FAQ

“While scrambling my way through the daunting process of publishing a book, I was somehow wise enough to seek out the help of a professional. I found that in Marcela Landres who gave me invaluable guidance to help hone my book proposal and, as an added benefit, empower me as a writer to have the confidence I needed to actually submit the proposal. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I still remember the caring voice on the end of the line that was Marcela, assuring me that if I didn’t give up, all the work would pay off, and it did!”—Sheana Ochoa, author of Stella! Mother Of Modern Acting

Q: May I interview you?

A: I’d be honored! Please e-mail me your questions and your deadline and I’ll be sure to get my answers to you soonest. To get the ball rolling, you can find my biography on the About page.

Q: Can you recommend an agent for me?

A: Writers who come to me for a referral to an agent are like the hungry seeking food. Sure, I could feed you a meal, but I’d rather show you how to cook so you’ll never starve again. My giving you the names and contact information for a few agents doesn’t guarantee any of them will represent you. Instead, I teach writers how to find a good agent on their own so they don’t have to depend on consultants like me.

Q: What kind of writing do you edit?

A: For a detailed list of what I do—and don’t—edit, please visit the Categories page.

Q: What kind of editing do you do?

A: Generally speaking, there are two kinds of editing: copyediting and developmental editing. Copyediting focuses on grammar and punctuation. Your publisher is responsible for copyediting your manuscript, so you do not need to pay a freelance editor like me to do this work for you. Developmental editing focuses on voice, structure, plot, character development, dialogue, etc. In other words, developmental editing strives to improve those aspects of the manuscript that affect the quality of the read—and that often determine whether or not an agent wants to represent you or a publishing company wants to publish you. When I line-edit a manuscript, my focus is on developmental editing.