Editing Services
What type of book editing do you need?
If you’re a first-time author, it is useful to get a developmental edit of your novel before you send it to agents or publishers. A developmental edit is the first part of the process that comes even before you correct any spelling or grammar errors.
What is a developmental edit?
A developmental edit focuses on the big picture. It digs deep into the fundamentals of the story, looking at the overall structure, plot, character arcs, and scene dynamics. A developmental edit does not look at spelling and grammar errors, or indeed at vocabulary use. Following this type of edit, you’ll have a much clearer idea of how and if your story works and what you might need to do to improve it. With a developmental edit, you’ll get an in-depth review of your story, including a chapter-by-chapter breakdown and a full report. It differs from a manuscript evaluation, with which you only get a read-through plus comments.
How does a developmental edit differ from a line edit or copy edit?
Once you’ve addressed any big picture issues, your story is ready for the next level of editing. A line edit will look at each sentence or paragraph to check for flow, consistency, word choice, voice, etc, whilst a copy edit focuses on spelling and grammar. You often find these two types of editing bleed together, as in, your editor will likely do both.
The final stage of editing
Only once you have finished correcting your story will you employ the skills of a proofreader. The aim of a proofread is to catch any errors that may have slipped through the net. This can also include things like spacing, which can occur when formatting your story.
How I work
For stories up to 40,000 words, I offer a full service of developmental editing plus line editing.
For stories above 40,000 words, you’ll need to choose between the different types of editing services.
Pricing
Picture Books and Short Stories:
| Price | Word Count |
|---|---|
| £36 | 1500 |
| £72 | 3000 |
| £120 | 5000 |
| £240 | 10000 |
Novellas and Middle Grade Novels:
| Price per 1000 words | Word Count |
|---|---|
| £22 | 20000 |
| £20 | 30000 |
| £18 | 40000+ |
Novels beyond 40,000 words:
Developmental Editing is charged at £18 per 1000 words.
Line/Copy Editing is charged at £15 per 1000 words.
Manuscript Evaluation is charged at £10 per 1000 words (this involves a read-through of your manuscript only with comments).
Not sure which type of edit you need?
Contact me first, and we can arrange for you to send a sample edit. Based on that, I will be able to advise what type of edit you will need.