Editing Services

Please note: I am not taking on new clients at this time. You are welcome to contact me regarding openings in my schedule, and I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can.

Why should you hire me to edit your book baby?

As a six-time Excellence in Editing Award winner, I care deeply about maintaining the author’s voice, have been professionally trained, and use only industry-standard guidelines.

Should you hire me, below are rates, details, and what to expect:

I edit fiction manuscripts only, and my preference, after numerous manuscripts have crossed my desk, are those in the fantasy or sci-fi genres. Any speculative fiction, really.

First, send me a query via the form below, with the details of your manuscript (word count, genre, audience) as well as the answers to the following questions:
Is your manuscript complete?
Has it undergone any previous editing?
Are you under deadline or have a particular date you need it back by?
Should we agree to work together, please format your MS in a Word .docx or .doc as follows:
double-spaced
12-point font in Times New Roman or Cambria
one-inch margins
8 1/2″ x 11″ page
no images or text boxes or special formatting of any kind
I’m looking for a plain-text document here with no frills that meets industry-standard formatting guidelines. If you are submitting to a publisher, this is the exact same format you will use, so please follow these instructions exactly. Get creative in the writing, not the formatting! :-)
Please include a cover sheet with your contact information, as well as a document header with your name, manuscript title, and page number. (For example: Harper/Silence the Siren/Page 2)

Rates:

My goal is to make affordable professional editing services available to authors who are serious about their craft and want to take their story to the next level, and what I charge is on the low end of professional editing rates. (You can find out more about industry-standard pro rates here.)

Rates are as follows:

Developmental Edit: $0.02 per word. (For example: If you have a 50,000 word manuscript, it will cost $1,000.)
A developmental edit is an overview of the entire manuscript, looking for plot holes, fully developed character arcs, a satisfactory story arc, and inconsistencies.
Copy Edit: $0.015 per word. (For example: If you have a 50,000 word manuscript, it will cost $750.)
A copy edit looks at proper grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, flow of text, and ease of readability.
Proofread: $0.01 per word. (For example: If you have a 50,000 word manuscript, it will cost $500.)
A proofread is the final edit before the manuscript goes to be typeset by the publisher or formatted by the self-publisher and is mainly looking for typos or other small mistakes.

If you want more in-depth information about the different kinds of edits and their definitions, this is a great resource. Please note: Although what I look for while editing closely aligns with this list, please note there are some differences. Feel free to ask if you are looking for something specific for your MS!

More Details:

Invoices will be sent with half due immediately to secure your spot in my schedule, and half due at the conclusion of the desired edit and before the MS is returned to the author.
Turnaround times depend entirely on the length of the MS, the type of edit needed, and the difficulty of the edit, but an estimate will be given to the author before I begin, as well as updates if more or less time is needed.

Please keep in mind that I am very selective about the manuscripts I accept, but should we sign an agreement, I will give your MS my full attention.

Now, a few guidelines.

I only edit clean manuscripts. This generally means no offensive language, sex scenes, or gratuitous violence. I reserve the right to decline an MS that includes content that makes me uncomfortable.
I edit using track changes in Word. If you are unfamiliar with track changes, I will include a short tutorial at the beginning of your manuscript.
As the author, it is up to you to implement the changes I suggest. I will let you know when something is my opinion vs. industry standard. I want your voice to shine throughout your work, not mine!
Please let me know if there is anything specific you wish me to look for in your manuscript. I welcome all questions and feedback!
If I have a question about usage, I refer to the following industry-standard guides: The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Ed.; Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Ed.; The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style, 4th Ed.; and Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors by Kathy Ide.