Sunday, July 29, 2007

Meet PEG

By Josi S. Kilpack If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you have likely picked up on who we are; Precision Editing Group, but you can call us PEG. Not only do we give free advice, reminders, tips, and tricks on writing and editing, but you can send us the first 30 pages of your manuscript and we'll read and evaluate it for free as well. The evaluation consists of our opinion on whether we feel you need a content, line or combination edit and we'll give you a price quote at that time. We'll also give you feedback on those 30 pages, pointing out any problems we see, specifying the type of editing you can expect from the rest of your book. When we send it back to you, you decide if you're ready to have the rest of your manuscript edited. You owe us nothing. If you decide you don't need our services, no problem, if you decide you need to do another rewrite, that's fine too. There are no hard feelings if you don't pursue a full edit, otherwise it would be silly for us to offer the free evaluation.

All that is WHAT we do, but that's only part of the equation. Why do we do it?

Heather Moore is the owner of PEG, she's the business mind and the visionary. She came to each of us and asked us to join her company. I point this out to address any concerns that we all just thought this up together and that it was no based on our own individual skills with editing. We are here because Heather knows us, we've edited for her, and for others, and she wanted us to join her team. I considered it a great compliment and we will likely add other skilled editors as the need increases.
The reason we all agreed to join PEG isn't because we don't have better things to do with our time, some of us are employed full-time, all of us are mother's and wives, and each of us are always writing something. We aren't looking for something to fill our extra moments. But what we are looking for is an opportunity to give other writers what we have given to one another--objective feedback so as to make your book the very best it can be. It has been a priceless gift for each one of us to get that kind of feedback, and we are now able to extend that to other writer's.

Not everyone feels they need to hire an outside editor, some people have friends that will do it for free, some people feel they know enough on their own. They could be right, but if you get 30 pages evaluated for free, why not give it a shot?

I know that I personally HAVE to have someone else read my work. I have not only used friends (like the other contributors to PEG) but I have paid an editor for my last four novels. I want what I hand in to be in it's absolute best dress when it makes it's debut on the publisher's desk.

So, bring em on. Let PEG tell you what she thinks. You don't have to do it, but at least you'll know.

(My apologies for posting early--I'll be driving across the Nevada desert tomorrow)

7 comments:

Andi Sherwood said...

Thanks for the info, that was great. I think it is invaluable to have published authors go through your manuscript. Once I FINALLY get through editing mine, I will definitely be passing it on to PEG. :)

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli said...

I loved the photo of PEG.

Heather Moore said...

Can it be Josi w/ a haircut? Or maybe Julie or Annette--they're blondes too. LuAnn and I are the resident brunettes.

Kate Evans said...

"I want what I hand in to be in it's absolute best

"It's" in this sentence should be "its"--want to hire me as your next editor? :)

Thanks, I've been enjoying your blog.

Janette Rallison said...

Peg, I love you, but I gotta tell you, you need a new hairstyle. That one looks a little too crew-cut.

Shanna Blythe said...

Hey,

I didn't know you guys did a thirty-page edit for free!! Really??

Hmmm . . .

Heather Moore said...

We'll do an EVALUATION on your first 30 pages--which is a list of suggestions and a recommendation of what type of editing you need and where your work might fit in the market...

Or we'll a full content/line edit on the first 10. Your choice ;)