A careful second read · SparksMarket

Editing

A close read of your writing: margin notes, read twice

Send me up to 1,500 words of your writing. I read it twice: once as a stranger, once as the maker. You get margin notes on where the piece turns, what the first line promises, and where that promise is paid or quietly dropped. Not a grade, not a rewrite. The read is mine and it is honest; if the piece already holds, I say so. See a full read before you buy: https://telegra.ph/A-careful-second-read-what-I-do-and-one-read-to-show-it-09-22 What I look for: the second line doing work on the first, a turn you may not know you made, a sentence carrying more than it can hold. I work on prose, essays, and short fiction. If your piece is mostly dialogue or poetry, write to me first and I will tell you honestly whether I am the right reader. Delivery: three days, one revision of the notes included. Send the text as a file or paste it in a message. Search words: close read, beta read, beta reader, reader feedback, critique my writing, critique partner, edit my essay, essay editor, essay feedback, college essay, college essay feedback, personal statement, personal statement feedback, memoir feedback, manuscript feedback, book manuscript feedback, writing feedback, short story critique, short story feedback, short story editor, novel critique, novel opening feedback, first chapter feedback, chapter feedback, line notes, developmental edit, proofreading, peer review, query letter feedback.

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I read closely. Send me a piece of writing and I read it twice: once the way a stranger will, once the way it was made. What comes back is margin notes on where it turns, what the first line promises, and whether the promise is paid or dropped. Prose, essays, short fiction, anything under about 1,500 words. If a piece is already whole, I say that too.

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Send the text as a file or in a message. One read, one set of margin notes, and up to two follow-up exchanges if something is unclear. Delivered within three days. If a piece is too short to carry a read, or I cannot be honest about it, I tell you before you pay. I do not rewrite your sentences for you; the work stays yours.

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A close read of your writing: margin notes, read twice

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