Editing
I offer three different levels of editing for novelists (and memoirists). The first is a SAMPLE EDIT, where I’ll dive in deep to 10,000 words of your book (preferably the first 10,000, but that’s negotiable), offering in-depth editorial advice and direction, as well as some line-level edits to illustrate the big picture issues I uncover. [Previously Known as the Blue Pen Edit.]
The fee for this service is $400 and is due in full prior to the start of the edits. If you hire me for a sample edit, then later decide to hire me for a full manuscript edit, you’ll get a $300 discount on the full edit price.
The most popular editing service I offer is a FULL DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT of your manuscript. [Previously known as the Red Pen Edit.] This service is designed for those of you who are getting good feedback on your novel but still no offer of representation. I’ll read your manuscript cover to cover and provide specific editorial suggestions throughout (using the Comment and Track Changes features in Microsoft Word, when possible). I’ll also include editing examples for many of these suggestions. And, I’ll even spend an hour on the phone with you to talk in general about the book as well as answer any lingering questions you might have about my notes. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference between an interesting, well-written novel and a compelling, must-publish-this-now novel. I’m reasonably skilled at uncovering those little things.
The fee for this service starts at $1800, which is based on an 80K word novel (or thereabouts). It will be higher if the novel is substantially longer than that. This is paid in two installments. The first half is due at least 30 days before the scheduled start date for the edit. The second half isn’t due until the edited manuscript is in your virtual hands.
I also offer a COMPREHENSIVE TWO-STAGE EDIT for authors who want both a developmental edit and a followup line edit. [Previously known as the Purple Pen Edit.] The first editing pass is essentially the developmental edit described above. After you’ve revised the manuscript according to the editorial direction (as agreed upon in our discussion of the comments), I’ll then provide a line-by-line edit of the entire manuscript. This is designed primarily (though not exclusively) for authors who are intending to self-publish, and want the book to be in the best shape possible before…hiring a copyeditor to make sure it’s even in better shape before hitting publish on Amazon or wherever. (Copyeditors are the unsung heroes of publishing. They find things we don’t.) And like the developmental edit, we’ll chat on the phone or via email or Skype throughout the process as needed. Because editing is a lonely life and I could use a friend. Well, that, and it’s easier to sort out plot and character issues via conversation than smoke signals.
The fee for this service starts at $2500, which is based on an 80K word novel (or thereabouts). The fee scales with the size of the manuscript, so a longer novel would incur a higher fee. Don’t worry, I don’t price-gouge, and I’ll be totally upfront regarding fees. There are no hidden charges. Nobody likes hidden charges. This is paid in three installments. Half of the total fee is due at least 30 days before the scheduled start date for the edit. The second half is further divided, with half of that due upon delivery of the developmental edit, and the final portion due upon deliver of the line edited manuscript.
Interested in any of these? Email me.
Coaching/Consulting
Sometimes you need encouragement along the writing way, and a smattering of seasoned editorial advice doesn’t hurt either. COACHING AND CONSULTING services are priced individually, because each writer is a unique little flower and there’s no “one size fits all” approach to helping a writer finish a book. If you’re just getting started on your book, or stuck somewhere on page 57, this might be for you.
However, if you just need an hour of my time to sort out a plot issue or to get some feedback on a chapter you’ve just completed, I’m now offering a QUICK CONSULT option. With this, I’ll spend an hour of my time reviewing whatever writing you send me, then talk with you on the phone for an hour, going over my thoughts and answering your questions as needed. Also, I’ll followup our call with an email that will summarize our discussion and add any additional thoughts I inevitably will have after we hang up. There are a limited number of spots for this, mostly because there are a limited number of hours in a day.
The fee for this service is $200, paid up front.
Here’s my email address again.
Ghostwriting
Are you looking for a GHOST WRITER? You know, someone who can take your great idea/outline/plan and turn it into a complete book? I can do that. Memoir or fiction. (Yes, fiction.) I don’t do many of these (for time reasons), but maybe yours is the next one. Email me if you want to talk about this.
Fees vary depending on the project.
A Few Other Things…
- I‘m a kind-hearted editor, but I’m not going to sugar-coat the truth (as I see it). If I think your novel is “beyond saving,” I’ll say so. I’ll do my best to offer direction, but I’m not going to give you false hope if I don’t think your novel has much of a chance finding success in the traditional publishing process. I don’t like this part of my job. But thankfully, I’m only one voice in a choir of editors and book doctors. Perhaps someone else will see something I missed. I hope so. I promise I’ll unabashedly cheer for you when your debut novel eclipses Stephen King’s aggregate sales numbers. I want you to succeed.
- Availability: I’m frequently scheduling projects two or three months in advance, but every once in a while a window opens up sooner. As of 12/06/24, I’m booked through January. But February isn’t so far away. Email me and I’ll save a space for you.
- Here’s my little disclaimer: I can’t guarantee you’ll sign with an agent or get published if you take heed of my editorial suggestions. (Anyone who promises this is lying, drunk, or has photos of a publisher in compromising positions.) But I sure hope you come away from the process feeling like you’ve learned something of value – something that makes you a better writer.
- Note: It’s entirely possible that I might pass on the opportunity to edit your novel, due to available time and/or lack of “connection” with the project. Don’t feel discouraged by this. I just prefer to work with projects that resonate most with my interests. The good news is that I have a wide variety of interests. The bad news is that I still only have 24 hours in a day and some of those are for sleeping/eating cookies.
- Another note: I generally don’t work on books that are longer than 150K words. There are exceptions, of course. But don’t be too awfully disappointed if I turn down the opportunity to work on your 500,000 word Apocalyptic Amish Vampire Romance. (However, if that novel is only 80,000 words, let’s talk. It sounds fascinating.)
Still have questions? Email me. We’ll figure out the details.
Please note: I do my level best to stick to the agreed-upon schedule, but words and stories are temperamental little beasties. And so is my granddaughter, whom I am caring for full-time these days. Sometimes that schedule gets wonky (and/or shot to hell) and I have to adjust start dates and deadlines. It’s not like I’m trying to delay your project – it’s just that I really invest myself in every project I work on, and sometimes those projects turn out to be much bigger on the inside. (TARDIS reference achieved.)