Who Is the Conscious Writer?
EXPERIENCE
My name is Chris Zook, and I bring over 25 years of professional writing and editing experience to every project, from blogs and e-newsletters to full-length book manuscripts and scholarly articles. I have a proven track record of providing quality service to many satisfied clients, including nonprofit cultural organizations, holistic small business owners, tech companies, and college professors.
VERSATILE
I edit with a light hand, maintaining the author's voice, tone, and style, with an eye toward the intended audience. My role is to make sure your text is clear and engaging, and in correct grammatical English.
KNOWLEDGEABLE
I am comfortable in a wide range of subject areas, including arts and culture, alternative health, personal growth, education, the environment, and social sciences. I am also familiar with Chicago, AP, and APA styles.
LEARN MORE
Why do I call myself The Conscious Writer?
In addition to holding a post-graduate degree in the humanities, I am a certified yoga teacher and have studied a number of religious and spiritual traditions over the years. I believe in the power of self-knowledge and kindness. I also believe in the importance of education, fact-based knowledge, and the thirst to learn more.
Rates and Services
Rates
Because every project is unique, requiring different levels of editing or rewriting or proofing, it is impossible for me to say, “I charge $X for X number of pages or words,” before reviewing your project. However, I believe you will find my rates reasonable and competitive for someone with my level of experience.
I am happy to perform a free test edit of a few select pages for larger manuscripts or projects (10,000 words or more) to make sure you are happy with the quality of my work. Once I have a clear idea of the entire scope of your project, I can then offer you a not-to-exceed estimate. For larger projects, I do request an upfront deposit of 50% of the total estimated fee.
Payment
Payment can be made by personal check or via PayPal or Venmo.
Copywriting
I write press releases, blogs and web content for SEO, e-newsletters, marketing collateral, and grant narratives. I am comfortable in a wide variety of subject areas, particularly arts and culture, hospitality, education, technology, psychology, self-help, and holistic and alternative health.
Editing
I primarily edit non-fiction books and articles, academic writing (dissertations, peer-reviewed research papers), web content, newsletters, and grant proposals. I charge the same hourly fee whether your text needs light, medium, or heavy editing — it just takes me longer if the text needs extra TLC.
I am familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style, AP style, and APA (American Psychological Association) style.
Proofreading
An author or organization can never have their work proofread too many times. I've heard from more than one client that I catch things other editors have missed, including spacing, formatting, and style consistency mistakes, not just grammar mistakes and typos.