Manuscript Editing & Preparation
Whether you are planning to self-publish or go the traditional publishing route, you want your manuscript to be the best that it can possibly be and error-free. Listed below are the three basic editorial steps that all book manuscripts should go through, with a detailed description of each, plus a few other services that I provide, depending on your publishing path. If you're not sure which type of editing your manuscript is ready for, I offer a free 30-minute consultation, after which, I will provide an editorial proposal with an estimated rate for your specific project.
Developmental Edit:
Once you have a completed manuscript, a developmental edit reviews all the big-picture aspects of your story and provides detailed feedback on what works well and suggestions for areas that could use work. My developmental edit includes two full reviews of your manuscript: one read-through to get a feel for the story as a whole, then a second reading to start making comments and recommendations for ways to make it stronger. Suggestions will be marked directly in the manuscript (usually in a Word document) and written up in a comprehensive, detailed editorial report with explanations and resources for why and how to implement recommended revisions. The big-picture areas of focus for a developmental edit include:
- Story premise
- Plot structure and organization
- Plot questions, inconsistencies, and loose ends
- Pacing and narrative arc
- Chapter divisions and word count
- Timelines and chronology
- Setting and time period
- Character development
- Dialogue and language style
- Point of view
- Voice and tone
- Narrative techniques (show vs. tell)
- Themes
- Audience
Prerequisites: Your manuscript should be complete to the best of your ability. Ideally, you have had others read it and give you feedback. I will need to see a sample from the beginning, middle, and end of your manuscript, and I will provide a list of questions for you to answer prior to beginning my edit.
Rate: $0.04 to $0.07 per word (Determined based on your sample writing and questionnaire answers.)
Editorial Assessment:
If you're not quite ready for a full developmental edit, you might consider starting with an assessment or evaluation of your manuscript to get some general feedback. An assessment reviews most of the same big-picture aspects as a developmental edit, but without the detailed report and specific suggestions of how and where to make revisions. It will include one review of the full manuscript and an editorial letter with some general feedback and guidance for areas that could use more attention.
Prerequisites: Your manuscript should be complete or nearly complete. A writing sample isn't necessary beforehand, but I will provide the same list of questions as with a developmental edit for you to answer prior to beginning my review.
Rate: Base rate of $75, plus $0.018 per word
Once you're confident in the final structure and content of your manuscript, it is time for a copy edit. This is where all of your sentences and words are checked for proper grammar and punctuation and to make sure your intended message comes across accurately to the reader. It also checks for consistency with style, capitalization, spelling, formatting, and treatment of numbers. Sentences may be rewritten for better flow, to avoid redundancies, or to ensure proper word usage and clarity. This is done following a specific style guide (usually Chicago Manual of Style) and dictionary. Below is a list of everything included in my copy edit:
Rate: $0.025 to $0.045 per word (Determined based on your sample writing.)
- Line-by-line edit of the full manuscript to check for style, consistency, formatting, word usage, syntax, grammar, spelling, punctuation, repetition, redundancy, and generally making sure your words and sentences express your intended meaning
- Light fact-checking, as needed
- Basic formatting (if not already done) using MS Word’s Styles feature for chapters, headings, spacing, font style, indentation, and section breaks
- Suggested edits and notes marked directly in manuscript with Word’s Track Changes
- Editorial letter with general feedback and detailed summary of suggested edits
- Style sheet creation with details of formatting, grammar, spelling, and punctuation decisions; MS-specific lists for words, places, and characters; notes for proofreader and layout designer
- Detailed instructions for addressing/reviewing edits in Track Changes
- Second review of author’s revisions
- Final document clean-up
Rate: $0.025 to $0.045 per word (Determined based on your sample writing.)
This is the final stage of the editorial process, the final set of eyes on your manuscript before it goes to print or to an agent or acquisitions editor. A proofread will check the document for consistency, typos, and mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, design, style, and formatting (such as heading and typeface styles, pagination, photo captions, etc.).
If you are self-publishing, this is a very important step and one that many indie authors skip. Please do not skip this step! It can make all the difference in how your book is perceived and reviewed. For e-books, the proofreading can be done in the Word document, before converting to EPUB files, or you may want to have the proofreading done after file conversion to ensure the text and style display properly in the new format. For print books, you will want to have the proofreading done after the interior layout is designed and in PDF format.
For traditional publishing, you still want your manuscript to be clean and error-free before submitting to agents or acquisitions editors, who are inundated with new manuscripts every day (thousands per year!). This means they are looking for manuscripts that will be not only marketable but the least amount of work for them. This also means the proofreading will be done while still in Word format. Many publishers and agents have specific guidelines for manuscript submissions, so a proofread can also ensure your manuscript meets any formatting specifications.
Prerequisites: Ideally, your manuscript has been edited for content, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., and your copy editor created a style sheet specific to your project. A style sheet facilitates the proofreading by making it faster and more accurate. If your copy editor did not provide a style sheet, that will be factored into your rate.
Rate: $0.01 to $0.015 per word (Determined based on previous editing and style sheet status.)
If you are self-publishing, this is a very important step and one that many indie authors skip. Please do not skip this step! It can make all the difference in how your book is perceived and reviewed. For e-books, the proofreading can be done in the Word document, before converting to EPUB files, or you may want to have the proofreading done after file conversion to ensure the text and style display properly in the new format. For print books, you will want to have the proofreading done after the interior layout is designed and in PDF format.
For traditional publishing, you still want your manuscript to be clean and error-free before submitting to agents or acquisitions editors, who are inundated with new manuscripts every day (thousands per year!). This means they are looking for manuscripts that will be not only marketable but the least amount of work for them. This also means the proofreading will be done while still in Word format. Many publishers and agents have specific guidelines for manuscript submissions, so a proofread can also ensure your manuscript meets any formatting specifications.
Prerequisites: Ideally, your manuscript has been edited for content, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., and your copy editor created a style sheet specific to your project. A style sheet facilitates the proofreading by making it faster and more accurate. If your copy editor did not provide a style sheet, that will be factored into your rate.
Rate: $0.01 to $0.015 per word (Determined based on previous editing and style sheet status.)
Query Letter or Book Proposal Review/Proofreading:
If you're planning to submit your fiction or memoir manuscript to traditional publishers, you will need a query letter to send to prospective literary agents and/or acquisitions editors. For nonfiction works, you will need a book proposal. I can provide a review with feedback and suggestions and/or a basic proofreading for either of these.
Rate: Proofreading: Base fee of $35, plus $0.015 per word; Review w/ feedback: Base fee of $50, plus $0.03 per word; Both: Base fee of $50, plus $0.04 per word
Document Preparation:
If you're planning to self-publish an e-book version of your book, you'll need to convert your Word document into EPUB files. Depending on which platform you will be using to convert your files, there may be specific formatting specifications for your Word file. I can help you prepare your Word document according to the recommended guidelines for various e-book publishing services.
Prerequisite: Complete, edited manuscript.
Rate: $50 per hour
Business & Nonprofit Communications
I provide general copyediting and proofreading for various print and web-based communications for businesses and nonprofit organizations, including the following:
- Website content
- Blog posts
- E-commerce listings
- Brochures
- Newsletters
- Marketing materials
- Reports
I can work on a one-time project, such as reviewing website content or proofreading a brochure design, or I can work on a regular basis, such as proofreading weekly blog posts or monthly email newsletters.
Rate: $35 to $65 per hour, depending on the type of editing and the frequency of the project.
Misc. Writing Projects
If your editing needs do not fall into any of the above, never fear! I am a versatile editor, and I have experience working with many other types of written material, such as:
- Dissertations
- Journal articles
- Restaurant menus
- Press releases
- Craigslist ads
- Real estate listings
If you have any type of miscellaneous editing need, please get in touch to tell me more about. I will be happy to assist you if I can!
Rate: $35 to $65 per hour, depending on the project.
