About/Contact
Jessica Royer Ocken is a freelance writer and editor with a master’s degree from the Missouri School of Journalism and more than two decades of experience. As a journalist, she has covered topics from technology to teenagers and fashion to fine arts. She has collaborated on several book projects and served as writer for the documentary project Chicago in the Year 2000. Currently she devotes most of her time to editing novels and wrangling her family.
Services and rates
I can do anything from straight copy editing and proofing to more involved developmental and line editing. Regardless of the type of editing required, my rate is $50/hour, and the amount of time a project takes varies based on the length of the manuscript and the depth of editing needed.
My usual approach is to work through the manuscript in batches, trading them back and forth with you so we can discuss changes and accept or reject them as we go. Then at the end, I put the whole manuscript back together and read through for overall continuity and any picky details we missed while cleaning things up. It’s also a chance to look at any bigger-picture issues we’ve identified that were impossible to tackle with the manuscript broken up into batches. Then after we’ve traded the final manuscript back and forth a time or two, you’ll be all set and ready for proofreading and typesetting.
If you have questions or would like to inquire about my schedule and availability for your project, please send me an email.
jessica (at) picturestory (dot) net
“Jessica edited my very first book and made the process painless and even fun! I was completely unsure about everything, and she was helpful and patient for every step of the way. I appreciate all her suggestions and highly regard her opinion on what's right for my stories. I look forward to working with her on my next project!”
- Margaux Teegarden-Downs