Each manuscript and writer has specific needs, so there are many approaches to the editing process. Below the most common are outlined. Please feel free to come up with your own ideas about how to structure our work together.
For a thorough copyedit and a manuscript analysis on works of at least 100 pages, send me about five (5) sample ms. pages, via e-mail attachment, fax, or snail mail. I will do a sample edit on those pages and return them to you via
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email if the edit will be done on-line using the Word tool track changes, or
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fax or snail mail, with a firm per page price for your project.
FYI: Page prices are based on a standard 250-word page. ( Total word count divided by 250 equals total billable pages.) If you send the total word count with your sample ms. pages, I will calculate the total cost for you.
Page prices start at $5.50 per 250-word page for line editing on a hard copy or editing on-line using Word's track changes function. Young adult books are usually slightly less.
While reading the ms., copyediting will be done (not a rewrite!), and the 2 - 8 page analysis will include a review of basic mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice), evaluation of the point of view, plot, pace, style and structure, character development and dialogue, discussion of possible problems (i.e. point of view) and any suggestions I may have for strengthening the book.
Another approach is two-fold:
First, a content edit. I read the manuscript carefully and focus on structure, style, plotting, logic, character development and dialogue. A bit of line editing --grammar, spelling, punctuation--is done at this point to give the client examples of some of the changes I'll be suggesting in the future line edit and to familiarize them with the methods covered in the Chicago Manual of Style.
I return the content-edited ms. to the client to be reworked, refining and strengthening the content. After that is done, the ms. is usually ready for the second edit, which will include a reexamination of content as well as a line edit.
The content edit is usually billed on an hourly basis at $80. to $100. based on actual time and degree of complexity. Based on the sample I do and the word count I'm given by the client, I'll provide an estimated range for the time I'll need. I very rarely have ever billed more than the higher number in my estimate.
The subsequent line edit is billed on a solid price for a theoretical 250-word page as discussed above. The price for this usually falls between $3.50 and $6.50 per page.
Query package evaluation:
If your fiction package is ready to go and you want a second opinion, I'll read the first thirty pages of the manuscript, the synopsis and the query letter, and give you my impressions and suggestions for strengthening it for a flat fee of $300.00. We'll go back and forth until we're both happy with the end product.
Nonfiction proposal packages are edited and reviewed at $80.00 an hour. Time involved depends on length, complexity and polish.
