Onboarding Process
15-Minute Strategy Session
Each new client relationship begins with a 15-minute strategy session to access what your needs are and how we can best assist you. Click the “Schedule a free 15-minute session” button on the home page to gain access to my calendar and schedule a meeting.
Follow-Up Estimate or Referral
After our 15-minute call, a recommendation is made via email detailing next steps. If we don’t think we can help you, we’ll make every effort to recommend a service, tool, or resource than can possibly meet your needs.
Official Proposal and 50% deposit
Once services are agreed upon, we will send a proposal, which includes a contract with payment options (credit or debit card and e-check). After the contract is signed, clients pay a 50% deposit*. Our standard process is for payments to be split in two, but we can split the cost into three and four payments. *Deposits are non-refundable once work begins.
Manuscript Delivery
Clients can send their manuscript through a variety of ways. Email is a popular choice, but we also use Verifyle, a secure encrypted document-uploading portal.
Editing and Coaching Process
Manuscripts should be sent in Word, double-spaced, with no large images or major formatting (simple bolding and italics are fine). We will touch base with you weekly regarding progress. Coaching sessions are typically held once or twice per week. Standard manuscript editing time frames are as follows:
Manuscript Review with Audience Discovery: 1-2 weeks to read through the manuscript.
Developmental Editing: 3-6 weeks or longer depending on length and scope of work.
Copyediting: 2 weeks (usual time frame).
Proofreading, Layout Design and Cover: a 4-6 week process to create interior design and cover samples, approve design, finalize design, and proofread.
Revisions
Each editorial service includes 1-2 rounds of revision. The revision process is common after most editing services. After the first round of developmental editing, copyediting, or proofreading, the manuscript is returned to you (the author). During this time, you will review any comments, recommendations, edits, and approve or address any comments.
After your first-round review, you will send the manuscript back so that new content or any comments or questions can be checked. Next, is the second or last round of revision, which includes finalizing your manuscript for the next phase of editing.
Coaching Sessions/Programs
Coaching services may be combined with any service and are often problem-solving based. Sessions are designed to walk authors through the publishing process and answer questions not necessarily related to the mechanics of editing. You can elect to forgo coaching if you only need a basic editorial or production/design service.
However, if you need help with identifying your target audience, budgeting, submitting book proposals, preparing for a meeting with an acquisitions editor, rebuilding an old manuscript, copyright submission, digital platforms, review questions for peer review, app building, sales funnels, or anything pre- or post-production related, we strongly recommend completing a series of coaching sessions.
Business-to-Business Onboarding Process
15-Minute Strategy Session
Each B2B relationship begins with a 15-minute strategy session to access what your needs are and how our business solutions can assist you.
Follow-Up Estimate or Referral
After our 15-minute call, we will send a proposal (contract and deposit details), including the scope of work and pricing for publishing business consulting, publications review or a different service.
Delivery and Service Time Frames
Publishing Business Consulting: One-hour sessions, including follow-up tools and guides.
Publications Review: 4-6 weeks for existing content (long-term assistance with ongoing projects is also available).
We focus primarily on two types of content: educational and inspirational.
Educational: Textbooks (high school and adult), corporate or teacher training guides (for organizations and schools), how-to, travel tour guides, music education, finance, and wellness education for African Americans.
Major Topics: Mental health and meditation, endometriosis, alternative medicine, beauty/skin/hair/spa, social media, interior design, entrepreneurship, violin practice and performance, women’s studies, nursing education, nutrition, budgeting, politics and civics, African American literary theory, and African American culture and history.
Inspirational: African American spiritual living and growth books, prayer guides, Sunday school curriculum, Bible study how-to guides, devotionals, and workbooks.
Major Topics: Womanist interpretation, liberation theology, spiritual gifts, hermeneutics, discipleship, singles, Christian meditation, and African philosophy.
We do work on memoirs occasionally (topics include spiritual journey and stories of health, wholeness, and healing).
Software: Microsoft Office for Mac (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) with access to Microsoft Office for PC, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Google Docs.
Style Guides: The Chicago Manual of Style, APA style, and style sheets (familiar with AP and AMA).
Dictionaries: Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary, and Blue Letter Bible Interlinear Concordance.
Conferencing and File Transfer: FileZilla, Zoom, Loom, Dropbox, and WeTransfer.