Dustin Porta – Editor

I'm a freelance developmental editor with ten years of experience. I've worked with NYT bestselling authors and specialize in commercial science fiction and fantasy. I like to think of myself as a "story engineer" making precise edits that preserve the author's vision.

If a chapter isn't working, we don't scrap it, I help you fix it. Tone, pacing, motivations—these are the "gears" interacting behind the scenes. Your character arcs are the "blueprints" for making big changes. Plot holes are the "bumps and dings" I smooth out along the way. Hooking readers with a strong narrative is what happens when it's all running smoothly.

Each edit is customized to fit the needs of the client, but the average developmental edit provides 300 in-line comments with an 8 page editorial letter and a turnaround time of two weeks for a single pass. I'm not a proofreader, but I fix typos as I find them and will make enough line edits to point you in the right direction.

I'm passionate about self-publishing and indie authorship. I've edited well-over a hundred manuscripts, many bestsellers, written five books of my own, and coauthored seven through Layer 2 Publishing, Ash Publishing, and Podium Audio.

I'm an avid sailor and painter with a love for poetry, marine biology, and game design. I grew up on a farm and briefly ran a winery. This eclectic background comes in handy no matter what I'm working on. Science fiction and fantasy are my specialty, but I also love to edit romance, mystery, and the occasional scientific paper.