The first draft may be the most challenging phase of your Author’s Journey. Beware the Delete and Backspace keys — they lead into the quicksand of endless rewrites. Write boldly and take a break from perfection.
If you share a few opening scenes with us, Second Eyes Editorial will ensure the essentials are in place – vibrant, dynamic characters, an engaging plot, and a clear, consistent point of view.
If you don’t own a spelling, punctuation, and grammar checking tool, we can run ours on any revisions you send us. If you request this, you will receive an “_autochecked” file with your “_2ndeyes” file.
Second Eyes will point out what’s working best and suggest any further revisions to the sequence and pacing of events. We’ll also look at character motivations and arcs and how well the dialog is in-character and relevant to the plot.
If you also send an updated premise and plot theme, we will check how well those align with the draft.
Your writing is ready for Second Eyes, so there’s no need to obsess about format! Microsoft Word (.DOCX) is preferred, but we also work with files in RTF and TXT formats. Set the margins, spacing, fonts, and font sizes as you wish!
A double-spaced page with 1” margins has about 250 words, but rather than guess, please get a word count for each item. Chances are that a word counter is built into your word processing software. Popular writing tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener feature put them in plain sight. In Word, the count is tucked into the lower left corner of the screen and doesn’t immediately display. Free word counters are available online if you choose to cut and paste text from any other software.
When sending over 1,000 words, set the quantity to the number of thousands. If the remainder is less than 500, “round down,” otherwise, round to the next 1,000.
If you have more than one item for Second Eyes, combine them or send separate files—either way is fine! The cart total will be based on individual items, not a combined word count.
You’ll see a web page for uploading files when you place your order. We suggest that you retain backup copies. Your order will trigger an automatic receipt, including our email address for future contact.
If you have more than one item for Second Eyes, combine them or send separate files—either way is fine! The cart total will be based on individual items, not a combined word count.
Our feedback and suggestions will be attached to an email. The file type will be the same as the one(s) that you uploaded. You’ll also receive a discount code for sending a revised document, which is valid for a specified time.
We generally quote a 14-day turnaround, but you will hear back from us as quickly as we complete a thorough, thoughtful response.
Planning
Outlining
Promotion
