Editorial Freelancers Association
Member Profile
Margaret Ellis Raymond
M.E.R. Editing
Bio: My name is Margaret Ellis Raymond. I hold a copyediting certificate from UC Berkeley and have completed a developmental editing course at UCLA. My undergraduate degree in Psychology and five years in the education field, provide me the knowledge to give thoughtful, yet effective feedback to build your confidence and strengthen your writing. I teach creative writing courses that specialize in developing character motivation and a strong first chapter. Freelance editing is my part time position. I’m a full-time high school librarian.
Areas of Interest:
Manuscripts: Although I am a lover of all genres, my soft spot is for character-driven YA and adult novels that are adventurous, mysterious, or emotional.
Marketing: I have experience editing marketing material for various companies including 2MO a creative studio in New York and the Woodmont Group in Portland, Maine. When it comes to editing marketing copy my goal is to strengthen your message by tightening the language, rewording odd phrases, and streamline your message.
Academic: All written reports, essays, or capstone work are areas I have experience editing. While keeping your authentic voice my goal is to ensure your work is coherent and tight.
I also support students in editing undergraduate and graduate admission essays. I know what admissions offices gravitate toward when selecting students and would ensure your personal statement has all the necessary components without changing your voice.
Editing Services:
Brainstorming calls: perfect for developing a story concept you’d like to talk through, support in getting unstuck, techniques for strengthening character motivation, or asking questions about the writing craft. This service is an hourly fee.
First Chapter assessment: Ideal for querying authors, especially those that have received feedback from an agent along the lines of: It has a compelling premise and there is much to recommend about the story, however, after careful consideration I didn’t connect with these opening pages as much as I had hoped. For this reason I have decided to pass and step aside for now. Editorial feedback will support authors in identifying potential improvements. I’ll provide a 1-5 page document detailing what worked, your strengths, and suggestions on strengthening the first chapter. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates.
Manuscript assessment: perfect for authors who wish to strengthen their story prior to a developmental edit. This 10-15 page document will assess your manuscript as a whole, focusing on structure, character development, plot development, pace, setting, etc. Should you have a specific section of the book you’d like feedback on, please indicate the page numbers in your inquiry. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates.
Developmental editing: an in-document edit of your manuscript that provides feedback, notes, and suggestions on plot, narrative arc, structure, flow, dialogue, character development, clarity, voice, themes, conflict and tension, any overarching and recurring grammatical issues, and other relevant elements of craft. My suggestions are free for you to take or to spark your creative juices to find your own solution. The goal of a developmental edit is to give you hope, spur you forward, and help your story shine. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates. Please note that at this point in time I am taking on a limited number of developmental editing clients.
proofreading: the final edit of an already-copyedited manuscript that corrects any remaining or hard-to-see errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates.
Ready to get started? If you’re seeking editing for a novel please fill out this Google Form and indicate what type of editing you wish to receive (choose from editing services described below). If you’re seeking any other editing, please email me: margaret.ellis.raymond@gmail.com. Upon receiving your editorial inquiry, I will send you a link where you can schedule a 15 minute free consultation. During this meeting we discuss your editorial needs and establish whether I will be a good fit for your work.
All pricing is within the EFA’s parameters. To get an idea of cost, please see the EFA’s webpage on editing rates: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/.
Email: margaret.ellis.raymond@gmail.com
Years in the field: 7
Years freelancing: 5
Margaret Raymond
Member at Large
Bio: My name is Margaret Ellis Raymond. I hold a copyediting certificate from UC Berkeley and have completed a developmental editing course at UCLA. My undergraduate degree in Psychology and five years in the education field, provide me the knowledge to give thoughtful, yet effective feedback to build your confidence and strengthen your writing. I teach creative writing courses that specialize in developing character motivation and a strong first chapter. Freelance editing is my part time position. I’m a full-time high school librarian.
Areas of Interest:
Manuscripts: Although I am a lover of all genres, my soft spot is for character-driven YA and adult novels that are adventurous, mysterious, or emotional.
Marketing: I have experience editing marketing material for various companies including 2MO a creative studio in New York and the Woodmont Group in Portland, Maine. When it comes to editing marketing copy my goal is to strengthen your message by tightening the language, rewording odd phrases, and streamline your message.
Academic: All written reports, essays, or capstone work are areas I have experience editing. While keeping your authentic voice my goal is to ensure your work is coherent and tight.
I also support students in editing undergraduate and graduate admission essays. I know what admissions offices gravitate toward when selecting students and would ensure your personal statement has all the necessary components without changing your voice.
Editing Services:
Brainstorming calls: perfect for developing a story concept you’d like to talk through, support in getting unstuck, techniques for strengthening character motivation, or asking questions about the writing craft. This service is an hourly fee.
First Chapter assessment: Ideal for querying authors, especially those that have received feedback from an agent along the lines of: It has a compelling premise and there is much to recommend about the story, however, after careful consideration I didn’t connect with these opening pages as much as I had hoped. For this reason I have decided to pass and step aside for now. Editorial feedback will support authors in identifying potential improvements. I’ll provide a 1-5 page document detailing what worked, your strengths, and suggestions on strengthening the first chapter. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates.
Manuscript assessment: perfect for authors who wish to strengthen their story prior to a developmental edit. This 10-15 page document will assess your manuscript as a whole, focusing on structure, character development, plot development, pace, setting, etc. Should you have a specific section of the book you’d like feedback on, please indicate the page numbers in your inquiry. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates.
Developmental editing: an in-document edit of your manuscript that provides feedback, notes, and suggestions on plot, narrative arc, structure, flow, dialogue, character development, clarity, voice, themes, conflict and tension, any overarching and recurring grammatical issues, and other relevant elements of craft. My suggestions are free for you to take or to spark your creative juices to find your own solution. The goal of a developmental edit is to give you hope, spur you forward, and help your story shine. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates. Please note that at this point in time I am taking on a limited number of developmental editing clients.
proofreading: the final edit of an already-copyedited manuscript that corrects any remaining or hard-to-see errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This service is within the EFA’s editing rates.
Ready to get started? If you’re seeking editing for a novel please fill out this Google Form and indicate what type of editing you wish to receive (choose from editing services described below). If you’re seeking any other editing, please email me: margaret.ellis.raymond@gmail.com. Upon receiving your editorial inquiry, I will send you a link where you can schedule a 15 minute free consultation. During this meeting we discuss your editorial needs and establish whether I will be a good fit for your work.
All pricing is within the EFA’s parameters. To get an idea of cost, please see the EFA’s webpage on editing rates: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/.
