Historical editing
Do you need help locating your story in a particular era and location? Fact-checking what you've written? Proofing for accuracy and period correctness? Historical language, clothing, ranks and titles, industry, politics, medicine, ethnicity, and more?
Annie R McEwen holds a M.L.A. in Cultural History and spent 30 years staffing museums, historic sites, and history organizations, 15 years as editor-in-chief of one of the nation's oldest journals of local history. A lecturer and presenter on all things historical, Annie is often asked to share her knowledge on topics as diverse as 19th century mourning and real pirates of the Caribbean.
As well, Annie is an award-winning historical fiction author who knows what sort of input writers need to produce their best, most authentic work. Contact her with your project!
Testimonials
Annie's knowledge is encyclopedic! Her review of my debut historical romance manuscript was invaluable in making sure every last detail was historically accurate - from the size a Regency ladies' umbrellas, to the words my characters would or wouldn't have used, to exactly which newspaper they would be reading... She caught it all. And she's a dream to work with: responsive, supportive and thoughtful. I can't recommend her enough! - Louise Mayberry, author of the Darnalay Castle Series
Annie went above and beyond to help me. Her editing was professional, insightful, and done with thoughtful consideration. I highly recommend her, and I will be using her service again. - D. Jensen
1
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Annie will read your entire novel or story and examine it for historical plausibility and overall content. For fiction in first through advanced draft, a developmental edit can spot elements that will, if left uncorrected, lead to thematic or historical dead ends. But Annie doesn't stop with pointing out problems. She notes elements that can be developed more fully within historical context, so you have a chance to expand your story into them. To establish yourself as a credible writer of historical fiction, this is the foundational edit. Fee is determined by manuscript length, and starts at $550 for novel length (up to 80,000 words) and $250 for short fiction (up to 8,000 words.) Novellas are priced separately.
2
LINE EDITING
This comprehensive edit is for work that is vetted for fundamental historical rightness, but needs line by line assessment for details. This is where Annie's broad-ranging experience as a historian comes to bear on your novel or short story. Correct details of language, clothing, ranks and titles, daily life, and all else make your work a true experience of the past: that's what this edit provides. While not a sensitivity edit per se, Annie will alert you to potential discordances between the past as known and as it can be portrayed by today's standards. Fee is determined by manuscript length, and starts at $885 for novel length (up to 85,000 words) and $400 for short fiction (up to 8,000 words.) Novellas are priced separately.
3
Historical Q & A
Maybe you don't need a full manuscript edit. It may be just a passage or chapter that needs assessment and/or correction. Or maybe you just have a specific question. "What types of carriages and coaches were used in the mid-1700s in England?" "What knives would a Renaissance gentleman in Italy carry?" Ask Annie! Her fee is based on the number and complexity of your questions, and/or the amount of text that needs her attention. Contact Annie for details.
4
All Historical Editing Services
Annie R McEwen's editing services are fully bespoke. Each manuscript is different, and so each service is tailored to that work and its author. The goal of editing is to empower the author, not just make "red pencil" notes on a page. Historical editing is different both in style and intent from standard grammar-and-punctuation editing, or from "fix this thing" editing. It is active, with the goal of truly enabling you, the author, to walk the past, eat its food, wear its clothing. When you do that, with Annie's help, your readers will do it, too.