***I am not taking unsolicited editing clients at this time. Please see my coaching page to work with me.***
We tend to picture writing as a solitary endeavor with an author hunched over a laptop with maybe a cat trying to sit on the keyboard or a dog lying nearby for company. That image might be true for the actual typing of stories, but the creation of stories and the process of getting them onto bookshelves isn’t, or shouldn’t, be a lonely task. Critique partners, editors, early readers, and cover designers are just some of helpers you’ll often see on the acknowledgement pages of published books.
I’m excited to be able to help authors get from idea to something they can hold in their hands and sell to readers looking for just that kind of book. As an editor, my goal is to strengthen the writing while maintaining the author’s voice, not quote a bunch of rules and make the writing suit my taste.
The Editing Process
The editing process can be a scary thing. It’s not only your book baby you’re sending off to a stranger with a red pen, but it can involve a significant financial investment. So what does the editing process look like?
To start, you use the contact form at the bottom of the page to see send me basic information about your project, the type of editing you want, deadline, and budget. If it sounds like something I might could do, I’ll request to see at least three chapters of your work to get a feel for the story and work needed. This will help me know if I’m a good fit and how long the project would take, and what I should charge. I’ll send you my estimate and we’ll discuss details and timeline, or I’ll pass.
If you accept my estimate, I’ll send a contract and request a quarter of the total payment upfront to reserve your spot and let me know you’re serious. When it is time for the edit, and you send the manuscript, I will bill you for another quarter of the total fee. Once that is received, I’ll start work. Unless I have questions, I won’t communicate much until the edit is complete, as I’ll be busy working on it.
When the edit is complete, I’ll request the final payment, then upon receipt, will send the edited manuscript. I can, as a show of good faith, send half the edited manuscript before final payment, then the remaining half after final payment.
If you have questions about the edit, you are welcome to send a few follow up emails. I will be happy to help you! However, if you need to be guided through the edit in a time-heavy fashion, I might have to charge for my time. This isn’t common, and I’ll let you know if you’re approaching that place (don’t worry, you won’t get any unexpected bills!).
If you’d like a sample of my work before committing to a full edit, I offer a five-page sample edit for $15. I previously did free sample edits, but charging values my time and expertise and discourages those who aren’t serious about paying for an edit (this also leaves me with more time to edit for actual clients!). This $15 will be applied toward the total cost of an edit if you request a full edit.
What I Edit
I edit both fiction and nonfiction. For fiction, my preference is for clean fantasy, but I regularly edit contemporary Christian romance. I edit nonfiction of an informative nature (because I enjoy learning). I also have a science background.
Please note that when I do an edit, I tend to make comments that help you learn, so an edit with me isn’t just a one-time benefit but should help you throughout your career. This also means they can be rough to the soul. I try to be nice, but I try to give honest feedback as well, which isn’t always pleasant to the author. It’s meant to be helpful, however. I comment on inconsistent characters, unlikable characters, logical errors, and so forth. My job is to try to make your book the best it can be, which sometimes involves hard truths. If you’re not sure what your book needs, I can help you figure that help. Please note that this does not mean I will give a free critique or developmental edit with your copyedit. A few comments (if I choose to give them) are not a substitute for the big picture work of your story.
Please note that I reserve the right to refuse a project for any reason. I do not edit manuscripts with offensive language, sex scenes, MM/FF/harem/bully/reverse harem and similar things, general crudeness, worldviews that conflict with the traditional Christian worldview, or excessive violence (R-rated for violence). I don’t edit children’s or memoirs since those are not genres I have studied. If your books fall into those categories, I am not your target audience and so not a good choice as an editor.
Experience and Interests
This section is to give you a little more background on me in case you’re looking for something specific – an editor who loves the same authors you do or who has traveled to a particular location, for instance.
I have a certificate in copyediting from the University of California San Diego Extension, and I edit according to The Chicago Manual of Style and the American Psychological Association Style Guide. I also refer to Kathy Ide’s Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors and Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. I am a member of the Christian Editor Connection. I have been editing since 2020.
Fiction
I am also a writer, and I have worked hard to develop those skills, which serve me both as a writer and as an editor. I have attended many writers’ conferences, read craft books, participated in writing critique groups, had professional edits of my own works (I understand the feel of red ink!), and taken a couple of writing courses. I write YA fantasy, fairytale retellings, and steampunk. I read YA fantasy, fairytale retellings, steampunk, clean fantasy romance, inspirational historical romance, mysteries, and classic works by such authors as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Jules Verne. I am a big fan of movies from the 1930s and 1940s.
Through conferences and literary agent blogs, I have gained an understanding of traditional publishing process (the publisher pays you for the right to publish your book–you never pay a publisher!). I am a self-published author and so am familiar with that. I wrote a comprehensive guide to self-publishing, and if you are interested in that route, I believe it would be helpful to you: Pen to Print: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing.
Nonfiction
I have a Master of Science in Biology. Classes taken included microbiology, immunology, pathogenic microbiology, ecology, electron microscopy, and more. I also took general and organic chemistry, general physics, and geology. I have read many science papers and am familiar with Robert Day’s How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. I participated in research on genes involved in the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Mycobacteria.
Nonfiction clients include the science communication company Rose Li & Associates.
My personal nonfiction reading and listening (I love podcasts!) focuses mostly on book marketing, Christian nonfiction, and the history of English.
Teaching
I have experience teaching and working on curricula for upper-level microbiology labs. I have taught community college courses. I also teach an online course on how to write a novel: I. W.R.I.T.E.: HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL.
Style Guides
The Chicago Manual of Style and APA. I also have and can reference the AP Style Guide and The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style.
Travel and Interests
I have been to several places in the American South (where I live); the Grand Canyon; North Yorkshire, England; the Isle of Skye, Scotland; Guam; Morocco.
My interests include wildflowers, crochet, reading, ballroom dancing, photography, and going for short hikes.
Editing
I edit Word documents using Track Changes. I prefer not to edit PDF files. Documents should be standard manuscript pages (1-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 pt font, double-spaced).
Line Editing
A line edit is the step where your writing gets a lot of red ink. It is a line-by-line edit of the manuscript that seeks to improve the writing itself instead of merely to catch grammatical errors and typos. These issues are addressed in a line edit: sentence clarity, redundancies, word choice, maintenance of tone and voice, consistency of style, proper citation of sources, inaccuracies, and quotations that may require permission from the copyright holder. Grammatical and punctuation issues will also be noted. In fiction manuscripts, inconsistencies in point of view and tense are also marked. I do two passes for a line edit.
My rate for line editing is $0.01 per word. For a 75,000-word novel, that would be $750.
If the manuscript has had little or no prior editing and needs a heavier edit, the rate will be $0.013-0.015 per word, depending on how much work it needs.
Line and Learner
I also do a Line and Learner edit for those who want the chance to learn from a small edit and apply it to the full manuscript before continuing. In this fifteen-page edit (standard manuscript pages averaging 250 words per page), I will do a line edit as usual, but I will spend more time explaining the changes and recommending resources for further learning and improvement. You will have the opportunity to see if you like my editing style as well as have the opportunity to improve the manuscript before submitting the rest, if you want to continue working with me.
The rate for the fifteen-page Line and Learner edit is $100.
Critique
A critique is similar to a beta-read or developmental edit. I look at each scene and will point out logical inconsistencies, inaccuracies, characters acting out of character, etc. So if something doesn’t make sense, or doesn’t match what came before (a character suddenly has a weapon never mentioned before or is standing at a place we never saw them move to, etc.), I will point it out. I will also comment on your opening and hook, author voice, character development, story structure, and the editing, and indicate whether you might need a line edit or copyedit. I will not edit the manuscript, but I might point out a few typos and awkward sentences. I might also edit a few sentences to illustrate cleaner or smooth wording or how to incorporate a stronger author voice.
My rate for a manuscript critique is $0.012 per word (example: 75,000 words is $900)
Light Copyedit
A light copyedit is the polish before publication. The manuscript has already gone through a developmental edit (overall story and character critique) and line edit, so the writing is good and only needs a final polish. In other words, I won’t “mess” with the writing itself. I can mark for your notice unclear or convoluted sentences—sentences that are grammatically correct but awkward—but I do not automatically “fix” them. In a light copyedit, I will mark typos, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, misspelled words, grammatical problems, and punctuation mistakes. I will also double-check formatting and accuracy. I make two passes over the manuscript for a copyedit. Please note that my copyedit is a final polish, but not a proofread. I try to catch all the errors, but I am not a proofreader (my eyes aren’t quite that sharp). Please note that when I do an edit, I tend to make comments that help you learn, so an edit with me isn’t just a one-time benefit but should help you throughout your career.
My rate for a light copyedit is $0.007 per word. For a 75,000-word novel, that would be $525.
Other Notes on Editing Services
For all editing, I use track changes in Microsoft Word and require manuscripts be sent electronically as doc, docx, or rtf files. Please send the manuscript in standard format: 8.5 x 11 inches page size, one-inch margins, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. This will give an average of 250 words per page. If you already have your manuscript formatted for print, I can work with that.
Note: It is up the author to make the recommended changes, and a professional edit does not guarantee the salable of a manuscript to a publisher.
You can find additional information on the types of edits and common editorial rates at these websites: “The Differences Between Line Editing, Copy Editing, and Proofreading” from Jane Friedman’s blog; Editorial Freelancers Association Rates; Christian Freelance Editing Rates.
Rates
All rates US dollars.
Light Copyedit
1,000 words and up: $0.007 per word (example: 75,000 words is $525)
Line Editing
Line editing
$0.01 per word (example: 75,000 words is $750)
Heavy line editing
$0.013-0.015 per word
Line and Learner edit (fifteen page line edit with comments designed to help author improve his or her self-editing skills): $100
Manuscript Critique
$0.012 per word (example: 75,000 words is $900)
Payment
I accept payment via PayPal and Venmo. A quarter of the payment is due upfront to reserve your spot, another quarter is due when I am ready to start editing the manuscript, and the remainder is due when the edit is complete and must be paid before the manuscript is returned. This spreads out your cost and helps me know you’re serious.
I will send an email contract, and a digital signature will serve as your agreement. The first quarter payment serves as a non-refundable down payment for me to reserve your spot. If you cancel or delay, it is not refundable. I’m sorry, but if you reserve a spot and don’t come through, I will lose that money, and editors must eat too.
If you’re interested in working with me, please contact me using the form below. Include your name and email, your genre, manuscript word count, a brief summary or statement about the work, content level, what kind of editing you want, budget, your plans for the piece (traditional or indie publishing, a gift for a friend, etc.) and a timeline for the edit, if you have one. Also, please include what other editing the manuscript has received.
What People Say about Me
“Elizabeth was delightful to work with. Her comments, edits and suggestions were spot on. Just what I needed. The one thing I appreciated above all the others is that she didn’t try to change the tone of the story or my voice. I will definitely be working with her again.” ~Susan J. Donetti
“Elizabeth took care of my editing needs quickly, enabling me to launch my reader magnet, a vital part of my marketing plan.” ~Jeremiah Friedli
“I recently contracted Elizabeth to do a light copyedit on my upcoming debut novel, and wow, I am so glad I did. Elizabeth is thorough and detailed. She has all those piddly little grammar rules I mess up all the time down cold. With a teacher’s heart, she explained mistakes repeated often in the manuscript in greater detail. She also takes the time to carefully explain grey areas to allow the author to make an informed decision. She even went above and beyond and made small suggestions that have improved the flow of several scenes. Elizabeth’s edits are worth every penny I paid and I would gladly employ her service again on future projects without
“Elizabeth was amazing! Not only did she catch a ton of redundant sentences and grammar mistakes, she noted times where I was inconsistent with facts in my story. She caught my fall back words and suggested better words. Her critiques and comments always enhanced my style and never took away the heart of it. She was on time, proactive, understanding and professional. I will definitely work with her again!” ~Megan Dominique, Superiors
“I just finished going through all of your critique, and your recommendations were phenomenal. I learned a lot by going through them.” ~Elizabeth Newsom, Captive and Crowned