Services

I work on manuscripts long and short, offering:

Manuscript Evaluation:

You’ve finished your book and are looking for big-picture editorial guidance without investing in the expense or potentially overwhelming detail of a full-on developmental edit.

This evaluation is a close reading of your manuscript, marginal comments throughout, and a 5-7 page editorial letter that gives you an overview on its strengths and weaknesses, my unvarnished opinion on the book’s readiness for submission / publication, and detailed suggestions on where to focus your revision efforts.

It also includes (in the fee):

  • a coaching call to brainstorm further solutions
  • feedback on your query letter or sales page for the book
  • other resources, such as guidance on specific craft issues and on the publishing landscape

Cost: varies by MS length & condition, estimate 1,200-2,000 USD

Request a free, no-obligation sample edit

Developmental Edit:

This is a close reading and thorough analysis of your manuscript that gives you an editor’s unvarnished opinion on big-picture story elements. Great both for early drafts and for writers who have polished their sentences but need to go back and rethink structure, plot or other big-picture issues. The developmental edit unpacks what works and what needs work and offers solutions. 

In fiction, ‘what needs work’ can include structural problems, pacing issues, plot holes, weak premise or concept, & issues with characterization and point of view, scene dynamics and dialogue, setting and description.

In non-fiction, ‘what needs work’ can include unfocused content, lack of clarity, poor flow, issues with tone (too academic, too pedantic, too casual), unsupported arguments, muddy conceptual thinking, and other issues.

Since memoirs require both good storytelling skills and a meaningful premise, as designed through the selection of experience and the balance of scene & meaning, issues there can include all of the above.

In all cases, the developmental edit will give you a solid analysis of your manuscript and a clear road map for revision. You will get: a heavily annotated manuscript and a detailed (13-15 page) editorial letter identifying your manuscript’s biggest strengths and weaknesses, with revision suggestions gone over in depth. You’ll also get a book map, which is an overview analysis of your book.

Following the edit, and included in the fee, I offer:

  • a coaching call to brainstorm further solutions
  • feedback on your query letter or sales page for the book
  • other resources, such as guidance on specific craft issues and on the publishing landscape

Cost: varies by MS length; estimate 2,000-6,000 USD

Request a free, no-obligation sample edit

Comprehensive Edit:

This is a two-pass process: first a manuscript evaluation as described above, then line edits and copyedits on your revised manuscript along with feedback on your revision and additional big-picture suggestions. This is ideal for self-publishing writers who want their book to be a compelling read, with high-quality prose, and as close to error-free as humanly possible.

Cost: varies by MS length & condition; estimate 2,400-9,000 USD

Request a free, no-obligation sample edit

Line Edit and Copyedit:

Line editing addresses clarity and flow, sentence structure, redundancies and ambiguity. It aims for consistency and grace. Copyediting addresses spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and word usage. There is overlap between the two. The goal of both is to preserve the writer’s natural tone while removing errors.

For book-length manuscripts I will usually line edit and copyedit in the same pass, often after having done a big-picture pass (either MS evaluation or developmental edit). For short pieces, line editing and copyediting can help tremendously in taking the piece from ‘meh’ to very good or great (depending on the original level of the prose).

Proofread:

Proofreading is a final step for indie authors, essential to delivering your book to the public in its best possible form. It examines each laid-out page of the MS for errors, appearance, punctuation, pagination, titles, justification, spacing, and any other formatting inconsistencies or issues.

Cost: varies by MS length & condition; starts at 1.5 cents/word for proofreading &
3 to 5 cents/word USD for line editing & copyediting

Request a free, no-obligation sample edit

Project Development

Story Development and Synopsis / Outline Critique (fiction and memoir):

For writers with an idea, a partial draft, or a stuck project.

Work out the flaws in your novel or memoir’s big-picture elements before you get too far into the writing with this efficient approach. Less expensive than getting an edit on a completed manuscript. Useful for any writer who’s having trouble with concept, character motivations, premise, narrative arc, structure, pacing, character motivations or other big-picture elements. We bounce off an initial assignment (premise and ToC or synopsis), brainstorm, and develop an approach specifically for your project.

Cost: Varies

Request a free, no-obligation proposal or book a paid consultation on Calendly

Book Proposal Development (Nonfiction):

Before you write the book, write a proposal. This document helps you hone in on who the book is for and what your particular slant on the topic is, so you can make those hundreds of decisions that writing a nonfiction book entails. I will guide you through the process of identifying your book’s premise, its unique selling proposition, and its comparative titles. Then we will write the book proposal’s rough draft and sample chapters. I’ll give you big-picture feedback on the proposal and help you bring it to the standards expected by agents and publishers.

Cost: Varies

Request a free, no-obligation proposal or book a paid consultation on Calendly

Coaching & Consultation

Editorial Coaching: for writers with a rough or partial draft

Get your book on track with an intensive editing and coaching experience.

You will get: ongoing editorial coaching in chunks of 5,000-10,000 words (or whatever length would benefit you the most), revision comments, memos outlining strengths and weaknesses of each section, targeted resources (articles, exercises) to strengthen your writing weaknesses, and optional video meetings to discuss your writing, set goals and overcome challenges.

If you have a stalled project or are losing momentum, this mentoring and editorial service is the perfect combination to get you closer to those two most wonderful words in the writer’s lexicon: THE END.

Cost: 5 cents/word plus hourly rate for meetings

Request a free, no-obligation proposal or book a paid consultation on Calendly

Hourly Coaching and Consultation

For Writers: Need a sounding board or a professional consultation? One hour with me can save you hundreds of hours (not to mention hundreds or thousands of dollars) of wheel-spinning. Talk with me about your book, your series, your writing goals, a sticky craft issue, traditional vs. indie publishing…or any writing-related topic that needs an objective perspective and craft / industry knowledge.

Cost: 100 USD/hour

Visit my Calendly page and book a consultation

For Editors: Need a sounding board or a professional consultation? I teach developmental editing and have developed proven strategies and systems to run a successful editing business. One hour with me can save you hundreds of hours (not to mention hundreds or thousands of dollars) of wheel-spinning. Talk with me about your editing business, editorial processes and systems, your career trajectory, how to write and edit simultaneously, how to present yourself, to niche or not to niche, how to market your services…or any editing-related topic that needs an objective perspective and craft / industry knowledge.

Cost: 100 USD/hour

Visit my Calendly page and book a consultation

How to decide?

Contact me and we can talk it over.