Copyediting Services

editingFor several years I have provided copyediting services both privately and through the Peace River Center for Writers.  My fee is much less than the average to make this service available to new authors.  [$10 an hour or $2 per 250-word page (12 pt, double spaced), an average of 5 pages an hour.  $4 per page for manuscripts with a lot of errors.]  I have edited works of poetry, fiction, autobiography, and spirituality.  I use “The Chicago Manual of Style” and the “Cambridge Guide to English Usage” as standard works of reference.  If you need editing, please contact me at prcw@fsw.edu or 941-676-2630.

Madelon Becker
Peace River Center for Writers
at Florida Southwestern State College

Christie Zarria

Christie Zarria

I’m a native Texan who got to Florida as soon as I could – about eight years ago. My life in Texas centered around my true love from high school, to whom I’ve been married for nearly 50 years, our five amazing children and 14 spectacular grandblessings. Outside of family, I was an executive assistant for the CEO of the largest medical malpractice insurer in Texas for over twenty years. My spousal unit and I are avid travelers who have been to Turkey, China, Italy, India, and most of the Caribbean, Central, and South America. I also enjoy sewing, playing my new grand piano, and cooking for and entertaining the steady stream of family and friends that come to see us at what is fondly referred to as the “Zarria B&B!”

I love to write about family, travel, personal experiences, and occasional philosophic reflections, although my secret wish is to do a historical novel of some sort. To date, my only claim to published fame is a third-grade poem which made the PTA newsletter and an anecdote that was submitted to and published in Readers Digest in the early 80’s.  I hope to hone my writing skills by hanging around the amazing group of fellow writers in the GCWA and absorbing all I can from the wealth of talent and experience here. I’m honored to be part of this group.