Client: Independent children’s author
Published: February 15, 2022 — available on Amazon
Services: Developmental editing & proofreading
The Challenge
A rhyming picture book about a curious young dinosaur playing the Alphabet Game on the way to Grandma needed a polish pass before publication—tightening the verse, smoothing page-turn pacing, and ensuring age-appropriate clarity for 3–5 year-olds.
The Approach
I focused on read-aloud flow and learning impact.
- Developmental edit for rhyme & rhythm: refined meter, repetition, and word associations so each letter reads smoothly out loud.
- Picture-book pacing: suggested page breaks and page-turn “hooks” to keep young readers engaged from A to Z.
- Age-level clarity: simplified phrasing where needed and flagged vocabulary stretch words for context support.
- Continuity & consistency: checked alphabet sequence, dinosaur details, and recurring motifs.
- Proofreading: line-by-line fixes for punctuation, capitalization, and typographic polish.
Deliverables
- Editorial memo with recommendations
- Marked manuscript with tracked changes
- Clean proofread file ready for layout/illustration handoff
The Result
A charming, rhythmic ABC adventure with clear page turns and a strong read-aloud cadence—perfect for bedtime rotations and daytime “find the letter” play. The final manuscript moved confidently to production and launched on Amazon in 2022.
