Editing. Of course your editor will find a few things, that's her job. However, this isn't the time for rewrites or discovering recurring grammatical issues. All that should be under control. Proofreading catches that last minute typo or things like that renamed chapter isn't reflected in the TOC.

Writers write and let the editors edit!

Book your slot today with a deposit of $100.

You can take advantage of this 10% off sale by sending a deposit of $100 to Paypal or by EFT to  sephgiron@rogers.com by December 31, 2015.

If you send $100 deposit, that will ensure you receive the 10% off rate when your work is ready to be edited as long as you send in your manuscript before June 30, 2016. 

NO REFUNDS.

Once your manuscript is ready to be sent, estimate the cost of the service by the word count. When you send your manuscript, you can send the rest of the deposit if it is more than $100.

Example:

For instance, you send $100 on December 10, 2015 because you're working on a romance novel and know you will want DE or CE or even proofreading at some point. You don't know what you want, you have no idea how long your book will be but you know you'll need a professional editing service at some point so you send $100.

On January 15, 2016 you finish your novel and you're ready to send it in. You've decided that you want DE work. The novel comes in at 50,000 words.

The cost of a DE for a book of this size is:  $1000. 

The SALE PRICE for your DE since you reserved your spot in December is now only $900.

This means that the first half of your payment plan is $450 that you would send when you send the manuscript.

However, you put a $100 deposit down back on December 10 towards this work so you only have to send $350 when you send in your manuscript.

The DE will take anywhere from one week to one month. When the corrected manuscript is returned, the final balance of the payment is due which would be $450.

No surprises. No added on fees. No taxes. No bloated hourly rates. The fee is the fee.

If you want to proceed with more services, you will receive a discount of some kind, depending on what you want and the length of the material.

HELP A STARVING ARTIST!

If your significant other is a writer, why not surprise him or her with the gift of an editing service?

Even if you don't know what kind of service your writer may want or need, you can send $100 deposit in his or her name by December 31, 2015 to reserve a spot for editing. 

Scarlett Editing can send a special "gift certificate" email that can be printed out to include in a card or other present.

When the writer is ready for editing, he or she can contact Scarlett Editing and we'll work through what service the author wishes to use! Then the writer can tell you what the next two or three payments will cost over the next few months and they can be sent either by you or the writer, depending on your arrangement with each other.

EASY!

Any questions, just email and ask!  sephgiron @ rogers.com

The response to the previous sale was pretty intense so do note: first come, first served! 

This offer might be withdrawn at any time before December 31, 2015 if the limited spots are filled.

There are limited spots available for this sale so that each manuscript will receive full and careful attention.

Quality is always the priority at Scarlett Editing!

HWA members receive a discount in addition to this discount!

Summer Journals and Self-Publishing

Write a Book, Publish a Book

This summer, why not keep a journal or diary of all your adventures?

This is especially wonderful if you have small children or are taking a unique vacation or working at a new and unusual job.

It doesn't take long to record your memories into a date book, on Instagram, or even by voice recording on your phone.

Then in the cold months of winter, you can relive all of those magical times.

Perhaps you did something truly amazing that you'd like to share with all of your friends.

Maybe there was a fabulous family reunion you can share with the family.

These days, it's easy-as-pie to compile your adventures into an eBook or even a print book.

Create wonderful souvenirs for the summer of 2015 that you can look back on for years to come!

If you need help with compiling, editing, proofreading, or any other aspect of your creative endeavours, give us a shout and we'll see if we can help!

Five Reasons You Should Self-Publish

There will always be arguments from all sides about the value of self-publishing. There are traditionally published authors who complain that self-published authors are sloppy and lazy. There are self-published authors who complain that traditionally published authors are snotty and elitist. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion when it comes to the pros and cons of publishing.

At the end of the day, your writing career is yours alone. You are in charge of your own career. You can steer it in whatever direction you desire. And these days, you can be in full and complete control of every step of your writing career if you so choose.

Many authors choose to self-publish because they don't want to wait months or years for agents, editors, and publishing houses to get back to them. Others are impatient. Others want control.

There are dozens of reasons you should self-publish your book just as there are dozens of reasons you should NOT publish your own book. However, here are five reasons that some people use when they choose to self-publish.

1. You are in control of your own content. 
No one is going to tell you to remove chapter sixteen because it sucks. No one is going to tell you that the story doesn't have a proper ending. No one is going to squash down your idea of telling your story from three points of views in one paragraph. No one is going to tell you that your choice of genre is dead. You can tell your story in whatever manner you desire in as many words and chapters as you want.

2. You are in control of your own cover.
Gone are the days when authors freak out over cover art that doesn't reflect their books. You can hire and fire as many cover artists as you desire in your quest for the perfect vision for your opus. You can even save money and design your own cover. Many of the self-publishing platforms provide templates to do just this. Your book cover art, author blurbs, and book description are under your complete control. You no longer have to suffer with cover art that you hate.

3. You don't have to wait years for your book to be published.
The minute you type "The End" you can upload that baby and have a published book within a day or two, depending on which platform you use. You don't even have to invest any additional money for the print version if you use a platform such as CreateSpace.

4. You earn a way bigger royalty.
You will discover that if you self-publish you can earn huge royalties. If you publish e-books, you have virtually no overhead except for hiring your developmental editor, your copy editor, your proof-reader, and your cover artist. After those expenses, every penny you earn goes back to YOU! No publishing house is scooping the majority of your royalty money. No agent is scooping up 15 - 20% of your earnings. Nope, you get to keep every single shiny penny for yourself! Forever. Unlike traditional print publishing houses, your e-books and p.o.d. books will never go out of print until you unpublish them.

5. You are in control of your own career.
If you burst awake in the night with an idea for a sequel to your book, you can spend a few weeks writing it, send it off to your favourite freelance editor for a month of vigorous editing while your favourite cover designer works on your new cover, and boom, your sequel is ready within weeks. If you wanted to write a sequel with a traditional publishing house, you would have to pitch it, wait for the sales team to crunch your numbers, your editor would decide if it's financially viable, and then you would have to wait for a contract IF you passed all the financial hurdles. After the contract, you can get started on your sequel which likely won't see print for another year or two. When you self-publish, you can get your work out to your fans at your own pace without wasting time for others to dictate your fate.


Self-publishing isn't for everyone but it can be way for authors with entrepreneurial spirit and a bit of money in the bank to get their work out into the world. If you approach your writing career like a business, you will likely have some measure of success. As long as you write the best book that you can, and get it professionally edited and proof-read, you have as good of a shot as anyone else for a long and possibly even financially successful career as a writer.

If you need a developmental editor, copy editor, line editor, or proof-reader, please contact us today at Scarlett Editing.  sephgiron @ gmail.com

Spring Forward with Your Book!

Spring is the time of new beginnings, new growth, and for some, renewal.

Spring is a booming time for writers to fling themselves into the editing process of their masterpieces...or not.

For most people who live in chilly climates, winter is the time to hibernate, to work on books and stories, to read, to write, to rewrite.

Once spring arrives, the writer is excited about getting out into the world, and likely doesn't want to be bothered with all that pesky editing and proofreading that opus needs.

Don't start running down the wrong path!

Give your work to the professionals. Here at Scarlett Editorial Services, no project is too large or too small. We've worked with all genres and project sizes from blog posts to novels.

Need a book doctor?

Need a ghost writer?

We handle all of that as well.

Do you need content for your website?

Do you need someone to proofread your content before you put it on your website?

Scarlett Editorial Services will handle any of your needs when it comes to making your work sparkle and shine.

Email us today for rates!  sephgiron @ gmail.com

Now accepting new clients for book manuscripts. We work with all genres from romance to horror!

We've worked on over 1000 books!

Tell us about your project and let us work with you to determine your needs. Check out our rates! Contact us for your own personal quote. We are willing to work with your budget!

sephgiron @ gmail.com

Remember, we don't know  you need help unless you ask! We don't know your budget unless you tell us!

Expiration Date Launch and Spring Editing!

On Thursday April 9, author and editor Sèphera Girón will be signing autographs in Toronto at the Sellers & Newell Bookstore for the Expiration Date Anthology. If you've had questions for Sèphera about her editorial services, feel free to ask her at the launch.

Sèphera will also be attending Ad Astra April 10 - 12 and will be on several panels as well as attending the mass autograph session from 2 - 4.

It was a very long and cold winter in Toronto. In fact, it's snowing right now on Easter Sunday!

The great thing about long, cold winters is that a lot of books and stories get written.

After you've written your book or story, you will need an editor.

Scarlett Editing has over ten years experience with hundreds of clients. Services range from a general reading of your work with general comments to very specific editorial services.

If you're not sure what kind of editing you need, don't be shy. Pop us an email and describe your work. We'll let you know what you need.

Our rates are very competitive and reflects our years of professional work and satisfied customers.

When you purchase two or more services, you will receive a discount.

We encourage you to book your spot in advance if you have a specific deadline, otherwise we work on a first come, first serve basis.

We take great care and detail in our work. Turnaround time varies per project but we work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Scarlett Editorial Services looks forward to hearing from you!

Contact us today for rates and availability.

sephgiron @ gmail.com

Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday Discounts

The holidays are fast approaching. Will so much to do and so little time, editing your opus is the last thing you feel like doing!

Don't worry, you are in safe hands with Scarlett Editorial Services.

We love to edit. We work in publishing. We understand the market.

If you need a quick overview of your work, you can order a book report.

If you need a thoughtful, thorough examination of plot, characters, tone, narrative structure, and  style, you can order a developmental edit.

If you require a line edit, we are here for you!

To take advantage of our Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday holiday specials, just pop us an email at

sephgiron@ gmail.com


Tell us a bit about your project, the length, if it is a rush job, and so on. We can work with you to determine which service or combination of services you require.

Between now and December 3, you will receive 10% discount if you book with us and provide a down payment. The manuscript doesn't need to be ready until you are happy with it enough to send.

Happy Shopping!

School Daze

It's back to school time for many people. For others, there is great rejoicing as with the kids away, there is finally time to get to work on your new novel!

Writing a novel, a book, even a story, is great fun but also a lot of hard work.

Many people don't realize how much work is involved in taking a piece of work from your mind and turning it into a published piece that others will buy.

Your best friend can be your editor.

Most books that go through traditional publishing routes will see one to five editors along the way. This is a lot of people who will look at your work, disect it, and "make it good;" good enough to expect others to pay hard-earned money to buy it.

Self-published authors need to think carefully about their own route to the bookstore shelf. The savvy  self-published author will hire a team to "make it good" and it can be daunting to decide who to hire for these many and varied tasks.

A self-published author at the minimum should have the expertise of a professional working editor for at least one draft. This should be someone who isn't related to you and who has experience in editing. Sure, your friends can share if the story is funny or scary or makes sense. An editor will help you understand how and why a scene may or may not work. An editor will help you keep your tenses consistent, and keep "head-hopping" to a minumum. An editor can point out where the tension gets lost or if there are lot of "facts" that simply aren't necessary.

Scarlett Editing offers many services for the self-published author.

We can prepare a book report, which is an overview of your work.

We can do line-editing which is the most detailed and expensive service that we offer.

We can do a variety of edtiorial services that fall in-between.

Scarlett Editing focusses primarily on editiorial services but we are happy to provide leads from our professional network for other services.

You may also need to hire book designer, a cover artist, and publicist and there are a great many talented people who are ready to help you with those services as well at a variety of companies aimed towards the self-published author.

An editor is not a publisher.

An editor is not a publicist.

An editor is not a formatter.

An editor is not a lawyer and can't give you legal advice.

An editor is not a cover artist.

An editor is not an agent.

An editor can not guarantee that your book will ever sell at all but we're going to try our best to give it the best possible chance to fly off the bookshelf.

You can contact Scarlett Editing with any questions: sephgiron@gmail.com

Interview with Editor Sephera Giron

To many authors, the editor is a scary, mysterious beast who holds your fate in his or her hands.

In many ways this is true.

But the editor is your friend as well. Once your work is ready to publish, the editor wants to help you, the author, polish your work to shine the best it can for your readers.

Sèphera Girón talks to The Editor's Desk about different levels of editing and their importance to a project. She also sheds light on why every author, from beginner to the most jaded, needs to work with an editor.

Click here to read an interview with Sèphera Girón What to Expect from a Book Editor

The Editor's Desk provides a wider variety of services than Scarlett Editorial Services including business copy, web copy, screenplay developmental editing services, and one-on-one coaching.

While Scarlett Editorial Services focuses on creative projects, you will find yourself in good hands with The Editor's Desk for your business and corporate needs.

For creative work, Scarlett Editorial Services is happy to schedule your manuscript slot when you contact us at sephgiron @rogers.com. Booking your spot in advance will ensure that your book will be edited when you're ready to proceed. It also will ensure you have a spot when you want it as we are very busy and sometimes may not be able to get to your work exactly when you contact us.

Scarlett Editorial Services has edited over 1000 books, stories, articles, web sites, and poetry.

Don't miss out on receiving high quality, professional service. Book your spot today!

sephgiron@rogers.com

It never hurts to have another set of eyes looking over your work, no matter what you're writing!