Editing services
Line- and copyedit
You’ve put your all into writing your book, and you know it’s almost ready to share with the world. A line- and copyedit will clarify your voice and enhance the power of your words while ensuring that your writing is clear, flows smoothly, and is free of distracting errors or inconsistencies.
This type of edit addresses both stylistic and mechanical elements at the sentence level, including:
Clarity and effectiveness of phrasing and word choice
Logic and continuity of timeline, character traits, and environment
Consistency of point of view, tense, and tone
Active vs. passive voice, filter words, and showing vs. telling
Effectiveness of dialogue
Sentence pace and flow, with attention to repetition and overwriting
Dialogue tagging and punctuation
Spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, hyphenation, and capitalization
With a line- and copyedit, you’ll receive:
Your edited manuscript, with tracked changes and comments
A cleanup copyediting round following author revisions to ensure no new errors have been introduced
An Editorial Report recording key strengths, recommendations, and areas for improvement
A personalized Style Sheet outlining stylistic and spelling preferences, character and place descriptions, and worldbuilding details
Rates: $0.015 - $0.025 per word, depending on the degree of editing required
Contact me to discuss details or request a free sample edit.
copyedit
Your story is finished, you’ve self-edited, and you’re ready for the final steps. A copyedit will ensure that your writing is free of distracting errors or inconsistencies.
This type of edit addresses mechanical elements, including:
Correcting errors and inconsistencies in spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, spacing, hyphenation, and capitalization
Correcting errors related to dialogue tagging and punctuation
Suggesting minor revisions to improve clarity and effectiveness of phrasing and word choice
Identifying issues in logic and continuity
Applying basic formatting
With a copyedit, you’ll receive:
Your edited manuscript with tracked changes and comments
A cleanup copyediting round following author revisions to ensure no new errors have been introduced
A personalized Style Sheet outlining stylistic and spelling preferences, character and place descriptions, and worldbuilding details
Rates: $0.01 - $0.015 per word, depending on the degree of editing required
Contact me to discuss details or request a free sample edit.
Developmental Edit
A developmental edit is a deep-dive into the big picture of your manuscript, analyzing the effectiveness of the plot, characters, setting, organization, and major themes. Is the plot thin or underdeveloped? Are characters’ motivations unclear? Does the backstory distract from the front story? I’ll identify the stumbling blocks in your story and recommend specific solutions that will strengthen your manuscript.
This type of edit will address:
Pacing, logic, and effectiveness of plot
Characterization, including character continuity, motivations, and arcs
Effectiveness and clarity of setting
Accuracy within the time period and setting
Timeline and continuity issues
Appropriateness of the story and scenes to the intended audience
With a developmental edit, you’ll receive:
A revision letter outlining strengths, problem areas, and recommendations
Your manuscript with detailed comments in the margins. In some cases, I may also use tracked changes or highlighting of text to help illustrate a point or show a potential solution.
A 45-minute call or in-person meeting (if local) to discuss and brainstorm following author’s review of the edit
Rates: $0.03 - $0.04 per word
Contact me to discuss details or schedule a discovery call.
Manuscript Assessment
If you’re unsure what level of editing you need or you want an idea of a manuscript’s effectiveness without committing to the depth of a developmental edit, a manuscript assessment is the place to start. A manuscript assessment will comment on the overall effectiveness of your manuscript and identify any major developmental issues that should be addressed.
A manuscript assessment is less detailed than a developmental edit and does not include in-text markup. This assessment will consider:
Overall pacing, logic, and effectiveness of plot
Characterization, including character continuity, motivations, and arcs
Effectiveness and clarity of setting
Continuity issues
Appropriateness of the story to the intended audience
With a manuscript assessment, you’ll receive:
A revision letter outlining overall effectiveness of your manuscript, any big-picture issues that should be addressed, and recommendations for next steps.
Rates: $0.01 per word
Contact me to discuss details or schedule a discovery call.
Developmental Edit
A developmental edit is a deep-dive into the big picture of your manuscript, analyzing the effectiveness of the plot, characters, setting, organization, and major themes. Is the plot thin or underdeveloped? Are characters’ motivations unclear? Does the backstory distract from the front story? I’ll identify the stumbling blocks in your story and recommend specific solutions that will strengthen your manuscript.
This type of edit will address:
Pacing, logic, and effectiveness of plot
Characterization, including character continuity, motivations, and arcs
Effectiveness and clarity of setting
Accuracy within the time period and setting
Timeline and continuity issues
Appropriateness of the story and scenes to the intended audience
With a developmental edit, you’ll receive:
A revision letter outlining strengths, problem areas, and recommendations
Your manuscript with detailed comments in the margins. In some cases, I may also use tracked changes or highlighting of text to help illustrate a point or show a potential solution.
A 45-minute call or in-person meeting (if local) to discuss and brainstorm following author’s review of the edit
Rates: $0.03 - $0.04 per word
Contact me to discuss details or schedule a discovery call.
Writing and Accountability Coaching
You want to write. You think about writing. You tell yourself you’re going to write. But somehow, you’re not writing. Or you write a few scenes, get stuck, and stop. What’s the problem? If you’re someone who works to a deadline, sometimes what you need is to be accountable to someone other than yourself. An accountability coach might be exactly what you need.
Or you might be consistent in your writing but looking for a little guidance. Are you on the right track? You could use the input of a professional while you’re still in the process of writing, rather than waiting until your draft is finished and you need a full developmental edit. This is where a writing coach comes in.
Writing coaching can be a one-time conversation or a monthly or twice-monthly check-in to brainstorm, review goals, address questions, and keep you on track.
My basic writing and accountability coaching includes:
Reading of up to 5,000 words per month of your writing by a professional editor (me)
A monthly 45-minute voice or video call to brainstorm, review goals, and address your questions
The support and expertise of a professional editor throughout your writing journey
Rate: $50 per month, plus reading fees as appropriate for additional words
Contact me to discuss details or schedule a discovery call.