Editing Services
Developmental Editing
A developmental edit is a full content edit, providing analysis of every element of your story. At the end of it, my goal is to provide you with a roadmap for revisions to make your story the best it can be.
This service includes an editorial letter, summaries & notes on individual chapters, and in-line comments made in Microsoft Word.
This service does not include copyediting or proofreading.
Cost: $0.03 per word
Manuscript Evaluation
A manuscript evaluation is a more affordable choice for authors who want suggestions to strengthen their story without the intensity associated with developmental editing.
This can be an excellent value if you want to elevate your story but don’t need extensive guidance when it comes to the details of implementation.
This service includes an editorial letter plus summaries & notes on individual chapters.
This service does not include in-line comments, copyediting, or proofreading.
Cost: $0.015 per word
Outline Critique
If you’re a planner and an experienced writer, this option may afford you the best value when it comes to story editing. Send me a detailed outline or synopsis and I’ll critique your story before you begin writing it, casting light on potential problems before they arise. I’ll focus on cause and effect, plot structure, and character arcs to ensure you have a solid skeleton that will help you tell an engaging story.
Cost: starting at $200
Blurb Makeover
A blurb (a.k.a. “book description”) is one of the most important things to get right if you want your book to sell. A great blurb will hook readers immediately while also giving them an accurate sense for the experience they’ll have reading your full story.
Wanna know a secret?
Many authors hate writing blurbs, but I adore them. Seriously. Let me help you with yours, and I’ll obsess over it for much longer than I probably should.
This service includes developmental editing, copy/line editing, rewriting, proofreading, and as much back-and-forth as we need until you’re happy with the end product.
Cost: $100 per blurb
Note: If you only need a basic copy/line edit or proofread for your blurb, the cost will be much lower.
Copy/Line Editing
Once the content of your story is set, it’s time to ensure your writing is polished and effective at the sentence level.
My goal with copy/line editing is not only to correct any errors and inconsistencies I see in your work, but also to smooth out your words and make them shine. This sometimes involves restructuring, rewording, and reordering sentences to improve clarity, readability, style, and flow.
I use Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature to make all revisions, so you’ll always have the final say in any changes made to your work.
This service includes a style sheet along with line and copy edits.
This service does not include any story/content critique.
Please note: Unless you specify otherwise, I edit based on the guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style and the conventions of American English.
Cost: starting at $0.015 per word
Proofreading
No editor can guarantee that they’ll find every single error in your manuscript. I aim to get as close to perfect as possible with every copy/line editing project I take on, and most authors I work with find that this is all they need. However, if you want to check all the boxes (and/or if you want someone to check another editor’s work), a proofread is the final step in the editing process.
Traditionally, proofreading is done on manuscripts that have already been formatted for print. Nowadays in the world of indie publishing, it’s more commonly done in Microsoft Word before formatting. I’m happy to do it whichever way you choose.
Please note: I will not proofread any manuscript that has not already undergone copy/line editing.
Cost: $0.005 per word