Handing your book to an editor is a heart-wrenching experience.
You’ve worked countless hours on crafting a story with vivid characters and an amazing plot. And now you have to hand it over to an editor who could rip it to pieces.
YIKES!
But when you’re working with an editor you trust, it doesn’t have to be that way.
My job as your editor isn’t to rip your book to shreds. It’s to point out the places where your book could use some extra love.
As your editor, I promise to…
✅ Keep the integrity of your book intact
✅ Give constructive feedback to develop your book and your writing skills
✅ Offer thoughtful suggestions that are consistent with your vision for your book
✅ Point out inconsistencies that need your attention
“ I really appreciate the way Kelly laid out the line-by-line edits for me with explanations for each suggestion or comment. As someone who struggles to write-to-market, Kelly helped me to catch some plot and character issues before I got too far along in the story; she saved me countless hours that would have been spent rewriting and fixing a plotline that just wasn’t working.”
As a writer myself, I know that sometimes your book is solid when you finish the first draft, and sometimes it has plot holes a mile wide. That’s why I offer two different levels of edits.
Line Edits
For the book that’s solid
Starting at $0.013
If you’ve already sealed the plot holes, your characters are gritty with reality, and your story is basically 1 edit away from *chef’s kiss*, this edit is for you.
Line edits look at your book on a paragraph and sentence level.
I’ll give suggestions and edits for the following:
Sentence and paragraph structure
Cliché phrases
Word choice
Repeating words or phrases
Imagery - You know that lovely ‘show don’t tell’ rule!
Flow and pacing
Tightening sentences and paragraphs - Reducing wordiness
Developmental Edits
For the book that’s a bit broken to the book that’s a lot broken.
Starting at $0.016
If your book has plot holes, missing character arcs, unlikable or unrealistic characters, world-building issues, etc., this is the edit for you.
Developmental edits look at the big picture. This edit should take place BEFORE line edits or proofreading.
All developmental edits include an editorial critique letter (which summarizes the book’s strengths and weaknesses) and comments in the book.
I’ll look for and give suggestions on the following:
Plot
Story arc
Events
Conflict
Pacing
Info dumps
Character
Arc
Likability
Realistic
Interactions with others (romance, friendships, etc.)
Goals / Motivation
General writing issues, point of view, showing vs. telling
“Thank you so much for all of your comments. I was telling my friends at dinner tonight how you are making me a better writer. I’ve been reading a lot and paying attention to the inner dialogue in the novels to see how others do it, which was a great suggestion from you.”
How it works
I’ll give you a sample edit of the first 5 pages of your book. I ask that you send me the first 20 pages so I can get a feel for your book overall and provide you with an accurate quote.
Based on the sample edit, I’ll give you a quote for the full project. This will fall on a sliding scale starting at $0.013 for line edits and $0.016 for developmental edits.
Payment Schedule
I request an upfront deposit of 30% of the estimated total of the edit (based on the word count of your book and your custom quote).
When you book your edit, you’ll pick a time you’d like the edit to start. By paying your deposit, you’re guaranteeing that spot.
The remaining balance will be split into 2 payments — the first is due when I start the edit and the second is due when the edit is complete.
Editing Timeframe
I hope to get your book back to you within 3-6 weeks depending on the word count. Obviously, longer books take longer to edit. So before you book with me, we’ll talk about timeframes to make sure you get your book back when you need it!
FAQs
What if I’m not sure what type of edit I need?
No worries. It’s not always easy to look at your own writing objectively. Go ahead and send me the first 20 pages of your book and I’ll let you know what you need. 😃
Why is there a price range for your services?
Every writer is different. Every book is different. I want to respect the skill levels of all writers and my time, which is why I give a range.
What genres do you work with?
I only edit fiction novels.
I edit romance (all sub-genres except religious and historical), YA, and the occasional fantasy.
I do not work with any books that include rape for no reason or killing kids or animals — there are some exceptions, but they’re on a case-by-case basis. If your book includes something along these lines, include that on your application so we can chat about it. 😃
What books are on your wish list to edit more of?
I love smut, so anything with open-door spice, I’m all for it! Even kinky books are welcome here!
