Free Guide: “Do I need a comma?!”

Does trying to decide whether to use a comma give you a headache? I’m here to help! Download my free cheat sheet of rules for when and where to include a comma in clauses and phrases, based on the seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.

CMOS rules 6.22–6.33 all in one place, summarized with examples and links to each CMOS Online entry.

View/download PDF now.

“I used Bright Dawn's editing services, because I had become stuck with my book. Leah's feedback was timely, clear, and constructive. She didn’t try to change the tone of my book as I had feared. I didn’t feel pressured at all. Instead she opened my eyes to possibilities for me to consider. She helped me understand how the wording I chose may be perceived and helped me see my own writing with fresh eyes so I could make changes I thought were appropriate and become more clear in the direction I wanted to take to finish my book.” 

~Rachel Adorno, author and community organizer

Editorial Services

While you’re focused on the big picture, I’ll make sure your details are all in place.

Who I work with:

  • Authors and journalists

  • Literary journals

  • Academic journals

  • Think tanks

  • Nonprofits and social good organizations

  • Small businesses and solopreneurs

  • Non-native English speakers of all ability levels

  • Writers of all backgrounds and levels

What you’ll get:

  • A polished and professional final presentation of your work that’s tailored for your audience

  • Individualized attention to support your writing goals

  • Sensitive, honest, and actionable feedback

  • Clear, error-free, high-impact language that connects and resonates with your audience

  • Final creative control over all your content

Genres I work in:

  • Memoir and personal writing

  • Spiritual and philosophical writing

  • Poetry

  • Literary fiction

  • Academic writing across the humanities and social sciences

  • Journalism

  • Popular and scholarly nonfiction

Get started

Let’s make your next writing project a success! Choose one of the options below to tell me about your project or publication goals. I’ll make recommendations and explain next steps.

Copyediting

Copyediting includes correcting errors and ensuring stylistic consistency in a text.

It may also include suggesting paragraph- or sentence-level changes to a text, or tasks such as fact-checking.

For your literary, academic, or business texts, I offer light, medium, and heavy copyediting.

Because there is wide variation in what this stage of editing can entail, we will discuss the specific needs of your project before I begin work.

Comprehensive Writing Critique

An affordable and convenient alternative to writing workshops, comprehensive writing critiques provide timely yet detailed feedback on your writing.

Seasoned and novice writers alike benefit from another set of eyes on our work, and your friends may not be qualified to critique your writing. Or they might not tell you what you need to hear.

Expert feedback can help you work through writer’s block as well as creative and organizational challenges.

For manuscripts at any stage of development, I will give you my overall impressions of what’s working and what isn’t, alert you to anything unclear, and make suggestions for further development.

Hone your beginning with targeted feedback on your book preface or first chapter. I specialize in poetry, personal essays, and memoir, but I can also assess literary fiction as well as scholarly and popular nonfiction.

This is one of my favorite services! I consider it a privilege to be allowed to see a work in progress, and I will respect the trust you’ve placed in me by providing you with sensitive and honest feedback.

Critiques for stories, poems, articles, essays, or book excerpts under 5,000 words can be purchased immediately and are returned within two weeks.

If your manuscript is longer than 5,000 words, let’s talk about it before we agree on rates and deadlines.

*If you don’t know how to check the word count of your piece, check out this video.

Client Reviews of Comprehensive Writing Critiques

"Leah saved my story! She kickstarted my stalled piece of short fiction to completion with suggestions on character development, plot improvement, and ideas for moving forward with the story. On top of that, I got a close edit for grammar and punctuation. All of this in an efficient and timely manner. It was way beyond your average editing service."

Donna Banta, fiction author of Mormon Erotica, False Prophet, and Seer Stone

“I recently needed some feedback on a 1,500-word essay that I had been working on for a while. Leah's editing provided me with practical guidance and insightful comments and questions to strengthen the essay. She noted areas in the essay that were working as well as areas that needed further development and clarity. Her feedback was clear, constructive, and timely. It was easy to work with Leah and I would highly recommend her for authors who are seeking feedback on their nonfiction writing.”

Sheri R. Klein, artist and author

Proofreading

This is a finishing process and usually the last step before a piece is published.

I’ll correct any errors in punctuation, spelling, or grammar, and check headings and references for formatting consistency.

While proofreading, I do not conduct any fact-checking.

I will alert you to unclear or repetitious prose, but I do not change any wording except in cases of misspelling or misusage.

Transcription

For podcasts and other conversations, I can generate written transcripts or edit an auto-generated transcript to accurately represent the spoken word.

Academic Editing for Non-Native English Speakers

I help remove barriers to publication by editing manuscripts across the humanities and social sciences for clarity and correct language usage.

I am familiar with both Chicago and APA Style standards, and I will check for complete and correct formatting of your text and all your references.

I will ensure your writing reflects your knowledge and expertise.

Design, Formatting, and Layout Services

Whether you’re creating a printed book, converting web content into an e-book, or preparing a manuscript for publication, I provide professional formatting and check fonts, headings, margins, and images to make sure everything on the page looks as it should.

I can also do things like choose pull quotes and write summary blurbs.

Website Proofing

For a single post or web page, or for both desktop and mobile versions of your entire website, I eliminate errors from all text, check all links, ensure visual consistency of text and images, and provide you with feedback from a user perspective.

On request, I can suggest changes to make your language more impactful.

Spanish to English Translation

I can translate common communication (letters, resumes, blogs or social media posts, etc.) from Spanish to clear and correct written English.

Proofreading & Copyediting, The Consilience Project (Civilization Research Initiative)

I proofread all feature articles prior to publication, including ensuring accuracy and consistency of Chicago Style references.

I also provide support with transcription, internal content writing and copyediting, and manuscript preparation.

Past Work

"Leah is a professional, reliable, and highly competent writer and proofreader. She has delivered a range of challenging editorial and proofreading projects, often under pressure and to short deadlines, yet always to the highest quality. Leah is a reassuring presence in any editorial team, in that she is consistently communicative, detail-oriented and confident in her work."

Alex, Civilization Research Initiative

Design & Formatting, Liminal magazine

I prepared web content for e-book publication, ensured consistency of formatting for text and images, and chose pull quotes.

"Leah is skilled in both writing and visual style. She has a keen attention to detail, and a refined aesthetic sense. Furthermore, she has a way with words, and is a strong editor and proofreader. Would highly recommend."

Arielle Friedman, writer and editor at Liminal magazine

Design, Formatting & Editing, As If by Magic

I edited and formatted my poetry volume—a combination of text and images—for print publication through IngramSpark.

Design, Formatting, Editing, and Project Management

I oversaw the production of three high school yearbooks. In 2019, the yearbook program I advised was recognized by Jostens as a National Program of Excellence for successfully meeting benchmarks of production deadlines, coverage inclusivity, and book sales numbers.

Bright Dawn Media

English language education. Editorial services.

We’re all here to practice.