Leigh Anne Couch
LC
LC

Leigh Anne Couch

Art
Biography
Commercial Fiction
Cooking
Current Affairs
Entertainment
Gardening
Health & Fitness
Historical Fiction
History
Inspirational
LGBTQ+
Literary Fiction
Memoir
Middle Grade
Music
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Narrative Nonfiction
Photography
Religion
Romance
Science Fiction
Self-Help
Sociology
Spirituality
True Crime
Young Adult
22 years of experience

Services Offered

Developmental Editing

We'll begin with an introductory conversation to clarify the intentions of your project​,​ assess your needs​,​ and strategize the work at hand (including the deadline). After the job is done​,​ you will receive the annotated manuscript and a detailed letter​,​ usually four to six pages​,​ laying out the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript as it is. The letter will be specific and will offer possible solutions. If needed​,​ we can have a follow-up conversation to tie up any loose ends. My approach differs for fiction and non-fiction​,​ but if you trust the teller​,​ you will trust the narrative. A good ear can catch an author’s voice and style in the earliest stages of a project​,​ saving the author a lot of wasted motion in revision.

Line Editing

Line editing is a reflex that kicked in while I was teaching composition in high schools and colleges and was sharpened through years editing magazines and books. In fact​,​ it is hard for me to write to the end of a sentence before editing it. However​,​ I am not a Strunk & White-wash sort of line editor. Standard American English is a necessary point of reference​,​ but there are others. Line editing (like developmental editing) should be guided by a sensitivity to voice​,​ style​,​ consistency​,​ and intended readership.

Copy Editing

I love being involved with a manuscript when it is this close to completion. I have an exceptional eye for detail and consistency. After a conversation with the author to get some background on the project​,​ I will edit using standard American English or a style guide provided by the author or editor. Any changes beyond the granular​,​ I will query in the margin.

Manuscript Evaluation

I call this the Close Appraisal. With me​,​ it begins with an introductory conversation so that you can provide some background​,​ as well as your goals and intentions for the manuscript. During this conversation you can also lay out particular concerns and things to watch for. We’ll agree on a deadline for you to receive a three- to four-page letter mapping out the manuscript and making suggestions to build on its strengths. I am happy to follow up with a conversation. If the author desires more specific guidelines for revision​,​ we can draw up a new contract for a developmental edit.

Proofreading

Though books are mostly set digitally these days​,​ I worked for eleven years on a magazine that was typeset on letterpress. Proofreading was critical.

Copywriting

I've written a good deal of marketing copy for book promotion and web site. After a solid introduction to the project and its audience​,​ I can write what you need.

Typesetting

I'm fast and careful and a good proofreader.

Research Assistance

One of my first jobs out of graduate school was doing research for a novelist working on historical fiction about William James. I loved it and I'd love to help you out too. If you'd rather write than research​,​ give me a call!

Projects worked on

Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Sideman
Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Sideman
Fred Wesley, Jr.
2002
ISBN: 0822329093
Songs for the Forgotten: A Psychiatrist's Record
Songs for the Forgotten: A Psychiatrist's Record
Julia W. Burns
2020
ISBN: 1611533716
An Imperfect Rapture
An Imperfect Rapture
Kelly J. Beard
2018
ISBN: 0990633365
Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life
Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life
Dalai Lama
2004
ISBN: 9781844132188
Out on a Leash: How Terry's Death Gave Me New Life
Out on a Leash: How Terry's Death Gave Me New Life
Shirley MacLaine
2017
ISBN: 1501182455
Passed On: African American Mourning Stories
Passed On: African American Mourning Stories
Karla FC Holloway
2003
ISBN: 0822332450
Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: True Stories from a War Zone
Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: True Stories from a War Zone
Cain, Postlethwaite, Thomson
2006
ISBN: 9780091908867
Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow
Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow
Peter Guzzardi
2019
ISBN: 0062348779

Select client list

Sarah Combs (YA), Peter Guzzardi (nonfiction), Janet Benton (fiction), Julia Burns (memoir), Kelly Beard (memoir), etc.

Book-relevant education or training

Duke University Press (editorial assistant; assistant managing editor); Sewanee Review (managing editor); Assistant to Russell Banks (author), Daniel Halpern (former editor, Ecco), and Peter Guzzardi (former editor, Harmony Books/Random House) for individual editing and research projects.

Additional information

I am a poet with two collections.

Location

Reviews (0)

    View EDITH user profile
    Starting from
    $75.00/h
    Video call only