Editing Services
Is This Any Good?:
a manuscript evaluation
Where is this even going?:
a 10K critique
Is this your first manuscript? Are you a sage writer wanting to spin off in a new direction? Have you become bogged down in your own muck of words, story,
and darlings but aren’t quite ready for a developmental? Sometimes you just want reassurance from a writer friend that your story isn’t a dumpster fire. Let me read your manuscript, give you a few notes, suggestions, words of praise, etc. to reassure you, or guide along the right path.
Includes:
Mini Editorial Letter
Potential for comments in Track Changes
starts at $150
My (tough) love letter to the first 10k words in your manuscript. It’s a casserole of line and developmental editing, plus me on your publishing team, pushing you toward you goal, asking you questions, giving you exercises, and making you deep dive into your beginning to strengthen the middle.
Includes:
Editorial Letter (Lite)
Comments in Track Changes
$350 (deducted from the cost of a full developmental or line edit if services are extended)
True Story:
a full developmental edit
So, your characters are going on an epic journey, but at 50 miles down the road, they still haven’t fought a single monster? Your romcom hero and heroine still haven’t kissed at 75% because they’ve wasted an entire half of the book bantering wittily? You might think she’s pure evil, but trust me, there’s seriously no motivation for why your villain stole that Christmas cookie recipe. All of the above? You need a developmental edit.
Includes:
1 pass (negotiable if not followed by line editing)
Style sheet
Chapter/Story outline if needed
Visual guides if necessary
Editorial letter including “Next Steps for You”
Extensive dialogue with the manuscript in Track Changes
2 week turnaround per <80k manuscript
$0.015/word
Word by Word:
a line edit
Your backstory accounts for every motivation. You hit
the beats with the precision of John Bonham. There are rivers of
beautifully nuanced character arcs running throughout
your manuscript. But sometimes you forget how werds go. No one
will care how brilliantly your plot shines if your phrasing is awkward
and your sentences are tarnished with overwriting. (Nevermind how
many copies of 50 Shades were sold.)
Includes:
1 pass (negotiable if not preceded by developmental editing)
Style sheet
Chapter/Story outline if needed
Visual guides if necessary
Editorial letter including “Next Steps for You”
Extensive dialogue with the manuscript in Track Changes
$0.02/word
3 weeks per 80k manuscript
The Rumplestiltskin:
developmental + line edit
Helping you spin your hay into gold.
Includes:
2 passes (1 developmental/1 line)
Style sheet
Chapter/Story outline if needed
Visual guides if necessary
Editorial letter including “Next Steps for You”
Extensive dialogue with the manuscript in Track Changes
$0.025
2 weeks + 3 weeks + your editing time in between passes
Sample Edit
You may provide me with 1k-2k of your manuscript to see if we are a good fit for each other. This is also a good option for us to determine the right type of edit for your manuscript.
Payments
50% deposit due before I start reading your words. You may pay at time of booking, or when you send me your full manuscript. The remainder is due before I return your edits. If you require alternative arrangements for payment or timeframe, contact me. I’ve struggled financially, I’ve been blindsided by the costs of self publishing, and I’ve just plain made a lot of bad choices in my life. I need to get paid, but I also want to be there for you.
Please note
I do not provide copyediting, because there are other, more highly skilled copyeditors available. Proofreading services are in development!
My Editing Personality
I’m a multi-genre author and reader. My romantic comedy/chick lit, Well . . . That Was Awkward was released in 2020 to critical acclaim and virtual financial ruin. I was first published by the Washington Post and dabbled with various formats of fiction writing here and there. My history degree taught me the value of line-editing precision I still use that to hone the work of my writers. I have an uncanny ability to visualize words, lines, paragraphs, and story and character arcs. Because of this, I intuitively feel what your story lacks, and/or what makes it brilliant—and how to bring out your best voice.
I love reading all types/subgenres of romance, women’s fiction, chick lit, historical fiction, upmarket and literary, thriller, and horror. I edit any genre or market, including fantasy or sci-fi—although I do prefer female protagonists in these genres. Story is story, regardless of the age group for which it was written or the type of world you built.
If you hire me, my line and developmental services include phone or zoom/skype calls at no additional charge. Please know that, as your editor, I am part of your publishing team. I'm on your side and will do my best to help you grow. My editing style is to leave no stone unturned. I will be deeply invested in your characters and your story, so I have a tendency to question every motivation. It will require a lot of introspection from you and a willingness to "play along" with the questions I leave you in track changes. I'm not much of a hand holder or ego booster when I'm editing, but I’m the loudest one shouting from the rooftops when you succeed.