Do you want to work collaboratively with your editor, learning as you do?
My approach moves away from the traditional report-based editing to a coaching style. At each stage of the process, you get to choose what way of working will suit your needs and learning style.
How do you choose which service you need?
Start with my initial read service. I read and review the whole manuscript, allowing me to see which service(s) is required. We then have a video call (or other correspondence if it suits better) to discuss the issues and the best plan of action for your particular requirements. The £200 fee for the read and meeting is taken off whichever plan you choose.
Already know what service you require? Great. Get in touch to book in. Please be aware that I am nearly always booked up at least three months in advance.
Proofreading
A proofread is the final check of a previously edited document before publication. It is that last polish before you send your work out to readers, catching typos and other common errors and inconsistencies. If your work hasn’t been edited before, you are on an especially tight budget and have gone through multiple rounds of self-editing, you may be able to avail of my proof-edit service, a special service created for self-publishers and newbies who aren’t in a position to invest in full editing. It is only available after a sample of writing is provided to ensure there aren’t errors beyond the scope of the service. It doesn’t include any line editing, or provide a style sheet, report/Zoom meeting. For guidance, rates for proofreading and proof-editing are between £10–13 per thousand words.
Proofreading
The final check before publication-
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Check for inconsistencies
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Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
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All genres accepted
Proof-edit
A special service for self-publishers on a budget-
A combination of both services for those on a budget
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Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
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Check for inconsistencies and light fact checking
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Perfect for new authors and standalone novels
Copyediting
My copy/line editing service combines both line and copy editing, involves multiple editing rounds, and focuses on many different aspects of your writing. This includes: sentence structure, word choice, overused words, dialogue style, use of tags/action beats, show/tell balance, grammar, punctuation, spelling and lots more!
Before we start, I recommend the initial read service to make sure there are no developmental issues to deal with – this avoids extra costs if an issue is discovered during the copyediting stage. Once I’ve done the initial read, I start to create your style sheet, a useful document that lists all the decisions we make together about your work (Serial comma? Ellipsis spacing? UK/US English?) and lists of your character names, timelines, key locations etc. This document is revised with each subsequent book if you are writing a series. It is also given to proofreaders etc. to ensure no deliberate choices are ‘corrected’. After the edit is over, we have a Zoom call (or you can request a written report) to discuss issues, talk about changes and the next part of the plan. For guidance, rates are generally between £15–19 per thousand words.
Copy/Line editing
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Sentence level editing
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Style sheet creation
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Includes fact checking
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Developmental Editing
While proofreading, copyediting and line editing focus on the sentence level issues, the nuts and bolts of your writing, developmental editing looks at the big picture elements of your work. Your plot, characters, narrative structure, pacing, tense and point of view (to name but a few). It ensures your book is going to engage your reader and keep them coming back for more.
Rather than a traditional approach where a lengthy report is provided to advise you what to fix yourself, mine is collaborative, using various tools to aid you to change things for the better with support. The traditional style has its benefits and lots of people are happy to take a report, read it and implement its advice, but what if that isn’t for you? – Do you like to talk things through, ensure you’ve fully understood? Do you like feedback on the changes you’ve made and guidance if they still need work? – in that case, my developmental editing style will be right up your street! Using the initial read service (above) will be of even more benefit; if I notice only one developmental issue or a couple of small things, there’s no need for a full developmental edit, we’ll simply focus on the issues that we need to, rather than write a report about things that are working perfectly, reducing your costs considerably. It is harder to estimate developmental editing costs, but a rough guide is between £19–25 per thousand words. Beta reads and book maps are also available as budget alternatives and are listed below.
Developmental Editing
Service differs according to needs-
Service tailored to your individual needs and manuscript
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Feedback marked on your document
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Structure, plot & characterisation analysis
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Highlights problem areas and recommends solutions
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Book mapping
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Can be combined with other services in a package deal
Other Services
Beta Reading
Short feedback document-
Read and short critique
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Advice on next steps
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Perfect for new authors
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Can be combined with other services
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Zoom call can be added to discuss feedback
Book Mapping
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Breaks manuscript down into scenes and examines what is/isn't working
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Perfect for writers on a budget
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Advice on next steps
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Can be combined with other services
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Zoom call can be added to discuss feedback
Series Bibles
For romance and women's fiction authors-
Ensure consistency throughout your series
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An attractive and adaptable document that grows as you publish
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Discounts given to editing clients
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Designed to fit individual requirements
Coaching
Accountability, Mentoring, Encouragement-
First session half price
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Program designed to suit your individual needs
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Perfect for beginners and established authors
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Feedback, accountability & mentoring from a qualified counsellor and editor
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