Editing Services
Not Sure Where to Start?
All manuscripts and screenplays are submitted after an initial email confirmation to ensure the right level of support and alignment.
Free Sample Line Edit
I offer a free sample line/copyedit of 1,500 words that’ll give you a glimpse at how I’ll refine your work and preserve your voice as an author. Obviously, a copyedit can’t be fully comprehensive in such a short amount of words, but a free sample can give you a glimpse into my style.
With the sample development edit, it’s best that you send me the opening of your current work in progress. I’ll evaluate your hook, pacing, character, and overall scene setting, and leave notes within the document itself through in-line comments.
Here’s how it works:
Submit Your Pages
Send me up to 1,500 words (around 5–6 double-spaced pages) in a Microsoft Word document or Google Docs for line editing/copyediting. This can be from your opening chapter, closing scene, or any section of your manuscript.
Send me no more than 1,500 words in a Google Docs or Microsoft Word Document for developmental editing from the beginning of your manuscript.
I’ll Edit Your Sample
For line/copyedits, I’ll return your submission with track changes in Microsoft Word so you can see exactly how my line/copyediting process works.
For developmental edits, I’ll leave in-line comments that will be found in the margins of the document.
See If It Fits
If you like what you see, we’ll move forward with a full project.
Developmental Editing
If you’re not familiar with the levels of editing, you can think of developmental editing as the first step after you’ve completed a manuscript. From there, it’s handed to an editor who critiques the structural integrity of your book. Plot, setting, character, theme, and pacing are just a few of the key aspects that are covered in a developmental edit. But in the end, the main goal at this stage is to make sure your story runs smoothly.
If your story is a car, I’m the greasy-handed mechanic with my nose under the hood, examining and tinkering with the parts that need work. Skip this stage, and you might miss details that seem small to you, but unforgivable to your audience of readers. Ever read a book and said to yourself, “Well, that was weird,” or “I just don’t understand Jason . . .” or “This doesn’t feel right . . .” These are often markers of stories that need developmental work. The first goal is to write a book that simply keeps readers engaged. No need for grammar, punctuation, or style guides here. If you can’t keep your readers hooked, your words hold no weight.
Rates:
My current rate for developmental editing is $0.028 per word, or about $28 for every 1,000 words.
For example, a 25,000-word novella would cost $700, while a 100,000-word novel would cost $2,800.
I measure projects in 20,000-25,000 word increments. Timelines may vary based on the project, however. Oftentimes, the delivery is quicker than expected, but more complex projects may move past the estimated timeline.
Sample Pricing & Timelines (Developmental Editing):
You’ll receive:
An initial meeting:
Before I get started, I need to pick your brain and get inside your creative mind. I want to understand your intentions, your initial ideas of your world and characters, and you as a person. This helps guide my edits in a way that brings the best out of your work.
An Editorial Letter:
After combing through the manuscript, I’ll craft an editorial letter. This can be anywhere between 10–40 pages. It all depends on the complexity of the project and how I need to organize my thoughts. The letter will be well structured, easily navigable, and clear on how you should progress in revision.
Follow up Call and Extended Support:
After completion of the project, we’ll hop on a call to discuss the nitty-gritty details of the edit and address any areas of worry or confusion. You’ll also have access to email me anytime with any questions or concerns regarding your project up to 30 days after its completion.
Factors that affect the rate and timeline:
- Word count
- Structural Complexity
- Emotional and Thematic Depth
- Worldbuilding and Magic System Complexity
- Style of Prose
Line Editing/Copyediting
If developmental editing critiques the structural integrity of your book, then line editing evaluates word choice, sentence structure, voice, and the overall clarity and consistency of the prose itself. Redundancies, confusing sentences, contradictory phrasing, and flat word choice are all factors that will pull a reader away from the page, even if your book is structurally sound. In addition to these responsibilities, a good copyeditor will also take note of your specific style choices as a writer while aligning grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and hyphenation rules with The Chicago Manual of Style—the standard reference guide for the book publishing industry.
So, maybe you have a story that works, but don’t have an idea of how to express the emotions required to add depth to your plot, character, and theme. In my edits, I’ll strengthen your prose while maintaining your unique voice as an author, helping you craft a more polished novel.
Rates:
Timelines for a finished product can range anywhere from 1–4 weeks. This is going to, of course, depend on the length and overall quality of the manuscript. Alongside the copyedit, you’ll also receive a book-specific style sheet, which is a document that bookmarks an author’s specific style preferences. Unique spellings, setting, places, and hyphenation choices grammar are among the most common preferences placed on a style sheet, and it’s useful to keep not only for your own use moving forward (especially if your work is the first of many in a series), but also for when you reach the proofreading process.
Sample Pricing & Timelines (Line Editing):
You’ll receive:
Detailed Line & Copyedit
A detailed line edit, or copyedit, with track changes, and marginal comments that will
Extended Support
You will have access to email me anytime with any questions or concerns regarding your project up to 30 days after completion of the project.
Copyediting Rate:
Timelines for a finished product can range anywhere from 1–4 weeks. This is going to, of course, depend on the length and overall quality of the manuscript. Alongside a polished copyedit, you’ll also receive a book-specific style sheet, which is a document that bookmarks specific preferences and style choices unique an author’s work. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are among the most common preferences placed on a style sheet, and it’s useful to keep not only for your own use moving forward (especially if your work is the first of many in a series), but also for when you reach the proofreading process (should you decide to go and find a proofreader, which I highly encourage).
Sample Pricing & Timelines (Copyediting):
Proofreading
Brief note on what proofreading is:
Proofreading is the final stage of a manuscript before it moves to print. When a manuscript makes it to this stage in the process, the manuscript has already been through one or two rounds of copyediting.
Both copyeditors and proofreaders are going to look for inconsistencies within the manuscript. Grammar mistakes, misspellings, and punctuation fall under both of their watches. However, while copyeditors are concerned with the logic, accessibility, and structure of the prose itself, proofreaders do not involve themselves with these elements. Furthermore, copyeditors help shape and mold the style and tone of the manuscript. A proofreader’s responsibilities won’t delve into any of these realms of the editing process. Proofreaders care more about how the words appear on the page instead of the substance of such words.
Furthermore, some proofreaders are responsible for things like typesetting the manuscript, which is a responsibility may inside or outside the copyeditors range.
I have to make this distinction because, in my experience, many authors tend to make a false comparison between copyediting and proofreading. If authors fail to understand this, their expectations may be unfulfilled. Unless an author has already gone through the proper copyediting process, authors should not look for their manuscript to be proofread. This, I cannot stress enough.
So, now that I’ve made that quick little note, my proofreading rate is set at $0.018 USD per word. Also, the minimum and maximum word count for projects I’m willing to take on is the same as my copyediting requirements: 5,000 words minimum and 110,000 maximum.
Sample Pricing & Timelines (Proofreading):
Beta Reading
One of the biggest anxieties a writer can have is putting their story out into the world for others to see. Though writing is a personal matter, in the end it’s the reader we serve. After finishing a manuscript, it’s key to let yourself step away from your work and let other opinions into the mix.
It’s a scary process, and though getting people to read your work is important and often tedious, you need more than just your friends and family’s opinion. They may read it, but how familiar are they with your world? They might give you feedback, but how applicable or enlightening is that feedback?
This is why you need a skilled reader—someone who can point out how your story feels, how it lands, how real your characters are, and ultimately, how your audience is likely to react to your book. Please, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce . . . the beta reader! (It’s my frickin’ job to read, so let me do my job!) All jokes aside, I’d love to give you gut-level, intuitive feedback on your work.
I’m not the type of beta reader that simply gives you feedback such as, “I didn’t like this . . . this is confusing . . . why did you do this?” Feedback like this, in my opinion, is rather vague and unhelpful. I like to be precise and point out why I feel the way I feel. Whether editing or reading, I like to be thorough to the point that you’ll be able to take something from it.
Pricing:
Unlike my developmental edits, I charge flat rates between three tiers for my beta reads, as the feedback is more or less intuitive and reactional rather than directional, but based on which tier you pick, I may venture slightly into developmental territory. Beta reads are available for manuscripts up to 100,000 words. Longer manuscripts may be considered at an adjusted rate, but anything over 100k words is generally better suited for a developmental edit. Please contact me personally if you’d like to inquire about a longer beta read.
Tier one: General Impression ($100)
Here, I’ll provide general feedback, pointing out areas of confusion, pacing issues, engagement, and character believability/likability.
What you’ll get: A short letter (2-3 pages) of your strengths, areas to improve on, and subtle suggestions on how you should move forward.
Tier two: Report ($150)
Here, I’ll go a bit deeper into my thoughts and provide a slightly longer letter (3-4 pages) of your work, its strengths, and its weaknesses. You’ll also get a document with margin comments, where I’ll be providing a few of my thoughts at key moments within your story.
Tier three: Deep Dive ($300)
Here, you’ll receive a highly detailed letter (4-6 pages) providing my thoughts on engagement, character, structure, prose, strengths, and weaknesses, alongside my margin comments. At a few points, I may dip slightly into developmental territory and offer you examples of what I might do if I were to perform a full developmental edit.
Sample Pricing & Tiers (Beta Reading):
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General Impression $100
A short 5-10 page letter with overall feedback on clarity, pacing, engagement, and character believability. Timeline: 1-1.5 weeks.
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Report $150
A longer 10-15 page letter covering strengths and weaknesses, plus a document with margin notes and comments at key points. Timeline: 1-2 weeks.
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Deep Dive $225
A 15-20 page detailed letter covering engagement, character, structure, prose, strengths, and weaknesses, plus margin comments and notes documenting my live reactions as I read. Timeline: 1-3 weeks.
Factors that affect the rate and timeline:
- Word count
- Structural Complexity
- Emotional and Thematic Depth
- Worldbuilding and Magic System Complexity
- Style of Prose
Editorial Assessment
An editorial assessment is what happens when an editor evaluates structure, theme, pacing, character, and all the other big picture elements within your manuscript. If beta reads are gut-level, intuitive feedback from a reader’s perspective, then an editorial letter is a detailed breakdown of your manuscript from the eye of a professional editor.
Editorial letters expand on the types of comments that would often be found in a developmental edit and serve as a guide for your revision process. You may not want feedback on lines that are up for the cutting board, and you may not want to deal with the clutter of sifting through comment after comment, so an editorial letter is a great resource in this regard.
Who is this for?
Any level in the process—whether that means you’ve just finished your first draft, are still in the process of writing, or near publication. The letter is meant to give tailored feedback that will provide direction and clarity to push you forward. If you want intuitive feedback, book a beta read, but if you want intuitive, constructive, and developmental feedback, purchase an editorial assessment. It is a micro and macro analysis of your work without the in-line margin comments and track changes that may come with a full developmental edit.
Rate:
I charge a flat fee of $1000 for editorial letters. It’s designed for writers who want big-picture clarity and direction without the full investment of an in-depth edit.
What you will get:
An initial meeting: Like my developmental edits, I need to pick your brain, get inside your mind, and understand your intent. This helps guide my edits in a way that brings the best out of your work.
Editorial Letter: After the meeting I’ll craft a letter detailing your big picture elements, strengths, weaknesses, and guidance for revision. As I mentioned with my developmental edits, this letter can range anywhere from 5–30 pages (or more). I go deep, and I pride myself on it.
The Dual Edit
Two-Editor Developmental Edit
Some stories don’t struggle because they’re broken, but because they’re missing pieces that were never found.
The Dual Edit is a collaborative developmental process designed for writers who want a deeper sense of clarity and stronger diagnosis for their story. Your manuscript is examined through two editorial perspectives—Jonathan, and Jaelan’s, unique methodology—and synthesized into one clear, unified concept.
The ultimate goal here is to identify what is happening with the narrative on a much higher level. With two editors, the process is much more scientific: Hypotheses devised by one editor regarding character motivation, internal logic, scene structure, pacing, theme, and worldbuilding are tested against the counterarguments posed by the other editor. The necessary conflict created through this process weeds out the blind spots, inconsistencies, and errors that inevitably occur under one editorial eye. As a result, the author receives a product that is more refined, as well as stress-tested, making the revision process much easier.
How This Edit Works
Your manuscript is read independently by two developmental editors.
Each editor approaches the story with a focus on:
- Narrative structure and pacing
- Character arc and internal logic
- Thematic cohesion and depth
- Scene construction and momentum
- Worldbuilding consistency (when applicable)
After our independent analysis, we compare our notes, challenge interpretations, and align our ideas with most accurate diagnosis of the story, and where the greatest amount of revisions need to be done. Because we’ve developed our editorial instincts side by side over many years of working together, our collaboration is always fluid. The result is not convoluted, competing feedback, but intentional and layered guidance designed to help you move into your revision process with confidence.
What You’ll Receive
- Two developmental read-throughs of your manuscript
- In-line developmental comments addressing structure, character, pacing, theme, and scene setting
- An editorial letter synthesizing our feedback into a clear, unified vision (typically 10–40 pages, depending on complexity)
- A follow-up consultation to address questions, concerns, and the next steps
- Up to 30 days of post-edit email support during revision
This service is about clarity, direction, and confidence, not surface-level polish.
Rates
The Dual Edit is priced at $0.06 per word.
Example:
An 80,000-word manuscript → $4,800
Payment plans are available upon proposal.
Sample Pricing & Timelines (Proofreading):
Timelines may vary depending on narrative complexity and scope. Availability is discussed after an initial review.
This Edit Is a Good Fit If . . .
- You want deep structural clarity before heading into the revision process
- You want an above average level of depth and analysis
- You care about theme, character psychology, and narrative cohesion
- You’re ready to turn your novel into a bestseller
This Edit May Not Be the Right Fit If . . .
- You’re primarily looking for grammar or sentence-level polish
- You’re not ready to engage in substantive revision
- You’re looking for fast, surface-level feedback
If you’re unsure of whether this level of support is right for your project, free sample edits and consultations are available to help you decide. There’s no pressure to book, just an honest conversation about what will best serve your story.
How Booking Works
1.Start with an Inquiry
Use the contact form to tell me a bit about your project: title, genre, approximate word count, and what kind of support you’re looking for and any other specific concerns such as timeline or story-specific worries. Attach no more than 1,500 words for sample edits and 5-10 pages for all other inquiries. Make sure all submitted forms are word docs or google docs (please make sure editing is enabled).
2. Initial Review & Fit Check
I’ll review your inquiry within 3–5 business days to make sure I’m the right editor for your story and that I can offer the level of support you need.
3. Confirmation & Next Steps
If it’s a good fit, I’ll follow up by email to discuss scope, timelines, pricing, and (if helpful) schedule a consultation. Full manuscripts are requested only after this step.
4. Begin the WorkOnce everything is aligned, we’ll confirm booking, finalize details, and move forward with the edit clearly and collaboratively without unnecessary pressure.