Available Services

Also known as substantive or structural editing, Developmental Editing looks at the novel as a whole. It's often most appropriate for first or second drafts because it focuses on big-picture elements such as:

• plot

• pacing

• character development

• structure

Developmental editing offers an evaluation of the structural, foundational aspects of your novel. 

What you can expect from a developmental edit:

• A detailed editorial letter that includes an action plan, which gives you a jumping off point for revisions and can help reduce the overwhelming aspect of "where to start" with your second or third draft.

Pricing begins at $0.03 per word.*

Also known as stylistic editing, Line Editing focuses on your novel at the paragraph level, including:

• flow

• style

• tone

Line editing also checks for clarity and consistency.

What you can expect from a line edit:

• A word document with tracked changes. Depending on your preference, this can be a heavier handed edit or a lighter edit. The comments can be more straightforward if you prefer that approach, or the suggestions can be tailored to how you prefer to receive feedback (I, myself, really appreciate a softer approach to feedback, for example). 

A line edit is perfect for a second or third draft, and a good line edit can and should draw your attention to your strengths (and your pitfalls) as a writer, which can help you focus on what you need to work on with your own style.

Pricing begins at $0.025 per word.*

While similar to line editing, Copyediting has one key difference: it follows a preferred style guide and dictionary. Most authors follow The Chicago Manual of Style but still have their own exceptions for the rules (they might prefer the look of the British "grey" instead of the American "gray," for example). In addition, Copyediting focuses on your novel at the sentence level, including:

• grammar 

• punctuation

• spelling

• syntax

• accuracy (fact checking)

If you're writing a historical fiction, for example, it might be helpful to know that way you describe your female main character's eyes actually didn't exist until the 20th century. Or perhaps your novel includes a trek across treacherous lands with horses, but you have next to no experience with horses beyond what you've seen in Hollywood. My friend, you've come to the right place because copyediting catches that and more.

What you can expect from a copyedit:

• A word document with tracked changes. Depending on your preference, this can be a heavier handed edit or a lighter edit. The comments can be more straightforward if you prefer that approach, or the suggestions can be tailored to how you prefer to receive feedback (I, myself, really appreciate a softer approach to feedback, for example). 

• A custom style sheet that includes the fantastical names of your lands, your characters, and your magic system. It also includes your preferred spelling, usage, and more.

A copyedit is perfect for a third or nearly final draft and centers around maintaining consistency throughout your novel. If you're interested in combining a copyedit with a line edit, we can certainly arrange for that.

Pricing begins at $0.25 per word.*

This is the final step prior to publishing and is (usually) done after the manuscript has been formatted. Why? Because proofreading is so much more than merely identifying errors in text. It also includes catching

• formatting mistakes 

• inconsistencies 

• bad page breaks

Depending on what's in your novel, proofreading also covers all the bases. If there are any images, are they awkwardly overlapping? If you have captions, headers, or footers, are they in the right spot? If you have chapter titles, do they match what's in the table of contents?

What you can expect from a copyedit:

• A marked up PDF 

• Alternatively, a marked up Word Document depending on the author's preference.

A proofread is absolutely essential for any piece of published work. No draft is a final draft until it's been proofread by eyes that haven't written the work itself.

Pricing begins at $0.15 per word.*

Beta reading services are available for a flat fee:

• $150 for novels 100,000 words or fewer

• $200 for novels between 100,000 and 200,000 words