Contact
shirley@shirleyrashediting.com
Trusted Editor for History Buffs, Writers, and Publishers
Freelance Copyeditor and Developmental Editor
Do you have a manuscript that badly needs a grammatical intervention? Have you written yourself into a corner and don’t know what to do next? Unsure of what the next step should be in your publication journey? I can help!
I’m an experienced professional editor who specializes in nonfiction manuscripts (particularly history and true crime), though I also work with some fiction (especially if it’s historical fiction or crime/mystery fiction). I work with both publishers and independent authors. You can read more about me here.
Regardless of the genre of the manuscript, I provide my clients with thorough, precise, and punctual work. When copyediting, I maintain a careful balance between preserving the author’s voice and message while also ensuring clarity, concision, consistency, and correctness. My developmental editing work ensures that client manuscript content is coherent, structurally sound, and effectively matches its intended purpose, audience, and genre.
Client-Driven, Collaborative Editing
My approach to editing is very much guided by my background and training as a writing center tutor and Composition I and II instructor. In many ways, I see editing as a natural extension of teaching.
I believe that sharing one’s writing is one of the most vulnerable things anyone can do and that it is not a contradiction to be kind and honest in my feedback to clients.
I also believe that editing works best when it is a collaborative process. To me, being an editor means I’m an advocate for the writer and the reader. It’s my job to help the writer ensure the manuscript is the most effective version of their vision that it can be and maintain their voice; it’s also my job to anticipate possible turnoffs and areas of confusion for the reader.
For these reasons, I think it is important to point out what is and isn’t working. Ensuring the client knows why something is an issue and how to fix it is just as essential as identifying what is wrong. As much as possible, I try to provide a variety of suggestions if there is no one clear correct solution. I also believe that working with a client to brainstorm solutions is vital since the author knows the subject matter and their intended audience and purpose far more than I.
Standard Reference Texts
As is true of most American editors, I use The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, and Merriam-Webster Dictionary to guide my edits regarding usage, punctuation, citation, spelling, and hyphenation. As needed, I also consult other references for editing queries and fact-checking.
Editing Standards
I adhere to the guidelines and recommended best practices of two excellent editing organizations.
I’m a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and follow their Code of Fair Practice concerning contracts and business practices.
Though I’m not a member of Editors Canada, I love their Professional Editing Standards, which break down the essentials expected of editorial professionals. They cover everything from general best practices and standards that apply to any editing job to specifics about developmental editing, line editing, and copyediting.
My Professional Memberships
I’m a proud member of the American Copy Editors Society, the Editorial Freelancers Association, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.
See what my clients say about working with me
“Shirley (Rash) is undeniably the best copy editor with whom I’ve ever worked. She is thorough, consistent, and always meets a deadline. Her knowledge of CMOS rules and formatting is first rate, and I highly recommend her services!”
Randy Baumgardner, Acclaim Press Managing Editor
“Shirley was wonderful to work with. She was very thorough with her edits, and was easy to contact whenever I had any questions. She was also quick to communicate any questions of her own. The back and forth went very smooth. I would recommend her help to anyone looking for a professional editor.”
Gary Varner, Author of The Familiar, The Temple of Maggie Stone, and Willow’s Web
“As a first time writer, I knew I needed professional guidance. Over the past two years, Shirley has provided critical feedback and direction to help me write my story. She is smart, insightful, and a great partner.”
Jim Robertson, Author of Owning the Game
“My manuscript didn’t really come to life until Shirley Rash got her editorial hands on it.”
Stuart Sobel, Author of Queen Bee and The Killing of “Bugsy” Siegel
“Thorough, professional, and consistent in meeting deadlines–as an editor Shirley Rash achieves excellence in her work every day. She is detailed, with a broad range of knowledge that she uses to help writers clarify their words, clean up unnecessary text, and condense clunky confusion into concise, clear communication. I would recommend her to anyone seeking an editor!”
Laura Welch, New Leaf Publishing Group Editor-in-Chief
“I thank [Shirley] again for her splendid and unfailingly meticulous work through these months. Worth every penny.”
Tony Ginn, Author, Tales of a Conflated Earth
“A true professional who exceeded my expectations. Throughout the whole process of editing my first novel, I found Shirley’s personality easy-going and approachable. She kept the lines of communication open and answered all my questions. I loved her attention to every detail–settings, characters, dates–perfecting my storylines. She set up deadlines and budgets with me and stuck to each one. I highly recommend and plan on using Shirley again.”
Cindy McIntyre, Author of Love at the Center of Grief
“Shirley’s editing work reflect not only an exceptional level of rigorous labor, but also reveal a true effort to communicate with clarity the many suggestions that make my work more vivid and rich. I want also to place emphasis on the very thoughtful comments that Shirley takes time to craft while reviewing my writings. Thanks to Shirley’s work, I am a better writer!!!”
Juan José Bustamante, University of Arkansas Sociology Professor
“I can’t recommend Shirley’s services enough. She’s been a critique partner and beta reader for me for several years now, and her sharp eyes have caught everything from plot holes to comma splices, to my ever-constant struggle against overused phrases and words. She’s really a team player in helping me make my work the best it can be.”
Cyrus Keith, Multi-Award-Winning Novelist, The NADIA Project
“New to the writing world, I found myself terrified of the vast unknown including the deep reservation in sharing my long reclused creative thoughts with anyone! A friend who understood the need I had for an editor of integrity, referred me to Shirley Rash. Upon initial contact, I felt comfortable and welcomed with Shirley. The process of completing my first novel, seems now to be only possible with the help of Shirley. She is engaged at all time in listening to the writer and presenting the tweak, nudge, advice needed to carry on. Shirley represents the reader extremely well and delivers that sense of logics to the writer in amazing fashion.”
Cameron Rushing, Author of The Watch
“The student has become the master: When it came time for me to distill my knowledge of grammar into a student workbook, Shirley was the person I trusted to proofread my manuscript as it neared publication. I knew what a talented, hard-working perfectionist she is from having had her in several of my classes and from serving as her work supervisor in the writing center. She is one of the most intelligent students I have had the privilege and pleasure of working with in my 30+ years of teaching college composition and grammar. Her work ethic is second to none, her writerly instincts are spot on, her grammar is impeccable, and she—and her rates—are reasonable!”
Elise Bishop, Author of Holy Grammar