If any of the following Editing services are a good fit for your project and growth as an author, contact me to discuss your needs and objectives. I bring 10+ years of fiction editing and author coaching expertise to my one-on-one work with authors at all experience levels (in addition to my 10 years of experience as a Senior Technical Writer).
Working one-on-one with each client and student, I customize manuscript work and author coaching to fit your beginner, intermediate or experienced needs.
All rates are approximate. After evaluating your specific project or coaching requirements, a quote will be made before work begins. All fees and terms are finalized when both you and I sign the final contract (which we will exchange and execute via email).
Authors provide materials through email in Text (.TXT), Rich Text (.RTF), or Microsoft Word (.DOC or .DOCx) files, in standard manuscript format (Times New Roman or Courier font, 12 point type, double-spaced, .25 or .5 inch margins). Materials are returned to authors in Microsoft Word format and PDF file (in the case of editorial letters).
Editorial Services and Rates
After reviewing a short (5-10 page) sample of an author’s work, I discuss each project with the client (via email), during which the author and I cover requested and recommended services, depth of editing to be provided, key areas of focus, and fee adjustments based on author and project requirements.
Developmental (Content) Editing:
A service that focuses on improving the developing bigger-picture “content” and structure of an author’s work. For fiction and non-fiction, this is a more creative service than the rest, because I’m working with an author to hone each individual piece of the work (character, plot structure, setting, pacing, motivation, escalating and sustained conflict, dialogue, point of view, scene, setting, theme, etc.), as well as evaluating how effectively these pieces work together to deliver an engaging, satisfying, seamless reader experience.
For multiple-round developmental edits (where the author re-works the project after my initial editorial pass, and I then perform a subsequent edit of the rewrites), I read each new pass of the manuscript with a fresh eye but also circle back to previously noted developmental elements, evaluating progress and additional work needing attention.
Detailed Reading Notes (when included) are left directly in the manuscript file, using Microsft Word’s track changes and comments features. An Editorial Letter (when included) offers in-depth analysis, evaluating a project’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as recommendations for improvement. Emphasis is also given to specific areas requested by the author.
Length of material submitted, depth of edit, as well as number of editorial rounds are negotiable, depending on the author’s needs and the editorial insight gained from evaluating the initial manuscript sample. For each round of developmental editing, I am available to discuss any questions the author might have–via an email exchange, or, if needed, a one-hour phone consultation.
Frequently provided developmental editing services:
partial manuscripts (3 chapters or more, comprising no more than half of the full manuscript)
submission proposals (3 chapters or approximately 50 manuscript pages), evaluated with an additional eye toward acquisition
novellas (manuscripts between 10,000 and 50,000 words)
novella anthologies (multiple novellas to be combined into a single volume, evaluated with an eye toward overall continuity and style requirements)
short stories (manuscripts up to 10,000 words)
full manuscripts (manuscript files of 50,000 words or more)
fiction and nonfiction work
other writing materials, such as cover letters, resumes and other more technical writing materials
Developmental Editing Fee Schedule:
(adjusted for each client based on deadline and author skill level)
Manuscript Read (includes in-depth manuscript read, evaluation, and reading notes left within the electronic document). Detailed editorial letter not provided. Minimum $250. Quoted at 3 to 3.5 cents per word.
Manuscript Evaluation (includes in-depth manuscript read, evaluation and return of detailed editorial letter). Detailed reading notes not provided. Minimum $400. Quoted at 3.5 to 4 cents per word. Hourly rate, if preferred: $50 to $55/hr.
Full Developmental Edit (includes all Manuscript Read and Manuscript Evaluation services). Minimum $500. Quoted at 4 to 4.5 cents per word.
Line and Copy Editing
All line and copy editing is done exclusively in the manuscript file, using Mirosoft Word’s track changes and comment features. If requested, a copy editing summary of styles and standards applied will be provided.
Line Editing works creatively with your project at the sentence and paragraph level.
This is an editorial pass best saved for after the point where your project is developmentally complete.
A line edit is not necessarily about error-free prose (though I will note obvious syntax, grammar and spelling errors as I see them). When I line edit, I’m noting your writing style as I read and evaluating how effectively and consistently your story voice and language are being relayed to the reader. Once again, our goal is for the reader to immerse herself seamlessly into the world of your story and characters.
In a line edit, I’m checking for fluidity and clarity of language, tone, atmosphere and emotion. Precision of word choice and meaning is noted, as well as opportunities to refine and enhance sentence and paragraph-level story elements. Cadence, sentence structure, phrasing and word repetition, sequencing, run-on sentences, need for dialogue and action tightening, awkward word choices, and other contributing factors to reader confusion would be noted. Trimming narrative and improving pacing at the paragraph and/or scene level will also be covered, as appropriate for the project. Recommended edits are offered as needed.
As this is more detail-focused editing and requires several passes through a project to complete, Line Editing fees are quoted hourly. Again, this editorial phases is recommended only after a project is developmentally complete.
Copy Editing addresses your writing at a more technical level.
This is a line-by-line edit for:
- grammar, punctuation and syntax
- technical consistency (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.)
- necessary fact checking and clarification of ambiguities that require clarification
- content consistency (names of characters, places, brands; time frame, sequencing, attributes, seasons, locations, etc.)
While some of these elements might be caught in a line edit, I caution clients NOT to skip the line editing phase and jump right from developmental editing to copy editing.
Copy Editing fees are also quoted hourly.
Line and Copy Editing Fee Schedule:
(adjusted for each client based on deadline and author skill level)
Line Editing. Minimum $100. Quoted $45 to $55 per hour.
Copy Editing. Minimum $100. Quoted at $30 to $40 per hour.
Line and Copy Editing (combined as a single service). Minimum $175. Quoted at $40 to $50 per hour.
Fine Print
All fees are negotiated before an edit begins and are quoted fixed-fee. A set fee is quoted based on my evaluation of your sample, our discussion of agreement on the work to be done, and my subsequent analysis of the total work to be done. Additional work requested beyond services quoted will be billed on an hourly basis at the rate noted in the contract.
Unless otherwise negotiated, one-half of the total fee quoted is paid up front, before editorial work begins. The balance is due upon delivery of the completed edit.
How You Write 