Sheer Speculation Press is a small press focusing on the speculative fiction genre. Our intent is to publish quality pieces within the genre that take the time to enlighten the reader, rather than shock them.

Business Material:

Mesut Akdere, professor, UW-Milwaukee
• Grant Proposal

Fein Design, architect, Fein Design
• Website content: writing & editing
• Business material (undisclosed)

Non-Fiction:
None to date

Fiction:

Carnifex Press, small press
• Clash of Steel 2, fantasy collection, assistant editor
• When the World Runs Thin, science fiction collection, lead editor

Sheer Speculation Press, Managing Editor
• Staffs & Starships magazine
• Loki's Journal magazine

Tamara Wilhite, writer
• Jerdacha, science fiction novella, approx. 30k words

Other related projects:

• Milwaukee Writers Workshop, group organizer
• Milwaukee Writers Group, member
• UW-Milwaukee Spring Writers Festival, attended (2007)

Writers pour their hearts and souls into their work. Any criticism thus stings as if someone were wounding your child. Any rewrites strikes as if the writer themselves were hurt. As a professional technical writer, I am accustomed to criticism, endless rewrites, and edits by a dozen peers and managers. However, for my science fiction and horror material, I still maintain an emotional attachment to my work.

Editing my own fiction is often not the best choice. Having the full plot in my mind, I may not catch details that readers would need to see the story as I do. Left to skim it over and over again for improvements, grammar mistakes that spellchecking and grammar checking would not catch (such at this vs. such as this) can creep in despite one’s best effort. Because of this, I sought someone with editing experience to help me improve my writing.

My first book, “Humanity’s Edge”, was left with more mistakes from its editor than the material I had given the publisher. Other editors I have worked with did no more than spell check and grammar check (which we should all do anyway) or made recommendations with no consideration for my intentions. If my objective is to write a book accessible to the widest possible audience, the primary advice should not be to change the names of my characters and add a few sex scenes and/or more gore.

With Mr. Dryden, I have finally found an editor who respects my intended presentation when editing what he has been presented with. His editing style is more than grammar checking and canned advice to add more excitement. His advice leads to adding more scenes or clarified timelines or minor changes that improve upon the writer’s work. This all brings the story that is intended into focus for the reader. This is what writers want editors to do but often do not get.

Mr. Dryden keeps up a steady stream of advice and edits throughout the editing process. Rather than returning a whole marked up text, he sends back individual chapters with painstaking notes of improvements and recommended changes. He also has a very quick turn around time of changes and re-reads. His service was very affordable. It was a distinct pleasure to work with him, which is why I am using his services again.

Tamara Wilhite (2-23-07)
Jerdacha - being shopped
"The Human Engineering Project (working title) - editing

Mr. Dryden keeps up a steady stream of advice and edits throughout the editing process. Rather than returning a whole marked up text, he sends back individual chapters with painstaking notes of improvements and recommended changes. He also has a very quick turn around time of changes and re-reads. His service was very affordable. It was a distinct pleasure to work with him, which is why I am using his services again.

Tamara Wilhite (2-23-07) | Read more

Statement of Privacy. The parties hereto acknowledge that during the course of JB Dryden Company’s service to the client pursuant to the Terms of Service, it will become necessary or desirable for the client to disclose to JB Dryden Company a substantial amount of the client’s Proprietary Information.

JB Dryden Company and its employees fully understand that the maintenance of such information is in strict confidence and the confinement of its use to the client is of vital importance.

JB Dryden Company agrees that the information and knowledge divulged to the JB Dryden Company by the client or which JB Dryden Company acquires in connection with or as a result of JB Dryden Company’s services hereunder will be regarded by JB Dryden Company and its employees as confidential.

JB Dryden Company recognizes that all records and copies of records touching the client‘s operations, investigations and business made or received by JB Dryden Company during the period of this contract are and will be the exclusive property of the client, and JB Dryden Company will keep the same at all times in JB Dryden Company custody and subject to JB Dryden Company control, and will surrender the same to the client immediately upon the request of the client, or upon completion to agreed upon services.

JB Dryden Company and its employees will retain for their archives one (1) copy of the work for services rendered.

Proprietary Rights. Neither JB Dryden Company, its employees, nor its clients may assign, sell or transfer any part of this agreement or the Terms of Service to any other firm or entity without first obtaining the written permission of the other party hereto.

By using The JB Dryden Company’s services, you agree to the following terms. Please read them carefully.

The JB Dryden Company provides high-quality editing services. We are firmly committed to customer satisfaction. However, the changes made by The JB Dryden Company’s editors when reviewing, editing, or proofreading your document are suggestions only. It is your sole responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of all advice and services rendered by The JB Dryden Company, as well as whether or not to implement any such suggestions.

Unless specifically stated, The JB Dryden Company’s services do not include fact checking.

We will EDIT academic material, without altering the content (though we may point out any contradictions or inconsistencies that seem obvious). We do not offer to WRITE or RE-WRITE academic papers or dissertations. If we discover plagiarized material in a document submitted for editing, the edit will be cancelled without return of payment already received.

The JB Dryden Company respects the privacy and confidentiality of its clients and their documents. Never, under any circumstances, will material submitted to The JB Dryden Company be re-printed, sold, or re-distributed in any way. The copyright for all documents edited by The JB Dryden Company will remain with the original author. We observe the highest standards of professionalism and ethics. The JB Dryden Company expects no acknowledgment in published documents. Please read our Privacy Policy for further clarification.

For those projects specifically stating so, The JB Dryden Company service is administered via email and the Internet. You are responsible for checking your email in a timely manner in order to obtain access to the service. The Internet is subject to technical problems. The JB Dryden Company will not be held responsible for any disruption in service that occurs due to Internet service problems or other factors outside its immediate control. All other jobs are subject to the United States Postal Service. Please keep in mind that parcels may get lost in the mail. To ensure that it is received on time, please use Priority Mail or Mail Insurance.

The JB Dryden Company reserves the right to refuse service to anyone at its discretion.

This Terms of Service may be updated from time to time without notice.

Get a quote

You may submit a three page sample (from any portion of your work) to be edited free of charge. It will be returned to you within two business days. This may be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word, Open Office, Google Doc, or non-program specific rich-text formatted document (please specify the type of file you are submitting in your email).

Services

As an editor (or copyeditor, if you prefer) I am in the market to make your writing more presentable and professional. I have four major tasks that I perform with each job:

1. Mechanical editing. This includes ensuring consistency within the text (capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations, etc.) as well making certain that your text conforms to a particular house style if one is being used.
2. Correlating parts. This includes checking the table of contents against chapters; checking the numbering of footnotes, endnotes, tables, and figures. It also includes checking the bibliography or references and all correlating tables or figures.
3. Language editing. This includes errors in grammar, syntax, and usage. As well, wordy passages may either be pointed out or rewritten depending on the level of edit that is request by the customer.
4. Content editing. This is the most labor-intensive task and includes the verification of facts, fixing logical gaps in the text, and correcting faulty organization within the piece.

With any text, it is also assumed that I will query any instance within the text where I believe permission needs to be granted to an outside source. That permissions must then be provided in writing in order for the work to be finalized. I do not do typecoding. That is meant for a publishing house and its editor.

Rates

Each project is contracted on a per-client basis. Each client will negotiate with the editor over the terms of the project regarding pay, turn-around time, and editing style (whether it is line editing, proofing, or content editing). We use the Chicago Manual of Style for our projects, unless otherwise requested for the project.

A typical project will last between thirty (30) to sixty (60) days depending on the nature of the work. Smaller projects will obviously have a shorter turn-around time, and rush jobs are available. For a more detailed look at the rates, please look at

Profile

James Boone Dryden is the owner and founder of JB Dryden Company. Founded in 2006, it was formed to cater to the fantasy and science fiction small press community. He received a Bachelor’s of Arts in English-Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2005. He has worked as a freelance editor since 2004 and is currently the Associate Editor at Carnifex Press, a small press publisher that focuses in Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. Mr. Dryden is also an active participant in the local writing community as a critique editor for various, free writers’ workshops.

The goal of the JB Dryden Company is to provide professional editing for all styles of writing and a range of projects. Everything – from complete, substantial edits of your novel to quick line edits of your business proposal – is considered.

Currently, the expertise of the JB Dryden Company lies within the realms of genre fiction, mainstream fiction, and literary fiction. The JB Dryden Company does have a few restrictions. Please do not send us fiction of any of the following styles: romance, slasher/gore, pornography, political material, or religious material.

The JB Dryden Company is part of The Dryden Media Group, LLC.

Qualifications

James Boone Dryden, Lead Editor
BA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Associate Editor at Carnifex Press

Please send any inquiries to editor@jbdrydenco.com

If your manuscript is one that I believe I can work on, then I will provide a sample edit for free. However, if I do not believe that my edits will improve upon the work, but you feel that it requires more editing, I will put you in contact with another editor who might better serve you.

You may also send a query via conventional mail to:

Sheer Speculation Press
c/o The JB Dryden Company
PO Box 11128
Shorewood, WI 53211

Note:If you are looking to submit work for Sheer Speculation Press, please visit the Guidelines page.