Hi, I’m Crystal.
I’ve been fascinated with words my entire life ~ the shapes of letters, their associated sounds, and how those images and sounds magically come together to form meaning.
Words are powerful tools that allow us to share our ideas, to share ourselves, and to make connections with others. You have ideas to share and connections to make. Using the best tools for the job is where I come in.
I have quite a collection of well-worn, well-loved writing hats. Marketing copywriter, magazine editor, screenwriter, English teacher, playwright, copy editor, proofreader. Over the past 25+ years, I’ve worked with hundreds of writers to analyze, improve, and refine their work. I’m also a versatile graphic designer specializing in logo design and use of typography.
Whatever your project ~ book, newsletter, play, logo, screenplay, website, email, resume ~ we’ve got this.
You have a story to tell.
Together we can make it noteworthy.
Services & Rates
Bravo! Finishing a writing project is a challenging accomplishment worthy of celebration. Whatever you’ve written, your next step is to hire a professional editor to make sure it’s polished and ready to face your audience.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing looks at the big picture, and is most helpful to writers who are in the early stages of their book, screenplay, or play, or those who feel stuck and need help moving forward with their story.
Developmental editing includes a deep dive into content, theme, structure, style, and tone, as well as plot, pacing, and character development.
Rates begin at $.035/word and are based on the complexity and category of the work involved.
Copyediting
Copyediting is everything that falls between looking at the big picture and polishing the tiny details, and it’s the service writers most often need.
Copyediting includes correcting grammar, spelling, usage, and punctuation, as well as simplifying complex passages, addressing inconsistencies, rearranging content, and improving style.
Rates begin at $.035/word and are based on the complexity and category of the work involved.
Proofreading
Proofreading is polishing the tiny details, and it’s the essential last step before you share your work with your audience.
Proofreading includes poring through the text and correcting spelling, grammatical, formatting, and punctuation errors. I’ll also make sure all included URL links work.
Rates begin at $.025/word and are based on the complexity and category of the work involved.
Graphic Design, Layout, and Book Formatting
As I mentioned, the shapes of letters and words are fascinating to me, so it’s no surprise I am naturally drawn to logo design. It’s another form of storytelling, but you, the client get a few seconds at most to tell it. What information, what tone, what feeling do you want to convey to your audience in those seconds? What’s the best font to use as a jumping off point? What color or colors suit the story? How can we make the image that represents you unique and memorable?
Once you’ve got that unforgettable logo or manuscript, how are you going to share it with your audience, your customers? I’m the whole package, and I can help you create yours. Let’s talk.
Every service I offer starts with a conversation, and I’d love to talk with you soon.
Would you like a personalized quote based on your project?
I will gladly review a sample of your writing and provide one for you.
Contact me today!
Featured Editing Project
I worked with the Child Welfare League of America and Dr. Michael J. Schultz to edit his new 350-page book, Systems Consultation When Trauma Strikes: Stories of Hope, Collaboration, and Change.
The focus of the first round of editing was addressing the manuscript’s structure, organization, and storytelling to make sure Dr. Schultz’s ideas were grouped and presented logically, clearly, and in an engaging way for the multiple audiences he intended to reach. I also made recommendations for additional content, including chapter transitions, appendices, and endnotes. Further rounds of editing focused on line-level copyediting and refinement of the text.
The book was published in the fall of 2021 and was recently selected as a winner in Graphic Design USA’s 58th Annual Design Competition.
Featured Design Project
Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence is a grassroots movement of educators across America whose mission is to empower its constituents and supporters to demand that communities are safe from gun violence.
I worked with the founders of Teachers Unify to create a new suite of logos for their primary 501(c)(3) organization and its affiliates.
The intention was for the logo to be bold, easy to read, and memorable. It also needed to hold its own among other well-known national anti-gun violence groups. I added angles within the words, reshaping some of the letters to move the viewer’s eye around the design and give it a unique touch. For colors, the client chose deep blue, dark golden yellow, and rich fuchsia, calling to mind the primary colors. The rebranding was part of Teachers Unify’s 2-year celebration and the launch of their new website.
A Sweet Design Win!
Last year, the Editorial Freelancers Association put out a call to its members to design some fun swag for the organization. Words and art together? That’s what I love most, so I had to give it a try. Finalists were chosen, members voted for their favorites, and my designs topped the list ~ so exciting!
Want to know more about the inspiration for the designs and how I got into freelancing?
Ready to chat?
If you’re ready to talk with an editor, please use the form to send me a few details about what you’re working on. Let’s make your project noteworthy!
Please include the following information in your message:
Testimonials
“Crystal's greatest asset is that she sees a given piece of writing both for what it is and what it aspires to be. She instantly tunes into the writer's strengths and knows how to cultivate them in the text, all the while nudging and coaxing the story toward becoming the best version of itself.
When my screenplays come under the lamp beam of Crystal's gaze, useless dialog melts away, poorly sketched characters get fleshed out, and a saggy 130-page draft turns into a tight 110. Briefly put, her worthy notes are worth every cent.”
— Jake Baskin, screenwriter and editor
“I worked with Crystal in the very early stages of my novel. She functioned mostly as a developmental editor with some copyediting thrown in for good measure.
Her insight and comments were invaluable to me. She was able to pinpoint the weaknesses in the story, while helping to build up the parts that really worked. I don't think there was one suggestion she made that I didn't incorporate into a later draft.
Editing and helping people tell their stories is Crystal's passion, and my book is all the better for it.”
— Kristen Ortner, novelist
“Crystal is delightful and professional to work with. She's a skillful wordsmith, a creative writer, and a reliable and flexible collaborator. Any business that wants its services to stand out would benefit from her discerning eye and well-crafted keystrokes, including tech companies, educational and nonprofit organizations, and retail sales.”
