Editing Services
At KW Editing, I offer a range of services to help writers enhance their work. Each service is completed using Microsoft Word and the Chicago Manual of Style. Since my clients are spread across the world, I am comfortable editing for Canadian, American, and Australian spelling. Below are explanations of my most popular services.
DISCLAIMER: I price my services based on an hourly rate rather than a set cost per word. This is because two manuscripts of the same length may need very different levels of work. Pricing per hour allows me to avoid overcharging authors who have fairly polished manuscripts.
Before you read further, CHECK YOUR GENRE.
Send me your ...
-
Fantasy
-
Romance
-
Action/Adventure
-
Self-help/Biography
-
Women's Fiction
-
Literary Fiction
-
LGBTQ+
-
Mystery
-
Thriller
-
Horror
-
Science Fiction
-
True Crime
Not a perfect fit for ...
-
Religious
-
Children's books (anything younger than YA)
-
Poetry
-
Heavy non-fiction or academic texts
-
Screenplays or scripts
-
Graphic novels or comics
-
Cookbooks
Stylistic/Copy Editing
Stylistic editing involves changing the length of paragraphs, improving sentence construction and word choice, and rewriting sentences to enhance transitions, flow, and meaning.
Copy editing focuses on correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage. I will identify and query information that should be verified and moments of inconsistency. A copy edit includes a style sheet.
A copy edit can be combined with a stylistic edit or completed by itself. I offer sample edits for both these services, so you can see how I work and decide whether we'll be a good editorial match.
Deliverables: You will receive an edited manuscript using Tracked Changes and comments, a clean copy (with just comments), and a style sheet.
Who this service is perfect for:
-
Self-publishing authors who want to ensure their book is polished and error free
-
Authors who are seeking an agent and want to put their best foot forward
-
This only applies to stylistic editing; if you intend to query, do not pay for copy editing
-
Combo price: I can edit 3-6 pages per hour at $40 per hour. (One page is 250 words.)
Copy Editing Price: I can edit 3-7 pages per hour at $35 per hour.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the last stage of editing and focuses on catching any final errors. Examples of what a proofreader will check are spelling, grammar, fact consistency, and chapter numbering.
A proofread will catch any small errors remaining after copy editing and creates a polished manuscript ready for publication or querying.
Deliverables: You will receive an edited manuscript using Tracked Changes and comments and a clean copy (with just comments).
Who this service is perfect for:
-
Self-publishing authors who want a final set of fresh eyes to comb through their manuscript
-
Can only be done after a copy edit
Price: I can edit 5-9 pages per hour at $25 per hour. (One page is 250 words.)
Manuscript Evaluation
Whether your manuscript is halfway done or complete, an evaluation can be a valuable tool for improvement.
A manuscript evaluation is an analysis of the manuscript that focuses on giving you suggestions on how to make independent improvements. Topics that are covered in an evaluation include plot, characters, setting, dialogue, writing habits, and genre. Overall, an evaluation will provide comments on the strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript.
Deliverables: You will receive the evaluation as a Word document. The size of the report for a partial evaluation is 5+ pages, and the size of the report for a full evaluation is 10+ pages. No changes are made to the manuscript itself.
Who this service is perfect for:
-
Authors who want clear guidance on big-picture issues before querying
-
Authors who have received feedback about structural issues and need help planning their next steps
Price: $0.016 per word.
(This is the only service where I base the price on the word count. This is because I don't make any in-text changes, and the cost is entirely dependent on the size of the manuscript.)
Opening Chapter Edits
An edit of your opening chapters will ensure you have a solid beginning to entice agents and readers when they read your first few pages.
I will help you enhance your sentences, grammar, and punctuation, as well as point out any problem areas that may be preventing readers from becoming invested in your story and characters.
I offer a small sample edit with this service to ensure we'll be a good fit.
Deliverables: You will receive an edited file with Tracked Changes and comments. You will also receive a clean copy.
Who this is perfect for:
-
Self-publishing authors who want to create compelling opening pages to hook readers
-
Querying authors who want to polish their first chapter to impress agents
Price: Dependent on the length of your excerpt but similarly priced to a Stylistic/Copy Edit.
Query Letter Review
A query letter review will fix grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as enhance your structure and wording.
I will ensure you have all the necessary elements of a query letter, and enhance your tone so your query letter sends a good first impression.
This service helps writers present a polished pitch to agents. However, there is no guarantee that you will land an agent after undergoing a query letter review.
Deliverables: You will receive an edited query letter using Tracked Changes and comments.
Who this is perfect for:
-
Authors who want to get professional feedback on their pitch before starting to query
-
Authors who are revamping their query letter because it hasn't captured an agent's attention
Price: A basic query letter review is $75. This price does not include a synopsis (which would be extra).
Other
If you have a request for a service not listed here, please reach out! I will do my best to accommodate your unique needs, and I welcome new challenges.
