Developmental Editing

I always recommend sending your work through a critique group before purchasing a developmental edit. Developmental editing is expensive and with a good critique group not everyone needs it. However, if you’ve been through a critique group and just can’t get your story right, developmental editing is the place to go.

A developmental edit includes the following:

1. One thorough read-through for developmental edits (character arcs, story progression and flow, missing details/plot issues, etc.) and a summary of at least five pages discussing any issues noted, along with some general recommendations for improvement. I won’t rewrite a chapter for you, I will tell you what you can do to improve the chapter. This summary will also include a listing of some of the positive elements of the work
2. In-line comments to support the issues mentioned in the summary. I try to mark at least one instance of every issue discussed, but I will not recommend line edits to the work, as developmental editing can often require rewriting

My rates for a developmental edits vary based on the content to be edited. For this reason, I always offer a free sample of my work. This sample is ten pages or 4% of the work, whichever is shorter. Half of this sample should be from the opening and half should be from the middle of the work..

As a ballpark to estimate by, very clean edits run around $0.02/word, while more intensive edits can be up to $0.04/word. For an 80,000 word book, that’s a range between $1600 and $3200. Clean edits take 1-2 weeks, while more intensive edits will take a month. If you feel like you need a look at higher level elements of your story but not a full developmental edit, please contact me with what you want. Variations on this service are available if they are supported by the quality of the sample edit.

Copy Editing

For copy editing I use the Chicago Manual of Style to verify grammar and language usage, but I understand that fiction writing often involves breaking the rules. I will query anything in prose that does not match the CMOS to ensure my edit does not harm the author’s voice. I edit to American English, but I can recommend a copy editor who uses British English if that is what you need. As with Developmental Editing, the edit cost may vary so a sample edit of ten pages or 4% of the work is offered for free. Copy Editing ranges from $0.01/word to $0.03/word, assessed in the sample edit.

A completed copy edit will deliver:

1. Annotated copy of the work using either Microsoft Word track changes or Google Docs to record in-line grammar recommendations
2. A style guide detailing specific elements that need to be tracked for consistency (i.e., unusual spellings used in the work)
3. As applicable, a summary of the types of issues encountered if they appear systematic and are not identified as intentional

Beta Reading

As a Beta Reader, I primarily specialize in contemporary and high fantasy, but I also enjoy reads for other types of speculative fiction (i.e., LitRPG, fantasy western) and some romance. I am a poor fit for horror or hard science fiction, although I am happy to take on soft science fiction similar to Kevin J. Anderson’s Resurrection, Inc.

Beta reading is $1 per thousand words in the manuscript. I round all partial dollars to the nearest even dollar per standard rounding rules (i.e., 79,800 words is $80; 79,400 is $79).

A beta read includes:

1. A one-page summary of the work’s strengths and weaknesses
2. Identification of any technical issues that made the read harder than it might otherwise be (i.e., unusually large number of typos, strange turns of phrase, use of complex or infrequently used words that might require a reader to look the words up, etc.)
3. Recommendation for the next step for the work

I can also act as a sensitivity reader for some forms of semi-invisible disabilities, specifically ones that are physical and may seem cosmetic to those without the condition but in reality fundamentally shape the affected person’s day-to-day life. My specific condition is Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia and I should not be used to verify specific details of other conditions, but I can speak to the general presentation of characters with semi-invisible disabilities and their interactions with others. For sensitivity reading, please contact me directly for an assessment and quote. If I am not a good fit for the work, I will turn the request down.

Writing Coaching

Writing Coaching covers a lot of areas and, as a result, is quite varied in structure. As a coach, I can help you build the habit to write every day, identify weaknesses in your writing and make a plan to improve them, help you learn to polish existing work so it is ready for submission or publishing, help you plan your self-publishing path, or more.

Coaching should be approached as a short-term investment in learning the habits and/or skills to be able accomplish your writing goals for yourself. Each coaching term starts with a free consultation to discuss the specifics of what you need, from goals and techniques to length of the coaching term. Please use the contact buttons below to request more information on how I can help you reach your writing goals.

My standard rate for coaching is $50 per 90 minute session.