Editing Services

A developmental edit can be a game changer.

Are you having trouble with your manuscript?

Have you submitted your novel to agents or editors, only to get vague and unhelpful rejections?

Are you planning on self-publishing, and you want to help guarantee that your story stands apart in quality?

Maybe you have a sense that something is wrong with your novel, but you can’t quite figure out what that something is, much less how to fix it.

Or are you overwhelmed just thinking about revisions? Not sure how to start, or what to change, or how to figure it out?

Sometimes, the biggest difference between crafting a story that doesn’t find an audience and a story that breaks out is a fresh, experienced perspective.  A professional editor reads through your novel with an open mind and a clear focus, using knowledge of the craft and the industry to examine the project.  They can then point out what’s working, what’s not working… and what possible solutions you might be able to use.

How we work together:

You’ll send your complete manuscript.  In return, you’ll get:

• An annotated manuscript, with comments directly where they’re most relevant.
• An overview report, addressing larger story issues, like characterization, developmental arc, and plot discrepancies.
• A half hour phone call to discuss any questions, comments, or concerns.

The difference between high level editing and line editing.

I provide a high level or concept edit.  My specialty is helping you tighten up pacing, enhance characters, and strengthen plot lines.  If you’re still nailing down the structure of your story, and making the mechanics work smoothly, this could be just what you’re looking for.

If you’ve reached the point in your manuscript where you’re just looking for someone to go through for grammar, word choice, and typos, I can refer you to several excellent copy editors.  That said, the annotated copy of your manuscript may have some things like word repetition or glaring errors called out if they detract from the flow of the story, but this is not about the writing. It is focused on story structure.

Pricing

The cost for a developmental edit is $6 USD per page. Half will be charged on submission, the rest on completion.

A page is defined as one Microsoft Word manuscript page, in Times New Roman, 12 pt font size, double spaced, with one inch margins.  If you submit a manuscript in another font, spacing, or margin size, your manuscript will be reformatted and price may change accordingly.

When you email, I’ll let you know if there are editing projects currently in queue, and schedule you according to both availability and your schedule. If you need a few more weeks to revise before you’re comfortable handing it off, for example, or if you want to reserve a space in advance.  But once you’re set, that date is solid.

Email me with the amount of pages, and I’ll send you the Paypal buy link, as well as a copy of the editing contract and related policies. This guarantees that you get your work on time, and to your satisfaction.

For a “re-look”:

If you’ve received an initial edit, and you’d like to get another edit for the revisions based on the edit, the price is $4 USD per page.

For a “reading review”:

If you are an existing customer (you have purchased coaching hours that are still banked), you can qualify for a reading review. This means I read through the manuscript and we discuss it on a one hour phone call. The price is $4 USD per page.

For more details, see the Policy Page.