Five ways to edit a book, and two ways to finish one

Most writers arrive here not quite sure what they need. That's the normal place to start. Below is what each stage does, in the order a manuscript usually travels through them.

Editing moves from the whole book down to the last comma. That order isn't a rule someone invented to make this complicated—it's what saves you money and needless frustration. There's little sense perfecting the sentences in a chapter that ends up being cut, or proofreading a manuscript whose structure is still shifting.

This is why most books need two of these stages, not five. A manuscript that's had a developmental edit rarely needs a separate line edit. One you've self-edited carefully may go straight to a copyedit. Tell me about your project and I'll tell you honestly which ones yours calls for. If that's fewer than you expected, I'll say so.

Manuscript Evaluation

You've finished a draft, or you're close. You've read it enough times that the sentences have stopped meaning anything, and you genuinely can't tell any more whether it works.

Maybe you suspect something is off but can't name it. Maybe nobody has read it yet and you'd like that to be someone whose job is books rather than someone who loves you.

All of those are the same question: is this working, and what would I fix first?

What an evaluation is

I read your manuscript from beginning to end, the way a reader would, and then I write you a letter about it.

What it isn't: I don't make changes inside your document. Nothing gets rewritten. You get a plan, and the revising stays yours.

What you get

A detailed editorial letter—as long as your manuscript needs it to be, and always specific
A clear priority order: what to fix first, and what genuinely doesn't matter
An honest read on whether the book is close, or whether it needs another full draft
A recommendation on which stage of editing to book next, if any
A conversation once you've had time to sit with it

What it costs

$0.015 to $0.02 per word

Flat rates available for shorter works. An evaluation costs less than any edit, and it's the one that tells you where the money should go—it stops writers spending thousands fixing the wrong problem.

I'll give you your exact figure in your proposal, once I've read the whole thing. It's based on the manuscript as it reaches me, so if the word count shifts before we start, we'll adjust it together before anyone begins work.

This is the right stage if:

nobody with editorial experience has read the manuscript yet
you want to know what the work involves before you commit to it
you'd rather do the revising yourself and just need to know what to revise
you're working to a budget and want to spend it in the right place

Evaluation or developmental editing?

Both stages look at the same things: whether your argument builds, whether the chapters are in the right order, whether a reader can follow you. The difference is what happens next.

With an evaluation, you take the letter and do the revising. With developmental editing, I'm in the manuscript with you doing it.

Line Editing

Make sure your reader hears what you actually meant.

What a line edit does

Line editing works at the level of the sentence and the paragraph. It isn't about whether a comma is correct. It's about whether the sentence earns its length.

What you get

A tracked-changes file, with every sentence-level change visible and yours to reject
A clean copy with the changes applied
Margin notes explaining the reasoning behind the larger rewrites
A summary of the habits worth knowing about, so you carry them into the next book

What it costs
$0.03 to $0.05 per word

Where you fall in that range depends on how much work the sentences need. Writing you've already revised carefully sits at the lower end. A first draft, where nearly every paragraph has something to cut, takes considerably longer.

Once I've read your entire manuscript, I'll give you the exact figure in your proposal. Pricing is based on the writing as it reaches me, so if the word count changes before we begin, we'll adjust the figure together first.

Line editing or copyediting?

This is the question I get most often, and the honest answer is that they overlap more than anyone admits. The short version: copyediting makes your writing correct, and line editing makes it clear.

If your writing is accurate but heavy, you're in the right place. If it already reads well and just needs cleaning up, copyediting is your stage, and I'd rather tell you that now than take you through a level you don't need.

Developmental Editing

Get the book into the right shape before you spend months on the sentences.

What a developmental edit does

This is the deepest work I do, and it's the stage that changes a book most. It isn't about sentences. It's about whether the book holds together.

What it costs

Developmental Editing
Starting at $0.04 per word

What I do
I show you what needs to change and guide you through making the changes, with detailed comments and tracked suggestions throughout the manuscript.

Who does the rewriting
You do. I tell you what's needed and where; the new writing is yours.

Right for you if...

you want direction and you're ready to revise. Most manuscripts need this and nothing more.

Hands-On Developmental Editing
Starting at $0.08 per word

What I do
I do everything in the standard developmental, but I make the changes. I'll reorganize sections, consolidate repetitive material, strengthen transitions, and rewrite passages where the book needs it.

Who does the rewriting
I do, in your voice, and you review and approve rather than rebuild.

Right for you if...
the manuscript needs more than recommendations, or facing a full restructure alone is what stands between you and a finished book.

Once I've read your entire manuscript, I'll give you the exact figure in your proposal. Pricing is based on the writing as it reaches me, so if the word count changes before we begin, we'll adjust the figure together first.

What you get

An editorial letter laying out what the book needs and in what order — structure, argument, chapter sequence, and what a reader will follow or lose
A marked-up manuscript with detailed comments throughout, showing exactly where each issue lives (in a hands-on edit, the changes are made in tracked changes rather than only flagged)
A revision plan you can work from — what to tackle first, what can wait, and what doesn't need touching
A conversation once you've had time to sit with it, before you start revising
One round of follow-up questions as the revision gets underway

Neither tier includes a full line edit or copyedit. Sentences will improve as I work, particularly in a hands-on edit where I'm rewriting anyway. But polishing prose properly comes after the structure has settled and you've done your revision, because otherwise you're paying to perfect paragraphs that may not survive.

When a manuscript needs more than editing. Occasionally a book needs so much new writing that I'd no longer be editing it. I'd be helping write it. If that's what your sample shows me, I'll say so and quote it separately rather than charging you an editing rate for something else.

Copyediting

Clean it up, so nothing on the page undermines what you write.

What a copyedit does

Your book already says what you wanted it to say.

Now let's make sure it's right—consistently, on every page.

What you get

A tracked-changes file, so you can see and accept or reject every edit
A clean copy with all changes applied
A short summary letter covering any patterns worth knowing about your writing
One round of follow-up questions, included

What it costs
$0.03 to $0.04 per word

Where you fall in that range depends on the state of the manuscript. Writing that's already been through a line edit sits at the lower end. A draft carrying a lot of inconsistency takes considerably longer to work through.

Proofreading

Catch what's left while there's still time to change it.

Why a final proofread is vital

This is the last set of eyes before your book becomes permanent. Not another round of editing,

but a final read for everything the earlier rounds missed.

What you get

A tracked-changes file, or a marked-up PDF if that suits your file better
A clear list of every correction, referenced by location
Notes on anything that isn't strictly an error but would be better changed
A quick re-check of the corrected file, included

What it costs

$0.02 to $0.03 per word

Where you fall in that range depends on how clean the manuscript already is. Writing that's been properly copyedited sits at the lower end. A draft that hasn't takes considerably longer.

One thing to know first

If your manuscript hasn't been edited yet, a proofread isn't the shortcut it looks like. I'll catch your errors, but I won't fix a sentence that's merely awkward, because that isn't what this stage does—and you'd end up publishing something correct that still doesn't read the way you hoped.

If you're not certain your draft has had a real edit, say so when you get in touch and I'll point you to the right stage.

Author Bios & Back Cover Copy

A reader has thirty seconds and four other books in her hand. Your bio and your back cover copy

are what decide which one she keeps.

What you get

Your author bio in three lengths: long for your website, medium for the book, one line for a byline
Back cover copy in two different approaches to choose between
One round of revisions on whichever you pick
Everything formatted and ready for Amazon's book description field

Other Editing Services

Beyond the Manuscript

Not every project is a book, and not everything that matters gets published. Handbooks, board manuals, website copy, reports, course material—all of it still has to be clear, and all of it still has to sound like you or your business.

The kind of work this covers

If it's written and it matters, it's probably something I can help with.

Board manuals and governance documents

Including full manuals for university-model schools, where policy has to be clear enough for a board, a staff, and a parent to read the same page and reach the same conclusion.

Website content

Page-by-page editing of existing copy, or restructuring a site's writing so a visitor finds what she came for.

Reports and white papers

Annual reports, grant applications, research summaries, and anything else that has to persuade a reader who is short of time.

Online courses

Course content, workbooks, and supporting material, edited so a learner working alone can follow it without getting stuck.

Something not on this list

Send it over and ask for a quote. The list above is what comes through most often, not a limit.

Handbooks, manuals, and guides

Staff handbooks, family handbooks, procedure documents, and anything else people consult rather than read straight through.

Articles and long-form content

Journal and newspaper articles, blogs, newsletters, and social media writing long enough to need an editor.

Marketing material

Product descriptions, press releases, and campaign copy that needs to sound like the organization rather than like everyone else.

Résumés and cover letters

The documents that have to make a case for you in under a page, to someone reading forty others the same afternoon.

What you get

A tracked-changes file, so every edit is visible and yours to accept or reject
A clean copy with the changes applied
Notes on anything that needs a decision from your side rather than an edit from mine
A record of inconsistencies found, so the next person to update the document knows what was settled
One round of follow-up questions, included

What it costs

Pricing varies by length and complexity.

Send me the document and tell me what you need it to do. I'll come back with pricing and a date for completion before any work begins.

Not sure where to start? A few questions will point you to the right stage.

Take the Quiz

Request your quote

Five ways to edit a book, and two ways to finish one

Line Editing

What a line edit does

Line editing or copyediting?

​