The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. (Robert Cormier)
The other beautiful part is that you can get some help.
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When you write, that's what you want. With Michael Edits, that's what you get.
Your writing is like a window pane. Let Michael Edits be your Windex™.
If you're not satisfied, don't pay me.
The price for my editing and proofreading service is 2 cents per word. I don't charge one price for one type of editing or proofreading and a different price to add on another type of editing or proofreading. Two cents per word covers everything.
I do not edit printed documents. I work by email. My preferred format is Microsoft Word, but I also work with other file types.
Editing is not the same as proofreading, but I always do both. When I worked at Scribendi (I was EM392), the only thing I was scolded for was giving someone an edit who had only paid for a proofread. Well, that's just how I'm wired. If I see a way to improve your writing, I'm going to point it out. Thinking "I see a mistake but you didn't pay me enough to fix it" strikes me as unethical.
I usually suggest changes using the Tracking feature in Microsoft Word so that we both know exactly what we've changed. But if you'd rather receive a clean "I don't want to edit my editor" copy, we can do that too. You're the boss. I'm just the gadfly.
When you use my editing and proofreading service, I'll be looking at your writing from a different vantage point than you are. I'm not as close to your work as you are. If you forgot to mention something that you know but your reader doesn't, I'll spot it. If you've repeated yourself but were just too weary after half a dozen rounds of fast-paced deadline-driven self-editing to notice it, I'll spot it.
I'll always respect your writing style, your overall tone, and your unique writing voice. My goal is never to replace your writing voice with my own, but rather to find places where your voice isn't shining through as well as it could. And, if I may quote Carl Dickson, to keep you from looking stupid.
I'll ensure that your writing is clear and concise, that the overall flow and structure are logical, and that your document is free of spelling or grammar errors. I'll eliminate run-on sentences, wordiness, awkward constructions, vague language, and anything else that makes a reader stop and go "Huh?"
PayPal is my usual payment method, but if you prefer something else, we can do that too. Most authors pay me after they receive the edited document, but if you want to prepay, I won't stop you. I've never been asked for a refund, but if you're the first, I'll give it to you. No questions asked.
Kevin Flynn, Flynn IP Law: Located In North Carolina's Research Triangle but obtaining US patents for the planet. Legal services, patent searching, trade secrets, due diligence, licensing.
Carl Dickson, PropLIBRARY and Capture Planning: "Michael LaRocca has been our editor [since 2006], reviewing dozens of documents, as well as our weekly newsletter. He has kept us from looking stupid countless times. Working with Michael is easy and friction-free. He has been extremely flexible and helped us meet even our most unreasonable deadlines. He has spoiled us."
Raymond Carlson, Consultant, Building Maintenance Optimization Consultants: "Mr. LaRocca is prompt, easy to work with, flexible, and exceedingly thorough. I found his website after a general search for technical editors and have been very satisfied with his work. The engineering consulting company that I work for has employed his services for the editing of several of our reports and publications and will continue to do so in the future."
Nicolás Antonio Jiménez, Senior Editor at Cigar Snob Magazine, Founding Editor at DADE: "Michael has been editing the copy we publish in Cigar Snob Magazine [since 2008]. We keep stupid hours when we're up against a tight deadline; that, combined with a fully stocked bar just a few steps from our desks (research supplies) means we're making little mistakes often, but seldom catching them all. We've been able to count on Michael, who's a pleasure to work with, to keep our magazine's copy coherent when we are anything but."
Rene Molenaar, Network Lessons: Networking in Plain English. Learn any networking topic. Complex networking topics explained in the simplest way possible, including Cisco CCNA, CCNP and CCIE routing and switching. "Michael has proofread and edited all of my work for about a year now. He catches quite a few errors that neither I nor a grammar tool can see, helping me to improve my work. Communication is excellent, and he is quick to deliver work. I highly recommend Michael's work."
Erin Donley, Ghostwriter: Activism, Personal Growth, Leadership Books: "I hired Michael to proofread my book's manuscript. My emails to him were quickly answered, his pricing was fair, and the speed at which he could whip out those edits was impressive! Typos are the bane of my existence, and I'm psyched to have found an editor with a skilled eye for detail. Knowing Michael is on my team gives me confidence and peace of mind as an author and ghostwriter."
Derek Lewis, Business Book Ghostwriter: "Impressively quick, impressively accurate, and impressively savvy. Michael is my secret weapon. He has saved me from countless embarrassments and faux pas. Nothing I write is fit to show until Michael says so."
Erik Calviño, Owner, Cigar Snob Magazine: "Michael has been an asset to our publication since his first assignment with us [in 2008]. His response times, accuracy, and adaptability to our industry vernacular have been his strengths. I highly recommend him."
Raquel Eatmon, Business Owner, Author and RE-TV host: "Michael LaRocca has an impeccable skill to make a story or any copy stronger and more fluent. His approach isn't to change your story but to enhance it. That was my experience while working with Michael on my latest book, Beyond Enough: How to Lead with Your Whole Self (currently on Amazon). Michael's work ethic is speedy, thorough and smart. Bring more life to your next project, speak with Michael."
Brenda Robinson, First African American female Navy pilot; President of Aviation Camps of the Carolinas Inc.: "Michael continues to save me and my reputation, by making sure what I meant to say is what people actually read. I am so very impressed with his work and his turnaround time is amazing. I don't send out important documents, emails, or a whole book without going through him first. I am 100% assured that all grammar, punctuation, and spelling is perfect before I send it on as complete. He's got my business for life."
Daniel Schuller, Software Developer, Unity Technologies: "Michael helped me with the technical editing for my book How To Make An RPG. He made the whole experience painless and was a great help. The text quality improved massively. He was very responsive throughout the entire process and it took far less time than I'd expected."
Natalia Marshalkina, Lead CRA at Worldwide Clinical Trials, Inc.: "I have had the pleasure of working with Michael on several of my academic projects [since 2011] and I've always been impressed with the efficiency and the highest quality of his work. My task was (and is) to follow the flow, to express ideas, whereas Michael goes through my sometimes over-complicated "final draft" and makes it just perfect - not only by correcting those inevitable spelling and grammar errors, but also by bringing the meaning to the surface. "Yes, this is exactly what I was trying to say!" - but the language magically became more straightforward and easily understandable for the reader... For anybody trying to create a masterpiece in writing - regardless of the topic or level of complexity - Michael's editing is a great asset."
I gave the long bio its own page, where you may easily ignore it. Here's the timeline.
Updated June 5, 2020
© Copyright 2000-2020, Michael LaRocca
Durham, North Carolina 27707
