Book Editing Core Services
Plus, Budget-Friendly &
Test-The-Water Options
Paying for professional editing is the quality control phase of your book's production. Yet hiring an editor can feel like putting all your money on black, crossing your fingers and hoping it doesn't come up red. What if the editor doesn't get your work? What if they tear it to pieces in ways you wish they hadn't? Or even, what if they're really not that good?
Alongside my three core services of copyediting, proofreading, and manuscript assessment, I offer recommended budget-friendly options that enable you to test the water rather than jump in at the deep end; and also a Boost service that edits and proofreads the first 10,000 words of your manuscript in preparation for querying.
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Browse the services below, or take a look at How It Works to find out if we'd make a good team.
Budget-Friendly Services
Taster Edit
What is it? With a taster edit, I evaluate two chapters from the middle of your manuscript, and provide either a sample assessment, or edit or proofread of a 2000-word extract, whichever is applicable. This allows you to see how I would work on your full manuscript and if I could provide the value you're looking for.
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No obligation to proceed if you're not ready to commit further. Either way, you'll have learned what your manuscript may need next, how an assessment, edit or proofread works, and the value they can add to your manuscript.
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Who is it for? Authors who'd like some feedback on what is or isn't working with their manuscript, and/or want to test if I'd be a good fit for them and their work.
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Cost £49
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BONUS If you decide to proceed to a core service, the Taster Edit cost will be deducted from your final fee.​
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Read & Reflect
What is it? With Read & Reflect, I read your manuscript in its entirety and report back to you with a brief outline of my understanding of your work, what it needs next, and providing you with a quote if I'm certain I can be of value. Then, the choice is yours whether to proceed or not, based on if you feel I'd be a good match for you and your book, and if it meets your budget.
No obligation or awkward conversations - simply book a slot if you'd like to proceed to a full service, or sidle away if you'd prefer not to. Either way, you'll have learned what direction to take your book in next.
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Who is it for? Authors who are not sure which editing service they might need, and/or just want to test if I'd be a good fit for their complete manuscript before committing further.
Cost £249
BONUS If you decide to proceed to a core service, the Read & Reflect cost will be deducted from your final fee.
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Boost Your Query Proposal
What is it? With a Boost, I both copyedit and proofread the first 10,000 words of your manuscript, in preparation for querying with agents and publishers.
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Who is it for? Authors who want a polished sample for querying purposes, but don't currently want a full manuscript edit or proofread.
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Cost £299
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BONUS For an additional cost, I'll edit and proofread your query letter and synopsis, and/or assist you in compiling a list of suitable agents/publishers to target.
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Core Editing Services
The 3 core services I offer address each of the key stages in a manuscript's development. You may be looking for assistance with just one of these stages, or a combination of them, or perhaps you're not sure. To help you clarify what your manuscript may need next, these stages, in order, are:
- Manuscript Assessment - The 'Build' stage, evaluating the strength of the structural foundations;
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- Copyedit - The 'Sculpt' stage, ensuring effectiveness, clarity, consistency and flow at sentence level;
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- Proofread - The 'Spit & Polish' stage, clearing up any last typos, grammar and style issues.​
As copyediting is the most requested service, we'll begin with that below.
Copyedit
When might I need a copyedit?
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You're satisfied with the overall structure and plot of the book, you've edited as much as you can, and now you'd like a second pair of eyes on it as you feel there's room to make the narrative tighter and more effective.
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What will you address?
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Sentence-level effectiveness
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Fix continuity issues
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Tie up loose ends/highlight plot holes & how to fix them
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Smooth inconsistencies
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Correct timeline or timing issues
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Ensure dialogue is used effectively
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Smooth out narrative tense, POV, or voice inconsistencies
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Ensure consistency of chapter/narrative break placements
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Assess balance of show and tell
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Remove unintentional repetitions, vary repetitive vocabulary
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Iron out weak spots
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Be mindful of language, for consistency purposes and as it correlates to narrative style and genre
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Flag any areas that may be problematic to readers or publishers (e.g., non-conscious language when used unintentionally), or anything that's jarring or doesn't fit within the narrative context and/or the genre - suggesting alternatives
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In short, I'll address anything where there's potential to maximize your narrative's effectiveness. Clear errors and inconsistencies will be adjusted directly on the manuscript and flagged for your reference, whilst other potential areas for improvement will be explained and suggestions provided in my comments for your consideration and final decision.
The priority is to retain your original voice and style whilst enabling the narrative to flow freely, removing any obstacles to reader immersion.
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How much will it cost?
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I charge on a per-project basis, according to how much work is involved and the value I can add. However, a ballpark figure for copyediting an 80,000-word novel needing a standard amount of intervention, 2 consecutive passes, and 2-3 weeks to complete, would begin from £1650, including a £250 deposit due at the time of booking.
However, please get in touch in the first instance so we can discuss your requirements. For a tight deadline or short notice, the fee may be higher. For budget constraints, you may wish to consider a monthly payment plan.
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Want to know how I'll copyedit your book and what you'll receive on completion? Click here.
Proofread
When might I need a proofread?
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The book is structurally sound, you're happy that the narrative is effective at the sentence level and consistent throughout, it flows well and with nothing narrative-wise that could trip a reader up and spoil their enjoyment of the story. You're almost ready to publish or query, but there may still be spelling, grammar, or stylistic errors that you'd like clearing up so the book is in a professional, polished state.
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What will you address?
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​​Spelling, punctuation & grammar, according to your book's genre and style
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Spelling & numerical style, ensuring consistency throughout
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Consistent & clear layout & formatting
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Ensure front matter & back matter are correct & styled consistently, if applicable, e.g. title pages, copyright, contents, about the author, other books by the author, etc
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Check consistent usage of hyphens, typeface, en & em dashes, ellipses, serial (Oxford) comma, chapter headings & all other punctuation & elements relating to style
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In short, I'll ensure every last detail of your book from first word to last is in order and professionally presented.
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How much will it cost?
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I charge on a per-project basis, according to how much work is involved and the value I could add. However, a ballpark figure for proofreading an 80,000-word novel needing a standard amount of intervention, 2 consecutive passes, and 2 weeks to complete, would be approximately £1290, including a £250 deposit due at the time of booking.
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However, please get in touch in the first instance so we can discuss your requirements. For a tight deadline or short notice, the fee may be higher. For budget constraints, you may wish to consider a monthly payment plan.
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Want to know how I'll proofread your book and what you'll receive on completion? Click here.
Manuscript Assessment
When might I need a manuscript assessment?
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You've worked on several drafts of your manuscript and now you're finding it difficult to distance yourself from it in order to assess if it's working, if it's any good, and how it might be received by readers. You thought it was going well, but now you're not so sure, you're filled with doubt and wondering if there's something missing but can't quite grasp what it is. You need someone to confirm if you're on the right track.
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What will you address?
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The big-picture, structural elements of:
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Plot & plot progression, subplots, & overall structure
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Narrative voice, point of view, & tense
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Style & language
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Pace
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Characters & character arc development
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Antagonists & stakes
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Setting & scene
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Timeline & timing
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Show/tell balance
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Dialogue
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Language
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Themes
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Genre & target audience
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Strengths & weaknesses
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Where to next
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In short, with your genre and goals in mind, my extensive report and in-line pointers on the manuscript will detail how each of these elements perform both independently and as a unit in realizing the story's potential and aiding reading experience; and if necessary, suggest improvements that could be made to maximize effect.
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How much will it cost?
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I charge on a per-project basis, according to how much work is involved and the value I could add. However, a ballpark figure for the assessment of an 80,000-word novel requiring 2-3 weeks to complete, would begin from £1795, including a £250 deposit due at the time of booking.
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However, please get in touch in the first instance so we can discuss your requirements. For a tight deadline or short notice, the fee may be higher. For budget constraints, you may wish to consider a monthly payment plan.
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Want to know how I'll assess your manuscript and what you'll receive on completion? Click here.
Tina is both friendly and professional. When working on my manuscript her attention to detail was second to none and she was respectful of my 'voice'. The end result is a narrative that is still very much mine but feels polished and clean. I will certainly come to her in the future with more of my work.
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D.S. Smith, author of the Knights of Elyssa series