Editing

A developmental edit looks at the “big picture” of a manuscript. It focuses on the overall story arc, character, and plot for fiction. And for non-fiction, it looks at the flow, structure, and organization as well as the development of the topic. This is an intense collaborative edit between author and editor. Also called book doctoring, substantive edit, and content edit.

Line editing focuses on word usage, syntax, and sentence structure. It includes minor rewriting where necessary to improve comprehension and flow. While developmental editing looks at the big picture, line editing looks at the manuscript on the paragraph and sentence level. I often combine this service with copy editing which focuses on the mechanics and technical usage of words. If any developmental issues are noticed, I flag the issue in the manuscript but I do not correct it.

Copy editing deals with the individual words. It fixes grammatical issues, spelling errors, typos, consistency problems, and punctuation errors (Hello, comma, here’s looking at you!), plus more. This edit makes sure the manuscript conforms to the chosen style guide.

Proofreading is the final step before publishing and occurs after the book is in its final designed format. It’s the last chance to catch any errors. The proofreader reviews the book design and checks the page details, hyphenation, table of contents, headings, and more.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an easy question to answer. The timeline depends on the length of the manuscript, the type of edit, and how skilled the writer is. On average, you can expect the following:

• Developmental edit – 6 to 8 weeks
• Line edit – around 4 weeks
• Copy edit – 2 to 3 weeks
• Proofreading – 1 week

Once I see the full manuscript, I can give an accurate timeline. I can accommodate shorter deadlines, but they incur an additional fee. 

The higher level edits (developmental and line) start with a phone conversation with the author. I ask questions about the target audience, areas that might be a struggle, any deadlines or scheduled events for the book, and the book’s purpose.

For a developmental edit, I work hand-in-hand with the author to shape the manuscript and give it that “wow” factor authors want. This means I shift pieces around, restructure chapters, and give other recommendations for ways to make the story the best it can be. The author always has the final say in any recommended changes.

When I quote a price for developmental editing, I also include line editing in that price. When shaping a manuscript, I prefer to work on the paragraph and sentence level as well. This helps keep the overall editing cost down for the author.

Both developmental and line edits include multiple rounds of editing. One round includes the author giving me the manuscript and my returning the edits. The first round always has the most corrections and suggestions. Subsequent rounds check the edits for any lingering errors and problems created by the previous round.

Every edit is returned with two files. One file is the “clean” file with every change accepted. The other file is the “tracked changes” file with every change marked. Some authors don’t want to see the tracked changes, and that’s something we discuss during our initial phone conversation. 

So, TL;DR — Edits include multiple rounds as well as phone calls before and after the edits.

The simple answer is editing costs vary. The cost depends on the type of editing and the quality of the manuscript.

I request the full manuscript in order to accurately evaluate the amount of time required to edit. 

If you’d like a ballpark idea for the cost, you can check my pricing page. Please note that the costs listed are for estimating purposes and it’s possible that your edit will cost less or more.  

I edit according to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (the latest edition). For fiction, I also follow The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction. And for religious or inspirational manuscripts, I use The Christian Writers Manual of Style, 4th edition (the lastest edition).

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Publishing with English. Certification is a qualification that started after universities started phasing out publishing degrees. I’ve explored various certification programs over the years; however, all the classes are ones that I took as part of my degree. So, no, I technically do not have a certification in editing, but I do have a 4-year degree. 

For my repeat clients, I schedule edits whenever they need them, sometimes 6 months in advance. And repeat clients always have first priority in my schedule.

For new clients, I offer immediate availability when I can. I try to always keep an “immediate edit” slot open on my schedule. I don’t believe authors should have to wait 3-4 months for an edit and disrupt their book launch plans. 

To schedule an edit more than two weeks in advance, I require a non-refundable deposit.

Use the Contact Me option to check my availability.