Fact-Check Expert Beta Reading
Writing historically inspired pieces, and want to make sure your clothing descriptions are spot-on? Do you have horses in your story and want to make sure that everything you describe around them is grounded, immersive, and believable? I've got you covered.
These are two areas that I see the most complaining from readers about when an author gets the details wrong, and am delighted to offer my considerable expertise on both topics. I have been researching and recreating historical clothing for most of my life, and riding and training horses for pretty much all of it. Check out my
'About' page for more details.
All three primary packages include:
- Assessment of everything on the full list of things I watch for, pulling out the most relevant aspects for the individual piece, both strengths and weaknesses
- Suggestions for improvement
- An organized, in-depth edit letter
- Ongoing email support
- A free sample edit of one full chapter, up to 5k words (value of $150)
- An optional one-hour follow-up consultation call (value of $100)
- Steam-level assessment of any romance
Here are the packages I offer:
Historical Clothing
Specializing in European fashion 1066-1600, and European and American fashion 1800-1930. Competent for anything from ancient Greek through 1959 in prevailing western cultures, and happy for excuses to expand my expertise.
Basic
$250
You pull out only the relevant paragraphs that mention clothing, up to 10k words total.
Inline comments only.
No citations/resources provided - you take my word for it.
Standard
$375
You pull out the paragraphs, pages, and/or chapters that mention clothing, up to 30k words total.
Inline comments, plus a one-page edit letter going over the biggest issues.
Citations and/or resources are provided on 3 major issues.
Premium
$500
I read the full manuscript, making sure nothing gets missed.
Full Inline comments, plus a full edit letter with duplicates of all my comments for easy assessment, and mentions of any non-clothing related historical inaccuracies or potential issues I notice.
Citations and/or resources are provided for as many issues as I can, major or minor.
What do I watch for, and suggest changes around if needed?
- General style descriptions for time and place
- Colors and materials described
- Correct layers of clothing
- Fastenings and closures
- Appropriateness to social stations
- Accessories like hats, shoes, and bags
- Anything else clothing/fashion related I notice
All Things Horses
Basic
$250
You pull out only the relevant paragraphs that mention anything horse-related, up to 10k words total.
Inline comments only.
No citations/resources provided - you take my word for it.
Standard
$375
You pull out the paragraphs, pages, and/or chapters that mention anything horse-related, up to 30k words total.
Inline comments, plus a one-page edit letter going over the biggest issues.
Citations and/or resources are provided on 3 major issues.
Premium
$500
I read the full manuscript, making sure nothing gets missed.
Full Inline comments, plus a full edit letter with duplicates of all my comments for easy assessment.
Citations and/or resources are provided for as many issues as I can, major or minor.
What do I watch for, and suggest changes around if needed?
- General horse behavior and psychology
- Training possibilities and likelihoods
- Correct tack and tools
- Grooming, feeding, and general care
- Rider psychology, new or experienced
- Surrounding equestrian culture considerations for the time, place, and status
- Anything else horses/riding related I notice
Both Clothing and Horses/Riding
Both historical clothing and all things horses and riding!
Basic
$375
You pull out only the relevant paragraphs that mention clothing or anything horse-related, up to 10k words total.
Inline comments only.
No citations/resources provided - you take my word for it.
Standard
$500
You pull out the paragraphs, pages, and/or chapters that mention clothing or anything horse-related, up to 30k words total.
Inline comments, plus a one-page edit letter going over the biggest issues.
Citations and/or resources are provided on 3-6 major issues.
Premium
$750
I read the full manuscript, making sure nothing gets missed.
Full Inline comments, plus a full edit letter with duplicates of all my comments for easy assessment.
Citations and/or resources are provided for as many issues as I can, major or minor.
What do I watch for, and suggest changes around if needed?
Everything included in the individual historical clothing and all things horse related packages! Read through those lists above for details.
Priority/Rush
Do you need to jump the queue and have me start on your piece in a week or less? Need a very specific slot on my calendar I've already booked up? Need your piece finished and returned in a shorter timeframe than normal? I offer priority and rushed booking slots! Standard turnaround for a developmental edit is 2 weeks, a rush turnaround is 1 week.
I offer this service at +25% of the finalized standard cost, capped at $500.