Services
Editing
I offer a full copyedit of your novel. I will review and correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, word usage, and story consistency (if a character has gray eyes in one chapter and green in the next, I’ll catch that). Grammar and punctuation can be tricky, but I’ve always enjoyed studying and applying the mechanics. I keep an updated dictionary close at hand and frequently consult the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style to make sure my edits are correct and clear.
I always aim to return projects in a timely manner. At the moment, an ebb and flow in my work schedule requires me to estimate editing time individually for each project. Please email me with a total word count of your novel and include any deadlines you have, and I will provide a time estimate in return.
There are some genres I do not accept: horror, erotica, and anything with sexual scenes included only to shock and excite. If your story contains sexual scenes and concepts or some horror elements, we can discuss the content in more detail and judge whether I’m the right editor for your particular book.
Note:
Because I want to help writers grow their skills and to help them polish the stories of their own imaginations and hard work, I will not accept manuscripts written with generative AI. A story written by you, the author, from your own ideas inspired by an AI prompt is fine—but if you have actively used ChatGPT or another generative AI service to compose your novel, then please seek another editor. I want to see what your own imagination has to offer!
Rates and Payment
I charge by the word, and my current rate is $0.02 per word. Here is an estimate of what different lengths of novels would cost to copyedit:
50k--$1,000
60k--$1,200
75k--$1,500
100k—$2,000
Submission Format & Style Sheets
Please submit your manuscript with 1” margins on all four sides, Times New Roman font in size 12, and double-spaced paragraphs. You can find out how to format your manuscript correctly here.
Also please provide a style sheet if your novel has unique spellings for character names and places or if you have specific punctuation and abbreviation preferences (e.g. your characters use abbreviations and ampersands in their personal writing). You can learn more about style sheets here. If you are completely confused by the idea of style sheets and have no idea how to set one up, I will do it for you as I edit your manuscript. However, this will add an additional charge of $30 to the final installment payment.
What to Expect Working with Me
Once you email me your formatted manuscript, I’ll print it on paper and mark it up with a red pen. Then I’ll type those edits into the comments function of Microsoft Word and send the manuscript back by the date specified in our letter of agreement. Going through the manuscript twice takes a little extra time, but it allows me to catch more errors and be sure that I’ve given you my best work!
It’s not easy to receive critique for a story you’ve worked so hard on and a creation that is so close to your heart. But I encourage and highlight the things an author does well, and I explain my reasoning for my edits so that you can learn and grow. (I’m not mad with power while wielding my red pen.) My goal is to help you make your story clear and readable so you can share it with others and reach people who need your book!