Editing 

Line Editing

Line editing focuses on improving the readability of your novel or short story. As a line editor, I comb through your manuscript line by line to tighten your prose and heighten the emotion of the story. A line editor not only looks at the readability of each sentence, but looks at it in a macro context as well to promote the flow and pacing of each paragraph, page, and chapter. I will help you choose the right words to convey your meaning and make sure no words or phrases are being over-used, hampering your storytelling.  With a keen eye for detail and story structure, I will sharpen the tension of your foreshadowing and increase the realism of your dialogue. 

This is the type of editing that takes a good story and helps it turn into a great story. 

It's possible to proofread and copy edit your own work with the use of online tools, software, and many hours of careful reading. Line editing takes a specific skill set and requires a distance from the creation that the writer themselves cannot give a story accurately. I promise to help your story come alive to readers while carefully preserving your voice within the writing. While line editing does not include proofreading, I will note typos, punctuation, and blatant grammar errors as I see them, saving you some work in the final polishing stages.

Interested? I offer a free 1,000-word sample edit. Fill out the form above to get your rate and availability quote.

My rates range from $.03 a word to $.049 a word, based on the level of editing your manuscript needs. Because I understand that editing is a large investment for some indie authors, my rates are slightly below the median rate found by the Editorial Freelancer's Association (link to that table below). I promise to be honest with you throughout the process and let you know if a developmental edit would be more appropriate. Once we have reached an agreement on the rate and timeline, I will invoice you via PayPal business for a secure payment method. If you feel more comfortable using a third party that holds the payment in escrow, I am available on Fiverr and Upwork (links below). However, be aware that I do sometimes pause or hide these options when I am working on an edit - so please contact me if you see them paused but want to secure a date for your own manuscript. I am often booked 2-3 months in advance.

I offer edits through highlighted text with attached comments or through track changes in either Microsoft Word or Google Docs. You may choose what method and program you prefer.

Sample of what a line edit looks like in Google Docs (samples are created, and not used from clients for privacy purposes)

Sample of what a line edit looks like in Google Docs (samples are created, and not used from clients for privacy purposes)


What's a typical rate for these types of edits?  You can see the Median ranges from the Editorial Freelancer's Association   

Developmental Editing

There is nothing as disappointing as finishing your book, sending it to a friend or a writing buddy, and hearing that it's falling a little flat. Equally frustrating  - finishing a story you've been working on for years only to realize that the growth of characters and timelines worked a lot better in your head than they translated on paper. Perhaps you sent it to an editor for a copy edit and they suggested you should hire a developmental editor first.  

If you are looking for in-depth developmental editing that includes an optional twenty-minute phone call (screen share is an option, but I no longer offer video chatting) before and after. This gives us an opportunity to discuss your voice, your goals, and your idea of how the story should read, as well as a set time to bounce ideas back and forth and brainstorm for any big changes. I promise a four-week* turnaround from the day you submit your agreed-upon manuscript to me.

How much does this developmental edit cost?

Fiction: $350.00 per 10,000 words. That's only .035 per word. 

Nonfiction: $400.00 per 10,000 words. That's .04 per word.

What does it include?

Interested? Please fill out the Editing Inquiry form.

*manuscripts over 80k words will take longer than four weeks for me to complete the edit in most cases.

Short Stories

Have a short story? I will edit your completed short story (under 4k words) for a flat fee of $50.00

Short Stories between 4k and 7k will be edited for a flat fee of $75.00.

Short story editing includes:


Children's Books

Since publishing my picture book series I've had quite a few inquiries into layout, word count, and other editorial questions unique to the picture book market. I always do my research, and creating a line of books for children aged 2 years to 7 years was no different. I am happy to state I am now offering the following services: