We perfect your manuscript
The brain is a marvel at contextualizing.
Even the most scrupulous writers can suffer typo-blindness. As we read, the brain fills in gaps and connects the dots to understand even the messiest text. But too many glitches can take away from the author’s intent and turn off readers.
It takes fresh eyes and keen skills to hunt down misspellings, errant punctuation, dangling quotation marks and modifiers, and grammatical issues that detract from even the most elegant prose. Stray line breaks, inconsistent tabbing, and mixed straight quotes and curly quotes can make layouts look untidy.
GrammarToGo will perfect your manuscript and turn it around quickly so you can finalize your draft and keep your production schedule on track.
Hiring GrammarToGo for Your Project
Helpful guidance on determining the type of editor you’d like to engage can be found on the Editorial Freelancers Association site. Their downloadable pdf, “Hiring an Editor: A Guide for New Authors,” can be found here.
GrammarToGo complies with the EFA’s professional standards and practices. My rates generally fall within the industry standard of from 2 to 2.9 cents per word. I offer discounts to first-time clients and show my gratitude for referrals!
All projects are different, though, so let’s talk! Use the email link at the bottom of the page to tell me what kind of help you’re looking for. I’m happy to provide a sample edit so you can determine whether my services will meet your needs.
Read in the section below what other authors appreciate about the benefits of working with GrammarToGo.
Client Testimonials
by selected clients
Gary Murrey, Author of “Read The Room: What Poker Taught Me About Business, Leadership, and The Long Game”
Working with Kathleen Costello on the copy edit of my first full-length book, Read the Room, was an excellent experience from start to finish. Because this was my first book-length manuscript, it was important to me to have a copy editor who could do more than simply correct grammar. I needed someone who would understand the heart of the project, respect the direction and goals behind it, and help guide me through the process with clarity and confidence. Kathleen did exactly that. Before the project began, she took the time to talk with me, understand what I was trying to accomplish, and get a sense of the voice and purpose behind the book.
Kathleen’s feedback was precise, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful. She asked good questions, identified areas that needed attention, and improved the manuscript without editing away my tone, my stories, or the personality of the book. She clearly understood both the context of Read the Room and the importance of clean, professional writing. That balance mattered a great deal to me: she strengthened the work while still allowing it to sound like me.
All in all, I had a great experience working with Kathleen. She was appropriately priced, attentive, responsive when needed, and completed the work within my timeline. She met the deadline, communicated well throughout the process, and helped me move from manuscript to something ready for publication. I highly recommend Kathleen to any author looking for a skilled, thoughtful, and reliable copy editor, and I will absolutely use her again for future projects.
Gary McAvoy, Bestselling Author of “The Magdalene Chronicles” and “Vatican Secret Archives Thriller series”
On a hunch, I gave my fifth novel to Kathleen to have her hand at it. Honestly (and humbly), I didn’t think she would find many errors, as I’ve always considered my work fairly polished. Imagine my shock, then, when she returned the manuscript with some 1,800 typos, punctuational errors, disorderly grammar, and style improvements! So much for humility. I’ve since had her go back and do all four previous books since she is clearly better at this than I am. I don’t see how any author can do without GrammarToGo’s superior services, which I recommend without hesitation.
PJ Peterson, Author of “The Julia Fairchild Mysteries” and “Christie’s Flower Shoppe” series
Kathleen Costello performed surgical magic with her red pencil on my recent manuscript. I had always thought my grammar and punctuation were excellent until I saw how she improved what I had written. Her copyediting skills are top-notch, with an amazing turn-around time as well. I will be hiring her again for my next novel. And telling my friends.
Robert Douglass, Author of “The Jack Wellington Mysteries” and “The John Bailey Saga”
After a full developmental edit, I had reservations about spending more for a copyedit. I thought about purchasing an editing tool but knew it had limits and little to offer for writing style. I needed to put the final touches on my manuscript — a mystery — so I could publish. I received my manuscript back from Kathleen, and I beamed with gratification. Set before me were the grammatical recommendations and occasional comments to help with flow and style. I could now publish with confidence with the added insight. Kathleen earned my trust, and GrammarToGo will always put the final touch on my stories.
Hal Dygert, Author of “The Other Side of the River”
Kathleen Costello keenly appreciates the challenges of today’s literary marketplace. She comes to the table not only with red pen in hand but a cheerleader’s enthusiasm. My book is a dialog-heavy crime novel set in 1941. In addition to rousting the usual suspects, she re-punctuated some of my dialog in ways that, without changing a word, heightened the tension. And she flagged some potentially embarrassing anachronisms. Kathleen is cheerful, available, and her work inspires confidence. You couldn’t do better.
About Me
Kathleen Costello, Red Pencil in Chief
Helping authors improve their manuscripts by eliminating distracting errors is my great joy. Honoring the intent of the text without detracting from the reader’s enjoyment is my great skill. Once my work is done, there should be no trace of it in your finished product — just a clean manuscript, ready for the next step in your publishing process!
Words have been my professional tools throughout my career. I earned a bachelor of arts with honors in English literature and a master’s in social science research. A primary focus of my working life was as an in-house researcher, writer and editor. Magazines, technical reports, public relations materials, fundraising campaigns, website content, grant applications and technical reviews, and general correspondence were my stock in trade for four decades.
Now, as GrammarToGo’s founder and Red Pencil in Chief, I combine my professional skills and lifelong love of reading to support authors.
On my watch, commas and apostrophes learn to go where they belong, and clauses and verb tenses sit up and take notice. Let me show you what I can do for your manuscript!
More Information
Download information brochure here.
Professional Affiliations
Take Us For a Test Drive!
Find out if we are the right fit for your project — free of charge! E-mail a ten-page excerpt of your manuscript for a speedy, complimentary sample edit. Or, just use the form below to drop me a line and I’ll be in touch.