Developmental Critique
Types of Editing
I provide developmental and substantive editing to help you get your manuscript ready to submit to an agent, a publishing house, or for you to self-publish.
A developmental critique includes a read-through of your manuscript, light comments inside the manuscript, and an editorial letter going over the larger picture issues, such as flaws in the plot, foreshadowing, pacing, character development, and character relationships.
This type of editing is for early drafts of a story and won't fix things like grammar and punctuation.
Price: $5 per 1,000 words
($50 minimum for all projects)
Need a type of editing that you don't see here? Check out my list of recommendations for copy editors, book layout, and more.
Substantive Editing
This type of editing involves primarily in-text changes. As I read your manuscript I will leave comments on specific paragraphs and sentences. My suggestions will be aimed to help with clarity and flow, as well as tone, emotional impact, and reader engagement. This is the type of editing that will catch things like head-hopping, telling vs showing, and on-the-nose dialogue.
I will almost always recommend an author hire me for a developmental critique before they consider substantive edits. This type of editing is meant to come after the plot is nailed down.
Price: $10 per 1,000 words
($50 minimum for all projects)
Query/Blurb Critique
A query/blurb critique includes a plot points questionnaire and in-line feedback on 2 drafts of a query or a blurb (but not one of each). You may choose to write a generic query or to provide the links to 1-3 agents/publishers that you will be submitting to. (Agent specialization does not count as a separate draft.) Does not include a proofread.
I know that sometimes boiling the whole book down to a few paragraphs can be almost as hard as writing the book was in the first place. Get a fresh pair of eyes and some industry insight on your fantasy, science fiction, or middle grade query or blurb.
(I do not provide feedback on queries or blurbs for other genres, including literary fiction, magical realism, chapter books, romance, contemporary fiction, and picture books.)
Price: $100
(includes review of two drafts of either a query or blurb)