Custom Editing
Informed by experience, responsive to your needs
Romance Short Stories
Young and New Adult Memoir and Biography
Literary Fiction
Mystery and Suspense
Self-Help and Instructional
Services
Developmental editing Line editing Proofreading WRITING COACH
My goal is to help you organize and clean up your manuscript so your voice is heard. Whether
you are looking to self-publish, make your manuscript the best it can be for submission, or share your
memoirs with family, I never forget this is your story, your voice.
Together, we'll look at the big picture:
- What's the hook?
- Are your characters believable and relatable?
- Does the timing of your plot feel natural?
- Is there conflict and tension?
- Is the voice consistent?
And the smaller picture:
- Is your sentence structure clear and compelling?
- Is the tense consistent?
- Are your word choices varied, interesting, and appropriate?
- Is the grammar correct and/or consistent with your voice?
About Judy
More than 25 years of writing and editing experience
Published author
New York publishing house background
Clients include bestselling and award-winning authors
Conference and writing group workshop leader
As a freelance editor, I work with a large and diverse group of authors covering most genres of fiction and nonfiction, publishing both traditionally and independently. I take very seriously the privilege of being able to work with such talented writers—novice and seasoned alike. All manuscripts are treated with respect and confidentiality.
I am a long time member of Romance Writers of America, our local chapter, CTRWA, and the Editorial Freelancers Association. Married for over thirty years, my husband and I live in Connecticut and have two grown boys we never see often enough. Back in the day, I graduated from Boston University with a degree in psychology.
judy.b.roth@gmail.com 203-500-0041
My Award-Winning Authors
Natasha Boyd
Eversea - Winter Rose Contest - Finalist 2013
Forever Jack - 2014 Digital Book Award Winner for Adult Fiction and Top 50 Amazon Bestseller list.
Deep Blue Eternity - Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction - First in Category Winner 2015
"Judy Roth is an integral part of my writing process, she understands pacing and structure and how to get the very best out of her clients. I can't imagine ever bringing a book into the world with my name on it without Judy having touched it first to make sure I was bringing my best to the forefront. She is detail oriented and patient with as many passes as it takes you to feel comfortable setting your book free into the world. I highly recommend her as an editor!"
— Natasha Boyd, Award winning author
Jessie Clever
MARINA OSIPOVA
“I am an author of historical romance with big self-publishing goals, and with Judy's support, I have not only reached my goals but am now set to achieve even bigger ones. Judy's talent and experience are invaluable to me. From small line edit discrepancies to the bigger picture of character development and theme, Judy's sharp eye, attention to detail, and excellent project management skills are unrivaled. She truly is the editor you want to support your writing goals.”
— Jessie Clever
A few of Marina’s recent awards:
PUSH ME OFF THE CLIFF - Reader’s Favorite Medal (5 Stars); Literary Titan (Silver Medal); winner, 2021 Historical Fiction Category, Firebird Book Awards
HOW DARE THE BIRDS SING - Reader’s Favorite Medal (5 Stars); Literary Titan (Gold Medal); 2019 IAN Book of the Year Award; 2019 Wishing Shelf Book Awards (Silver medal)
TOO MANY WOLVES IN THE LOCAL WOODS - Literary Titan (Silver Medal); Finalist, The 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Award
THE CRUEL ROMANCE - 1st Place, 2015 Molly Contest (Heart of Denver Romance Writers); Grand Prize Winner, 2015 Golden Rose Contest; Short-listed for the 2015 The Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction; Winner, New York Book Festival (Romance Category)
ORDER NO. 227: FROM STALIN WITH LOVE (short story) - Reader’s Favorite Medal (5 Stars); Finalist Award, Chanticleer International Book Awards (Shorts & Novellas)
Dear Judy,
I want to thank you for the spectacular job you did while editing my manuscript. Cost of your services was more than fair and the end result was priceless – awards in six contests and the publication of the book.
Your input and suggestions have proved extremely valuable and it was a pleasure to work with you. The fact that you took great care to preserve my voice is especially dear to me.
I would recommend your services to any writer whose work needs editing and look forward to entrusting you with my next manuscript.
Sincerely,
Marina Osipova, 2015
P.S. I can confirm every word said above. Only now, it's about five books and more awards, all thanks to Judy's invaluable help. Many sincere thanks again.
Marina Osipova, January 2022
PJ SHARON PTA, LMT, CPFT
"After working with Judy Roth on several young adult novels, I was excited to see what she would do with my non-fiction project—a holistic living, self-help book. Not that I had any doubts, but Judy’s input and spot on edits brought the book to life. With three comprehensive rounds of editing, Ms. Roth not only roots out errors in grammar, spelling, usage, and syntax, she gives helpful suggestions for improving structure and strengthening prose. I wouldn’t think of publishing without her."
PJ Sharon PTA, LMT, CPFT
Chet Baker
“I came across Judy’s website when I sought a final editor to put the finishing touches on my debut novel before publishing. I had gone through a few well-meaning wordsmiths already who fell short of what I was looking for. So I reached out to Judy. Her modest tone and gentle personality inspired genuine confidence that she understood what I was after. She’s unpretentious and respectful but not shy about offering an honest opinion. Her depth of writing and publishing knowledge is evident. Judy went above and beyond what I expected. Not only did she clean up grammar issues and improve structure, but she also offered suggestions to improve the storyline. As a new writer, I learned much from her. She guided me with patience and sincerity. I’ll definitely seek Judy’s “keen eye” again on my next novel.”
— Chet Baker
Nan Dixon
Annie Sereno
You have a story to tell, a voice to be heard. A unique imaginative vision to share with the world.
You and thousands of other writers.
So you write, rewrite, and polish that manuscript until it shines. Consume copious amounts of caffeine, endure bouts of exhilaration and self-doubt, let fly an expletive or two. Or fifty. And then you write, rewrite, and polish some more and—hallelujah!—send that query letter.
But—unfortunately blah blah blah—and—publishing is subjective blah blah blah—and you are wished so much luck you’re the luckiest unpublished writer you know.
Time to stand out from the crowd and turn your diamond in the rough into a sparkling gem.
Time to consult Judy Roth who will gently point out that the preceding sentence was composed of two tired clichés and then nudge you toward fresh, original prose. She’ll not only grasp the overarching storyline of your novel, she’ll wonder how Grandma can hear Grandpa if, earlier in the scene, she pulled out her hearing aid so as not to hear Grandpa. Pace problems, pesky commas, participles that dangle—Judy’s got them covered.
Thanks to Judy’s intuitive, insightful editing of my manuscripts, my first romantic comedy was published within two weeks of submission to an independent publisher. My second landed me an agent and a two-book deal with Grand Central Publishing. Story told, voice heard. Hallelujah!
—Annie Sereno
anniesereno.com
“It is an absolute pleasure to work with someone as professional as Judy Roth. Her comments and suggestions are easy to understand, she is thorough and always meets or exceeds her deadlines. Even her pricing is very reasonable. I almost hate to recommend her – because then her schedule will fill up even faster.
Judy is a gem!”
— Nan Dixon
Editorial Rates
Full DEVELOPMENTAL edits:
BEGINning AT $.035 per WORD. Minimum of $50.00.
Full edits encompass developmental and line edits and basic proofreading. This price includes two full edits followed generally by a few briefer passes to be sure the manuscript is submission or formatter ready. Throughout the process I will be available to answer questions.
Optional—Final-stage Proofreading:
BEGINning AT $.01075 PER WORD. MINIMUM OF $25.00.
Once full edits are complete, I highly recommend a final read-through by a qualified proofreader. Because my proofreader and I work as a team, I am able to offer this service at a low price, and you can depend on comprehensive and meticulous attention to your manuscript.
Line Editing/Proofreading/WRITING COACH/Other Projects:
Pricing will vary depending on project.
Phone Consultations:
Initial phone consultation is free of charge. Subsequent consultations are $25.00 per 1/2 hour. I am always available free of charge via email to answer your questions!
Payment can be made via personal check or PayPal.
Contact me to discuss rates for your specific needs
judy.b.roth@gmail.com 203-500-0041
