I offer free samples for all the services listed below. Both you and I can see whether we’ll be a good fit. No strings attached! Contact me and let me know what you’re looking for. I’ll happily read, review, analyze, synopsize, line edit, or format a few pages so you can see whether I might be able to help.
Start here, just below, to find out about the developmental help I can give. Scroll on down for line editing, query services, and manuscript preparation info.
Manuscript Development and Editing
Choose from a developmental review or the more detailed full developmental edit.
Critique (developmental review)
Need an overview of the major elements of your manuscript? Let’s face it, writing can sometimes be a bit lonely. I can help you with story and content advice, as well as structure. Get advice on:
- prose (level of language and expression)
- narrative voice/style & POV
- plot: overall idea/story, plot holes, and inconsistencies
- pacing
- character arcs and characterization (Are the characters interesting and distinct? Do they behave naturally?)
- conflict: level/lack of, organic vs. forced (think soap operas!)
- drama vs. melodrama (think daytime soap operas!)
- dialogue construction: natural feel, distinction between characters, dialogue-tagging techniques
- descriptive depth
- audience and marketability
- age appropriateness (for NA, YA spectrum, and MG)
Sometimes called an “editor’s letter,” you’ll get a Word file (4–9 pages, depending on the length and complexity of the MS) detailing all of these elements, as well as my impressions and advice. I’ll pick out the strengths and weaknesses in your writing and in the story, I’ll discuss and advise which elements you may need to work on, and you’ll get my overall conclusions as to how well the story is working or not working, as well as advice on length and conciseness.
Contact me to get a critique sample for a book I worked on recently.
Critique guide price: $0.01 per word
Full developmental edit
Need a more detailed critique? The developmental review critique (detailed above) gives you overall guidance on how to develop and improve the story, but you might want more detail in the form of a full developmental edit, which additionally includes chapter-by-chapter notes and comments inside your MS. These detailed notes and comments will help you see specifically where the strong and weak passages are, link plot elements, identify character inconsistencies, and so on. I’ll pick out examples of strong and weak dialogue, as well as examples of good and not-so-good expression.
I offer a free sample. Contact me to discuss this and/or for some example pages of a novel I worked on recently.
Developmental editing guide price: $0.015 per word
Ready to take the plunge into a full line edit?
Line Editing
I’ll look at and make revisions to the prose from an artistic point of view (prose style and expression, narrative voice, characterization, and so on), as well as drill down to the word level, focusing on grammatical expression and word choice.
I’ll include copious notes inside the manuscript. I’ll track the changes so you can see the revisions, too, and you’ll be able to see how your writing can be more concise and streamlined.
- clarity of expression
- variety of expression
- sentence fragment use
- overused words
- adverb overuse
- clichéd phrasing
- awkward or unnatural dialogue
- grammar accuracy
- mechanics (spelling, punctuation, etc.)
- anything else that is stopping your prose from being as good as it should be
While line editing, I will point out the main issues I see regarding story/plot and characterization, but this edit is more focused on expression at the sentence and paragraph levels. If you want more detailed advice on the content, consider a critique or the more in-depth developmental editing. Scroll up to find those.
Line editing guide price: I need to assess your text according to your needs, which we’ll discuss. As a rough guide, think somewhere between $0.015 and $0.03 per word for the full edit.
Drop me a line to get some example pages of a novel I worked on recently. Or fancy an introductory freebie? Email me a sample of your work; I’d love to offer some commentary and line editing so you can see whether we’ll be a good fit. Or just reach out and chat with me first.
Proofreading
I work more at the creative and expression levels. I, of course, proofread while line editing (scroll up for details). For this service, you might ask me to focus on specific elements, such as tidying up grammar, word choice, and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, layout, etc.).
If you want “pure” proofreading, with little to no commentary or editing revisions, I can point you to some excellent proofreaders whose magnifying glasses are primed with thick lenses! Just ask me for some recommendations. I know a number of good people.
Query Services
Ready to go fishing for an agent or publisher? I can help you hook one by constructing an impactful
- query letter
- 1–2 page synopsis
- chapter-by-chapter outline
Or choose a cost-effective package incorporating all three.
I have produced impactful queries that have helped a number of authors gain representation and/or publishing deals. I’ll bring out the story elements that can hook and intrigue the agent or publisher—those character emotions, situations, and arcs that are woven within the lines of the story.
QP guide pricing: For an MS of 100k words, I might ask for $300 for a full query package creation as part of a developmental editing or line editing package. Think closer to $500 if your editing process is complete and you want the package separately. Chat with me about prices for individual elements. A query letter or a synopsis only, for example, would likely be around $200 for a 100k-word MS.
I offer a free sample service. Contact me to discuss this and/or for some example pages of a query project I worked on recently.
Manuscript Preparation for Physical and Digital Publishing
If you want a ready-to-upload manuscript file formatted, laid out, and set for publishing, let me know.
Physical publishing
I’ll produce ready-to-use Word and Adobe PDF files formatted to size and style. Think font choice and size, margins, guttering (spacing from edges), headers/footers, pagination, and so on.
- Formatting for hardback or paperback book guide price: $99 for a novel with very few or no images. We’ll talk if your book has multiple images and elements like lists, tables, and graphs.
Digital publishing
E-books are strange creatures! They have to be flexible so that their text can be “reflowable” and manipulated according to user preferences (device, app, screen size, font size and style, and so on). This means the text and pages have to be coded in very specific ways to ensure navigation and attractive presentation.
For the last 10 years or so, I’ve been helping authors self-publish. I’ve formatted their e-books for distribution on Amazon Kindle (.azw) and other distributors, such as Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords (.epub). I’ll supply you with ready-to-use Word and Adobe PDF files formatted to size and style, as well as .mobi and/or .epub files.
- Formatting e-book guide price: $99 for a novel with very few or no images. We’ll talk if your book has multiple images and elements like lists, tables, and graphs.
