Services
You have all your ideas down and your book or writing project is humming along. Then that pesky little bee flies around in your head and you think something is just not cohesive or flowing the way you envisioned it. Your inclination may be to hit delete on a whole page–or worse yet–the entire manuscript. Don’t touch that key yet!
Good news: Usually at this point you are closer than you think, but your project just really needs another set of eyes. Someone who will look at your pages from different angles, and ensure you are saying what you want to say, how you want to say it. That’s where I jump in, to provide professional book or project expertise.
Or, maybe you’ve already polished your manuscript and are ready for a professional edit or proofread. Someone to check it over for mechanical details, reader engagement, and book industry standards.
Or, maybe you’re wondering if your book or writing project is on the right track and you’d like an eagle-eyed overview instead. Someone to look at your story or project ideas, as well as plot, characters, and flow, before a thorough edit. Often having a manuscript evaluation before an edit will ensure a stronger structure, flow, and substance check to your project. This identifies manuscript issues so a writer can revise work in a focused and productive way. It will also save the writer valuable time, effort, and expense.
Whether you’re looking for a proofread, edit, or manuscript evaluation, it takes courage to hand your writing over to someone else for review after you’ve spent so much effort pulling the story or project together. It can be unnerving to seasoned writers, as well as to new writers. This is why I carefully make suggestions to improve the writing with the reader in mind–to ensure your book or project is well received by others. Brutal feedback isn’t helpful or necessary to move a project forward. Constructive suggestions elevate a writing piece better every time. Let’s make your words shine. Your words and ideas, enhanced.
Editing is classified into different levels. Some crossover exists in editing levels, and some organizations define editing levels slightly different from one another. However, generally speaking, editing levels progress from a proofread, basically a very light edit, all the way up to a developmental edit, which looks at big-picture issues and deep-level restructuring.
These are the book services I offer to help you fine-tune your writing project:
Proofreading
Light edit. Corrects errors in punctuation, spelling, mechanics, grammar and basic word usage. Also corrects formatting errors such as headings, page numbers and font styles. (Usually the last step in book editing.) Proofreading is done in Microsoft Word Track Changes, so you can see your original work and the corrections. I provide two document versions: a version showing the original manuscript marked up with changes, and an all changes accepted version so you can see the new, clean copy. Please submit your manuscript with one-inch page margins, double-spaced, and use 12-point Times New Roman font. (Most books come in at the quoted proofreading rate. However, to ensure a proofread/light edit is all the book needs, please send a 10-page sample from the middle of the book so I may accurately quote the fee per word and timeline for the project.)
starts at
1.4 cents/word
- Copyediting & Line Editing
Copyediting is in between a light and medium edit level, at the word and sentence level. This focuses on correcting technical errors, inconsistencies, logistical issues, redundant language, and reducing repetitive or wordy phrases.
Line editing is a medium edit level, at the paragraph and scene level. This focuses on clarity and strength of the writing by examining your project line by line. This includes analyzing each sentence, focusing on the meaning and strength of the sentence, and determining whether or not the sentence should be tightened. Sometimes sentences or paragraphs are rearranged to help the writing flow better.
Since copyediting and line editing are complementary processes, I complete them simultaneously. All my editing is done in Microsoft Word Track Changes, so you can see your original work and the edit improvements. I provide two document versions: an edited version showing the original manuscript marked up with changes, and an all changes accepted version so you can see the new, clean copy.
For editing, I offer a free, four-page sample edit so you can see if my editing style meets your project needs. Please submit your manuscript with one-inch page margins, double-spaced, and use 12-point Times New Roman font. It’s best to send a sample from the middle of the book since most authors revise the beginning and end of their books more thoroughly than the middle. This will allow me to provide an accurate quote for the editing project, as well as a more accurate timeline. (More experienced authors usually price in at the beginning rate whereas newer authors may price in 1 cent per word or more above it.)
starts at
3 cents/word
Manuscript Evaluation
A manuscript evaluation involves a thorough reading with an overview of suggestions to improve your book or project. This is not a line-by-line edit, but rather an overview of the writing project. I always look at a manuscript from a reader’s point of view first to ensure thorough reader engagement. Then I take an editor’s point of view to ensure nothing trips up the reader to make them put the book or project down. My evaluation starts with reading the entire manuscript through so I understand how the story elements or project pulls together. Then I’ll go through it again and make copious notes on the strengths and parts that could be improved to help the reader. Please submit your manuscript with one-inch page margins, double-spaced, and use 12- point Times New Roman font.
The evaluation will be 2-6 single-spaced pages and point out areas of strength, as well as other areas that could be enhanced for your reader. I’ll include additional references you may look into to improve specific areas. Depending on whether the writing is fiction or nonfiction, here are some typical focus areas:
- Plot
- Characters
- Setting
- Dialogue
- Scene Development
- Point of View
- Organization / Structure
- Clarity
- Narrative Style
- Reader Engagement
- General Overview on Mechanics (punctuation, grammar, sentence structure)
2 cents/word
starts at
1.4 cents/word
Light edit. Corrects errors in punctuation, spelling, mechanics, grammar and basic word usage. Also corrects formatting errors such as headings, page numbers and font styles. (Usually the last step in book editing.) Proofreading is done in Microsoft Word Track Changes, so you can see your original work and the corrections. I provide two document versions: a version showing the original manuscript marked up with changes, and an all changes accepted version so you can see the new, clean copy. Please submit your manuscript with one-inch page margins, double-spaced, and use 12-point Times New Roman font. (Most books come in at the quoted proofreading rate. However, to ensure a proofread/light edit is all the book needs, please send a 10-page sample from the middle of the book so I may accurately quote the fee per word and timeline for the project.)
starts at
3 cents/word
Copyediting is in between a light and medium edit level, at the word and sentence level. This focuses on correcting technical errors, inconsistencies, logistical issues, redundant language, and reducing repetitive or wordy phrases.
Line editing is a medium edit level, at the paragraph and scene level. This focuses on clarity and strength of the writing by examining your project line by line. This includes analyzing each sentence, focusing on the meaning and strength of the sentence, and determining whether or not the sentence should be tightened. Sometimes sentences or paragraphs are rearranged to help the writing flow better.
Since copyediting and line editing are complementary processes, I complete them simultaneously. All my editing is done in Microsoft Word Track Changes, so you can see your original work and the edit improvements. I provide two document versions: an edited version showing the original manuscript marked up with changes, and an all changes accepted version so you can see the new, clean copy.
For editing, I offer a free, four-page sample edit so you can see if my editing style meets your project needs. Please submit your manuscript with one-inch page margins, double-spaced, and use 12-point Times New Roman font. It’s best to send a sample from the middle of the book since most authors revise the beginning and end of books more thoroughly than the middle. This will allow me to provide an accurate quote for the editing project, as well as a more accurate timeline. (More experienced authors usually price in at the beginning rate whereas newer authors may price in 1 cent per word or more above it.)
2 cents/word
A manuscript evaluation involves a thorough reading with an overview of suggestions to improve your book or project. This is not a line-by-line edit, but rather an overview at the writing project. I always look at a manuscript from a reader’s point of view first to ensure thorough reader engagement. Then I take an editor’s point of view to ensure nothing trips up the reader to make the reader put the book or project down. My evaluation starts with reading the entire manuscript through so I understand how the story elements or project pulls together. Then I’ll go through it again and make copious notes on the strengths and parts that could be improved to help the reader. Please submit your manuscript with one-inch page margins, double-spaced, and use 12-point Times New Roman font.
The evaluation will be 2-6 single-spaced pages and point out areas of strength, as well as other areas that could be enhanced for your reader. I’ll include additional references you may look into to improve specific areas. Depending on whether the writing is fiction or nonfiction, here are some typical focus areas:
- Plot
- Characters
- Setting
- Dialogue
- Scene Development
- Point of View
- Organization / Structure
- Clarity
- Narrative Style
- Reader Engagement
- General Overview on Mechanics (punctuation, grammar, sentence structure)
Payment from existing clients is accepted by check or through PayPal. Payment from new clients is accepted through PayPal only. All payments must be made in U.S. dollars. For additional information on payments and project contracts, please refer to the Terms & Conditions policy.
Interested in other editing or writing projects? Please contact me at hjpcommunications@comcast.net or 952-484-7083 for specific project pricing.
- Fiction Book Editing
- Nonfiction Book Editing
- Business Proposal Creation
- Business Report Creation
- Fiction Book Editing
- Nonfiction Book Editing
- Business Proposal Creation
- Business Report Creation
