Linda Hines received a creative writing scholarship her senior year in high school. After ten years in the corporate publishing world, she left her editing position to pursue her dream as a fulltime freelance editor and writer. Since then she has substantive edited and copyedited several projects for corporate clients and has written custom training scenarios. She has also teamed with many talented fiction and nonfiction authors as a substantive editor, copyeditor, and ghostwriter and has reviewed and written manuscript marketing materials. Through her developmental critiques, she has helped authors focus their fiction and nonfiction projects, and then worked with them to craft their content to a refined conclusion. She has a "reader's eye" for what is nonessential, what works, and what enhances the reader's experience. She loves reading fiction and nonfiction, has written several short stories, and has a novel in progress.
Feedback
“Linda and I found a great stride, letting me keep a lot of my quirky style while ensuring that it was clear, comprehensible, and correct. This came down to lots of little changes that made a big difference. She also provided some nice feedback on the story itself as the project went on. Overall, it was a great experience.” — Isabella Kraft, Tokyo Roadkill
“I found Linda to be extremely professional, and I highly recommend her services. With a razor-sharp eye for detail, Linda is exceptionally thorough and her editing well laid-out and keenly insightful. While always keeping the entire manuscript clearly in mind, her intuitive suggestions enhanced critical scenes and clarified dialogue. Like an architect working with words, she was able to maximize the manuscript’s flow and readability while always remaining loyal to the author’s voice.” — Henry Burton, MaxPoint
“Working with Linda was outstanding. She was there for me when asked and even though I didn’t call her, she was available by phone if needed. Linda brought my book to life by enhancing all parts of it. She used her own ideas and we worked together to find the best fit for our combining thoughts. At times when I was stuck and unable to find the right words to use, she always came through with exactly what I was hoping for while emphasizing my point. Linda’s style was exceptional and exactly what I needed to achieve my goal. There was nothing negative about the experience. I would enjoy working with her in the future.” — Casey Snyder, Mirror
“Linda Hines did a great job with connecting the dots to my first manuscript. The overall process was stress free because of the valuable choices that she had to offer me as one of her clients. I was able to relax and not worry about how I was going to pay for her services because of the payment plan that she had to offer. Linda completed everything that she promised she would in the contract and she did it in an excellent amount of time. I really enjoyed working with her and I look forward to working with her again in the future.” — LaToya Townson, Shattered Dreams, Writer’s Ink Publishing
“My consultant, Linda Hines, carries a much needed balance—friendly and professional—in the field of writing. Any writer knows how important it is to have an editor who is approachable. Linda also displayed marvelous editing skills that enhanced my work and prepared it for the competitive publishing market. I used Linda’s skills a second time, I was that impressed. It pays to have an editor who has updated knowledge about the publishing market. Most of all, I enjoyed working with Linda because she saw our partnership as a team.” — Kevin Quiles, M.Div., BCC, Spiritual Care for the Dying: A Hospice Chaplain’s Perspective
“Linda was terrific! I may have written the book but she made it come alive.” — Mike Ryan, Paragon Asset Management, The Colors of Money
“I was more than pleased with the work Linda Hines did on my manuscript. She used her editing skills to guide my writing to a level I didn’t think was attainable.” — John E. Harper, One Hand on the Podium
“I was really nervous and apprehensive when I first contacted Linda Hines. It was both daunting and exhilarating to know my story was almost ready. I thought the last step was for an editor to go over grammatical mistakes, punctuation, and, perhaps, obvious faults in the plot. Linda surpassed all my expectations. Not only did she do the expected corrections, but also she went out of her way to be supportive and encouraging. She turned my story into a book. The best part was that it still sounded like me, which is very important for an author. I am very impressed with her dexterous abilities. I love that she respected my style and allowed me to maintain it throughout the editing process. I commend her on a job well done and welcome the opportunity to work with her in the future.” — Marc Burnett, CEO, IU Entertainment Inc., On a Two-Way Street, Georgia on My Mind
“Linda kept to a tight time schedule and promptly delivered the final product, slickly edited and in excellent condition for submission to agents and publishers.” — David Rich, How to Retire Early and Travel Forever
“Linda Hines has become more than just my editor. She is a friend. In working with Linda on one major project, and preparing to work with her on several more, I can say that she has earned my trust, respect, and confidence. I highly recommend Linda because she has a unique blend of professional competency, personable style, and a desire to really help authors be the very best they can be.” — Stephen Box, “Deep Water”
“I was terrified by the prospect of working for the first time with a professional editor. To my surprise, Linda made the process a joy. Now anything I write feels incomplete until Linda lays her red pencil to it. I hired an editor and found a friend in Linda Hines.” — Lannie Rose, (author and poet)
“I am currently working on a new story and will be seeking out Linda’s services again. If Linda is an example of the quality of people in your organization, then the services you offer are TOP NOTCH!!” — Debra Cree, “Bury Your Own Dog”
“I thought at first I did not need an editor for A Last Message to Mankind until Linda Hines transformed the first few pages of the manuscript from a dull image to a Picasso-like masterpiece! Having not just the ‘eye’ but also the ‘spirit’ for the details is what makes me praise her even more. I firmly believe that nobody could have done it better.” — Harry Yap, A Last Message to Mankind
“My consultant, Linda Hines, carries a much needed balance—friendly and professional—in the field of writing. Any writer knows how important it is to have an editor who is approachable. Linda also displayed marvelous editing skills that enhanced my work and prepared it for the competitive publishing market. I used Linda’s skills a second time, I was that impressed. It pays to have an editor who has updated knowledge about the publishing market. Most of all, I enjoyed working with Linda because she saw our partnership as a team.” (Contact info on request)
Required:
Submit a sample of your book manuscript or story (Word/DOC or RTF
attachment preferred). The sample should be 5-50 pages. Large files
should be zipped. Attachment not required if writing has not started
(e.g., because you're looking for a ghostwriter).
Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your
project (e.g., footnotes).
(01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word):
(02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach):
(03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction,
horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary):
(04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.):
(05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months)
Copyediting / Proofreading / Line Editing (e.g., English corrections, typos, paragraph and sentence structure, word use)
Developmental (e.g., help with the big picture, such as flow/pacing, telling the story, characterization, structure, style)
Rewriting / Ghostwriting
Critique / Evaluation
(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any):
(08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable:
(09) Number of footnotes/references:
(10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?:
(11) Do you plan to self-publish?:
(12) What is your budget for the entire project? $ ________________
(13) Your name:
(14) E-mail addresses:
(15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification
regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.):
(16) City, State, Country (or time zone):
(17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact.
(If no names are selected, your e-mail will be sent to several consultants chosen by the coordinator):
No hidden charges
We won't quote you one price and charge you another. When possible, we'll provide you with a per-word or per-page rate so you'll know up front exactly
how much your project will cost. (Of course, we ask that you fairly represent the scope of your project.)
It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec.
Note: Price quotes and time estimates for individual editors cannot be given over the phone or via chat. This is a network of freelance editors with varying prices and work schedules (see our FAQ). To obtain a price quote please follow the procedures listed on our quotes page.
Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours. It is possible that your submission was not received. You may also page the network coordinator by leaving voicemail or sending a fax to 469-789-3030.
Please be as complete as
possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive
the most accurate estimate.
Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your freelance editor / proofreader / writer, not with the freelance network as a whole or its coordinator.