No matter what stage of the process you’re in, I can help you tackle it and move on to the next.
“For the writer who truly loves language, a trip to the copy editor is like a week at a spa. You come out looking younger, trimmer, and standing straighter.”
— Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees
- Beta Reading/Manuscript Evaluation:
- I recommend this option if you are looking for an early assessment of your novel without the heavy investment of a more detailed edit.
- I will review your novel as a critical reader and provide you with an in-depth Editorial Letter. This will include an evaluation of character, plot, pacing, organization, and other big-picture topics.
- This will not include in-line suggestions and queries.
- Pricing: $.002 per word
- Developmental/Substantive Edit:
- I recommend this if you are ready for a thorough analysis of your manuscript.
- This will include:
- An Editorial Letter covering character, plot, pacing, and organization
- In-line suggestions and examples using Track Changes
- Comments left throughout the text
- Broad suggestions on tone, storytelling mechanics, and voice
- A one-hour phone or zoom call after the manuscript is returned (accommodations can be made for an online chat or email conversation)
- This does not include an analysis of the language on a sentence level.
- Pricing: $.015 per word
- Line Edit:
- If you are confident in your story and are ready to clean up the prose, I will go through your novel, literally line-by-line, offering changes and suggestions to grammar, diction, and style. Using a Track Changes feature, I will correct typos and errors, and I will cut wordy sentences, recast awkward phrasings, and query any inconsistencies (Did Sarah just take a sip of coffee after setting the mug on the counter?).
- This does not include a plot analysis, though I will mention if I come across something truly problematic.
- Pricing: $.015 per word
- Copyedit:
- If you are ready to publish, but just want to be sure all your commas and dashes are in their places, this is the edit for you. I won’t question your style or change your voice, but I’ll make sure that those pesky mechanics are worked out.
- This is purely an edit on correct language and punctuation, and on consistent style. I apply the standards of the Chicago Manual of Style by default.
- Pricing: $.0075 per word
- Query Letter and First Ten Pages:
- If you are pursuing traditional publication, that first impression with a literary agent is so important. I’ll help you craft a focused letter and an inviting opening to your novel.
- Pricing: $25
Shelton Editorial 