Editorial Services
Whether a beginner or a best-selling author, every writer needs an editor. I have been editing both fiction and nonfiction projects for over 15 years, and enjoy seeing written pages turned into books. My expertise is in developmental editing although I have worked with writers on everything from line edits to ghostwriting.
Since the crash of the publishing industry in 2008, book publishing has changed drastically. It continues to evolve at this writing. It's easy for anyone to self-publish. And as the "Big 5" publishing companies begin buying self-publishing outlets, it's clear independent publishing will be the new "traditional" way to publish. Publishers no longer have the means to nurture emerging writers. They (and literary agents) want a polished manuscript submitted. Whether publishing traditionally or independently, your book will not sell unless first, you have a polished, engaging book and second, you have secured an audience by creating an author platform. In addition to editing, I can offer up-to-date advice on the route to publication that is best for your specific book.
Once your book is ready for submission, I can also help you with a query letter to start the submission process to agents and/or publishers. If your book is nonfiction, you will need to write a well-crafted book proposal to submit. Through experience I know the ins and outs of all facets of the book proposal from your marketing plan to your book's competition.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, you have to have a flawless, professionally edited product. I work via MS Word track changes and have different packages to work with every budget/goal.
I do not list costs of services before seeing your work. Why? Because there's no way to tell how much work is involved or what type of editing a project needs until I have a sample of the work in question. With that said, here is a link to prices posted by the Freelance Association of Editors, which indicates a basic edit may take up to 1250-2500 words per hour, and 250-1250 words per hour for developmental editing.
Meanwhile, The Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition, p71) says:
“A 100,000 A 100,000-word book manuscript, edited by an experienced editor, might take seventy-five to one hundred hours of work before being sent to the author, plus ten to twenty additional hours after the author’s review.”
So that’s averaging around 1 hour per 1000 words of manuscript! Just to give you an idea of how much work a professional edit takes.
But it all starts with the manuscript, your manuscript, which I like to think of as your own baby that one day will have to go out in the world without you and stand on its own two feet independently. I'd love to help you on the journey.
As I mentioned, it starts with a sample chapter from your book (preferably the first chapter) and your table of contents. From these two items I can assess the stage of your book and the type of editing you will need. Send me a note below, including your book’s genre and let's get started!
