Fiction and Non-Fiction Editing
You’ve finished your manuscript. You’ve written those final words “The End” just the other day (congratulations, by the way), and now you are ready to proofread. It’s easy for spelling and grammatical errors to slip by when you are so intimately tied to your project. Since you’re so close, it’s also easy to miss some of the broader strokes that require additions or clarifications.
Now is the time for constructive criticism. Take your manuscript to colleagues you trust. If your manuscript is non-fiction, consider contacting one or two industry professionals or historical experts on your subject. You can reach out to forums to cast your net even wider. But most importantly, have your manuscript edited.
Whether you think your manuscript only requires a cursory glance from an editor, or if you are looking for the complete package, I can help you get your book ready for print.
Pricing
The following are my base rates. All prices listed here are in Canadian Dollars (CAD) and are based on the EFA and Editors Canada recommended rates.
Manuscript Critique
Developmental Editing
Line & Copy Editing
Standard Proofreading
*Manuscript Critique, Developmental Editing, and Standard Proofreading each have a minimum cost. The MC and Dev Edit start at $250, and Proofreading starts at $50.
Quote Calculator
This calculator will give you an approximation of my quote. It is not meant to replace an official quote. You will receive an official quote after the initial consultation. All prices listed here are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).
Manuscript Critique
Before submitting your manuscript for a critique, it’s important to check off a few boxes first.
Let a few people read your manuscript before submitting for the first edit. Suggestions from other authors in your genre (or Subject Matter Experts for non-fiction) will likely prompt you to write a second draft. Your first draft will be rough no matter what.
Make sure your word count is appropriate for your genre. The length of a contemporary novel is between 80,000 and 100,000 words, but there are differences between the genres. An appropriate length for a high fantasy novel would be considered excessive for a YA novel, for example.
Take some time to read your manuscript. Pull two or three chapters and read them aloud to yourself (or a willing audience, if one exists). You might be surprised to hear that the words on the page don’t match the voice you intended to convey.
Once you have satisfied these conditions, you may wonder if a manuscript critique is necessary. The manuscript critique I offer is an intermediary step between your beta readers and a line edit. If you are a seasoned author, you may have trustworthy and consistent beta readers who will give you an adequate critique of your manuscript. On the other hand, my manuscript critique will give suggestions for improving your manuscript and an evaluation of your characters and story arc. If you want a more in-depth analysis, you may need a developmental edit.
A manuscript critique offers you a bird’s-eye view of your plot and pacing. The critique also aims to ensure your point of view and perspective are consistent throughout. This analysis breaks your manuscript down to its constituent parts so you can see the big picture.
If you’ve wondered whether your theme and narrative voice are consistent throughout your manuscript, then a critique is the best first step to take.
A critique does not analyze grammar or punctuation, though there may be general remarks on readability issues such as dialogue structure.
Developmental Editing
A developmental edit is a comprehensive analysis of the structure of your manuscript. You will get everything offered in the manuscript critique, but here, we look at plot, pacing, and person much more closely. You will get suggestions on which chapters to cut and which darlings to kill.
This edit seeks to solve major problems and refine the focus and clarity of your writing. In my editorial letter, I will discuss the core elements of your manuscript and make sure they are consistent throughout. I will also look at character development, scene tension, and momentum.
Because of the structural requirements and the general nature of instructional and information books, a developmental edit is better suited to a non-fiction manuscript than a manuscript critique. Errors in structure and organization are more glaring in these types of books.
Line & Copy Editing
A line edit and a copy edit are two separate services, and each is a necessary step in the process.
As the name suggests, a line edit goes through your manuscript line by line. If you are going to be submitting your manuscript to an agent, this is the last step. Once the line edit is finished, you can focus on crafting your query letter (if you haven’t already) and having that edited as well.
A line edit looks for continuity errors, tidies up grammar errors, and ensures your manuscript is consistently written in the same person. As an example, a slip from 3rd person limited to 3rd person omniscient, however briefly, can be jarring to the reader, disrupt the mood, and destroy tension.
A copy edit only happens after all the line edit changes have been accepted. During this stage, there should be minimal alterations to the plot structure and overall shape of the manuscript, if any. I will only perform a copy edit on a manuscript that has already gone through at least one line edit performed by a professional editor. You should only move on to a copy edit if you are satisfied with your work and would like to move on with the self-publishing journey.
A copy edit seeks to clean up as many grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors as possible. Dialogue punctuation and structure will be made consistent throughout.
A copy edit is a necessary step because any alterations from the line edit stage can introduce errors. This step also aims to create the cleanest text document possible to make converting to ePub and other eReader formats as easy as possible.
Standard Proofreading
Proofreading is the final stage for a self-published author before they hit that publish button. At this stage, the proofreader inspects the manuscript for any small errors that may have been overlooked during the line and copy edit stages. They also look for issues that may have been introduced into the manuscript by the typesetter and formatter.
Editors use a wide range of programs, macros, and word processing tools to help them. A proofreader, on the other hand, checks for errors in your manuscript that text editing software is notoriously bad at pointing out. A proofreader checks for proper punctuation, citations, title format, typeface and font, etc.
In the case of a PDF intended for print, a proofreader also checks for consistent line spacing and page numbering, and notes any widows, orphans, rivers and rags, etc. that your typesetter may have missed.
A proofreader does not necessarily check for grammar or consistency, but they will make note of any problems they see that might impact readability and reader experience.
It is a good practice to have your proofreading performed by someone other than your copy editor. A fresh pair of eyes can make a huge difference. However, if you wish to continue with me through the proofreading stage after I have performed a copy edit, I will be happy to consult with you at that point.
Other Services
Take a look at my other services and see where your project fits in.
If you have a unique project that you don’t see listed here, please drop me a line and tell me about it. I’d be glad to hear from you!
