My 2025 Editing Wrap-Up Stats: First Year of Chasing My Dream

As many small business owners will tell you, the first year isn't glorious.

Ten months into my full-time editing career, and I am certainly no exception. But, if there's one thing about going down the path less traveled, it is that often there are many, many obstacles that get in the way. It's almost as though our own doubts tend to manifest into nasty little unforeseen stressors and create more than enough reasons to just...give up.

If you're a writer, particularly one interested in publishing, you know the feeling. At the end of the day, we are all in this chaotic, push-and-pull machine of delight and despair together. Which is why we have to stick it out, together. If this following your dreams business was supposed to be easy, we'd all be rolling in cash and glory by now. The real key to all of this, I think, is persistence.

Dreams don't taste sweet at first. They're bitter, weirdly crunchy, with a little extra texture you weren't expecting. All that is to say, we need to continue to embrace the unknown and press on (chew just enough to swallow if you must).

So, with all of that in mind, here's my 2025 wrap-up stats as a romance editor in their first year.

For reference, I started T.E. Main-Ruhle LLC in February.

Books edited: 5

Published books edited: 3

Genres: Across the board, all romance, of course

This year's projects:

Heart Not For Sale - Nora Grey

Small Town Contemporary Romance

Link - Get this book for free through BookFunnel

Bonded by Fate - Lizzy Goldmoon

Romantasy

Alpha's Rejected Witch Mate - Lizzy Goldmoon

Paranormal Romance

In Your Head - K. Hollow

Thrilleromance/Dark Romance

Amazon Link (Preorder)

Finding Her - Becca Ray Blackwell

Sci-fi Romantasy

Amazon Link

Note: Many of these projects lasted 2-3 months or more as multiple editing services were requested, timelines changed, and so on. I do my best to remain flexible where I can.

Style Sheets and Vetting a Prospective Copy Editor

One thing you'll come to know about me—I love animals. So yes, all the pet pictures and cute cat and dog GIFS will be comng your way. :D

One way to determine whether an editor can execute a quality, authentic copy edit is by asking them this question: do you provide a style sheet? With no exaggeration, it’s important to note that no style sheet means no copy edit. Not only do style sheets guide an editor’s hand in providing suggestions, but they are an essential compilation of even the most minute details of a project—this is how a good copy editor ensures consistency from the first page to the last. Let’s delve a little deeper into how style sheets become a personalized rule book for individual projects and why they matter so much.

Generally speaking, the true “bible” of editorial work is The Chicago Manual of Style. This is the default reference on all things grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, syntax—you name it. However, one of the main jobs of a well-meaning, intentional copy editor is to determine when these rules can be broken for the sake of an author’s personal style. This conundrum comes about due to the malleable, personalized nature of fiction writing.

One of the commonly cited concerns of working with an editor for many authors, is the loss of their style and unique voice. Style sheets are a central force in ensuring author preferences are respected, noted, and double-checked throughout copyediting and proofreading. This is not to say that a copy editor won’t overcorrect even if they have a style sheet. But, it means that they are keeping tabs on patterns in your writing and should be querying any uncertainty about acceptable rule breaks or general preferences.

Here's some examples of common stylistic preferences I take note of:

• Do they use the serial comma?

• Do they tend to hyphenate where it’s optional?

• Are comma splices used as a tool (pacing, voice, etc.) rather than being merely a crutch?

• How do they connect sentences, with mostly commas or a good mix of commas, em dashes, colons, and semicolons? Do they refrain from using certain punctuation?

• What types of information are italicized, quoted, or capitalized (possibly outside of the typical CMOS rules)?

  
  

For anyone looking for professional editing or merely curious about the process, feel free to comment or reach out to my email (admin@temainruhle.net). I’m happy to elaborate or answer any other specifics about the topic or any other aspect of editing you may be wondering about. Thanks for reading!

Taryne Main-Ruhle is a Michigan-based

developmental, line, and copy editor for

indie romance authors.

Instagram: @temainruhle_llc

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