JAMESWATKINS.COM

Does your book manuscript need CPR?

As an author, editor and teacher for 40 years, I can offer . . .

• Critiques and Content editing to bring your manuscript into publishable form. (See details below.)

• Proposal coaching (I’ve learned the secrets for winning proposals.)

• Resources such as one-one consultations, practical articles and free videos and talks from conferences

Who am I and why should you trust me with your “baby”?

For over forty years, I’ve worked in the traditional and independent publishing world as an editor helping first-time and New York Times best-selling authors get their book manuscripts into print. Here are some of my qualifications:

• 3,000+ articles, columns, devotional, editorials and short stories

• 40 years of keynotes and seminars at writers conferences across the states and a few overseas

• 20 traditionally-published books with Harper Collins, Tyndale, Worthy Inspired, Zondervan and others

• 19 years as an editor, acquisitions editor, and editorial director for American Bible Society, Wesleyan Publishing House and American Christian Writers

• 15 years teaching writing at Taylor University

• 15 years writing a humor column for a newspaper publishing group

• 5 Evangelical Press Association awards for editing and writing

• 3 Books winning Christian Retailing awards

• 1 Christianity Today‘s Book of the Year Award of Merit (Max Lucado beat me out! Sigh.)

•Currently, a dissertation editor for Wesley Seminary

So, here’s how I can use that experience to perform C-P-R for your manuscript:

I offer Critiquing and Contentent editing

Critiquing is a general assessment rather than a detailed edit, focusing on the big picture aspects of the manuscript such as overall structure and organization, title, topic development. It offers feedback on areas needing improvement before a more intensive editing process. I charge 2 cents per word for a critique.

Content editing is the first of three levels of editing as creating a statue. Content editors use a jackhammer that creates basic shape or premise of book, title and subtitles and then creating an outline that flows smoothly from Contents to Acknowledgements.

Copy editors use a chisel. They make sure the author has followed the Chicago Manual of Style and creates the best version of your work in syntax, word choice, paragraphing to assure the best writing. The statue is nearly complete!

Proofreaders use sand paper! They sand off spelling and grammar errors, so by the time all three editors are done, you have a beautiful statue of a book.

So, I’m the jackhammer that brings out the shape of your book. I love this phase and enjoy helping authors with titles. I charge four cents per word for nonfiction books and articles.

Proposals including a detailed description of the book and its audience, along with sample chapters need to have all the elements to convince a growing competitive market. I’ll share my proposal that earned a $20,000+ advance and carefully evaluate your package. I charge three cents per word for evaluation; 15 cents per word for rewriting. You decide what services you wish.

After 40 years of editing, writing, publishing and networking with industry professionals, I can offer you advice, contacts in the business, or simply errors I’ve made and can help you avoid. I charge $60 per hour for email conversations. We’ll set up a time that’s convenient for you. I find these are much more effective than phone calls which are often unfocused with clients thinking out loud. And with emails, you have a transcript of all we’ve talked about.

My prices are right in the middle of Reedsy’s estimates, so let’s get to work on some CPR.

jim@jameswatkins