BFF Editing - a freelance editing service
Kathryn Schieber here (Kate to you), creator of BFF Editing.
What does "BFF Editing" mean to me?
I’ve chosen “BFF Editing” as the name of my full-time, freelance editing service, and it stands for BOOK Friends Forever Editing–not Best Friends Forever. It is an allusion to the BFF of pop culture and meant to evoke a feeling of camaraderie. My goal is to form connections with others who love books, who have a story to tell, and who need someone to help them shape and polish their story into a form that communicates their meaning to readers. I like to say that 'Books Build Bridges' - between readers, between author and reader, and between author and editor.
I think of a Book Friend as someone you bond with over books. They are someone who loves books and reading, who understands your love affair with language and story. A book friend may be someone you meet with regularly over coffee, or they might be someone you met on Goodreads, or on the Facebook page of a favorite author. They may be a teacher or a barista. They could be a lab tech, a mechanic, or a hair stylist. They could be any age, any gender. They could have the same or different politics or beliefs. They may come from the same or a different culture, race or country.
Book Friendships transcend those differences. Book friends ‘get it.’ They get it that one can never have too many books. They understand juggling multiple stories simultaneously and always needing to have a book in your purse, pocket or phone. They sympathize with the struggle to find enough shelf space. They can squee over a new book boyfriend or groan/ cheer when another favorite book is made into a movie. And a Book Friend will be supportive when a BFF decides to actually Write a Book!
I want to be a Book Friend to authors because I admire the guts, vision, and sacrifice it takes to become a writer and to put themselves out there. I want to share my gifts to help them make their story better–both for their sake and for the sake of the readers who will hopefully find and enjoy the story once it is published!
My hope is that authors will find working with me--the process of shaping and polishing their stories and the collaborative creativity--to be enjoyable. My belief is that if we can make that connection, the process will not be as painful or frustrating, and they'll be able to relax, entering into the process with less dread and resistance to the changes that are inevitable. My goal is for the experience to be a rewarding one.
As an author’s Book Friend Editor, I want to be encouraging as well as helpful. I may speak plainly if I think something could stand some tweaking, but it is just a critique of mechanics of language, not a personal criticism. And in the end, of course, it is the author's story to tell as they see fit. Likewise, I will not hesitate to comment when writing strikes me as particularly lovely or funny or clever. I will conscientiously do my best and will assume authors are doing their best, and - collaboratively we can make their story better.
I also really enjoy getting to know the person behind the pen. Authors tend to be very interesting people.
I've tried to make my services reasonable and affordable as I know it is a tough business, competition is fierce, and the learning curve steep for making writing a profitable venture. I get that. At the same time, I believe that factoring the cost of editing into a writer's budget is important and should be a priority. It is part of the investment an author makes in their book. I am hoping to find and help authors who may not be able to afford the big editing companies but whose stories deserve the same TLC as any other author's and whose readers deserve to not be distracted by editing issues so they can fully appreciate the wonderful tale the author has to tell.
My two goals:
1. to help you polish your story. I will do my best to help you find just the right words and style to communicate your story, while staying true to your voice.
2. to help you make the story enjoyable and understandable for your readers. Hopefully it will be the perfect story for them at that moment in their lives.
1. to help you polish your story. I will do my best to help you find just the right words and style to communicate your story, while staying true to your voice.
2. to help you make the story enjoyable and understandable for your readers. Hopefully it will be the perfect story for them at that moment in their lives.
