If you are looking on this site, you are already serious about your writing – and about your writing ambition.
The publishing industry is tough and can be very unforgiving. There is no doubt that the majority of manuscripts will fail the first hurdle because they are badly written or are full of typing errors. A publisher or literary agent will insist that you submit to them your very best work, that means work that has taken much time and effort to perfect.
Just because you don’t have a publisher to commit to your product, doesn’t mean that your book is not worth investing in. Many writers find that paying for a professional editorial service can make all the difference to producing that “best” work that will stand out from the crowded halls of the publishing industry.
This service is for anyone who wants to get published – whether that is with a traditional publisher or if you prefer to go it alone.
Working through this process will help you build confidence in your work and help you give it your best shot to get that deal – or push you ahead of the self-publishing masses.
What we will do for you …
THE BIG PICTURE
Sometimes it’s called a manuscript critique. Or it’s either a developmental, structural or substantive edit. Whatever you care to call it, if this is the service you want, we will give you careful and constructive feedback on issues such as pace, consistency, character development, voice and writing style. We will let you know if you are showing or telling too much; suggest you use a more active verb there or a clearer metaphor there; work with you on structure and point of view.
In short we will examine every aspect of your work and help you shine. After all, your book deserves it. For a list of my prices click here.
COPY EDITING
A copy editor looks to improve the value of the text by picking up style points, formatting and accuracy. They will look at the consistency of the book, watching for weak areas of writing and make corrections where necessary. Copy editing can mean highlighting text that an author needs to re-assess. They might also check questionable information that could be considered defamatory.
It is completely understandable that an author can lose track of lots of small details over the course of writing a book. From how a character’s name is spelled, to the colour of her eyes, to her mother-in-law’s hometown, the possibilities for small errors are many. In my first novel, my main character had a yellow lab. The poor mutt completely vanished by the end of the book!
It’s easily done and we will catch these errors for you.
Do I need copy editing?
Some clients return once they have had their manuscript assessed and ask for a copy edit and/or a proofread to ensure their work is in the best possible shape before submission to literary agents or publishers.
Alternatively, writers who are considering the self-publishing route may want to consider both services before going to print.
Fees will vary according to how much work is needed, but prices tend roughly to work out at between £30 and £60 an hour.
PROOFREADING
Proofreading and copy editing are different skills. You will have just read our explanation of the latter. Your proofreader provides the final check. They are your last line of editorial quality control.
They will correct basic errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. And I don’t care how big a name the author might be, we all make mistakes. Your proofreader will also look for uniformity in such areas as formatting, capitalisation, italicisation, hyphenation etc.
Do I need proofreading?
Just as with copy-editing, some clients come back to us once they have had their manuscript assessed and ask for a a proofread to ensure their work is in the best shape possible before submission to the decision makers.
Alternatively, writers who are considering the self-publishing route may want to consider both services before going to print.
COVER DESIGN
Whoever coined the phrase “Never judge a book by the cover” clearly didn’t have actual books in mind, because that’s exactly what we all do when we first come across a book. The cover gives context, sets up an expectation and invites the reader to pick it up. And it creates that impact almost instantaneously – so it has to pop. This vital part of the process is not something to stint on. Our associates can help you create that effect by produce quality graphic design and write that all-important, effective book summary for your back cover. Contact us for further details.
EBOOK FORMATTING
Whether your manuscript requires standard or fixed layout formatting for eBook conversion, we can prepare your text and convert it into a wide range of eBook formats ready to upload onto the internet. Contact us for further details.
Other clients, work and life commitments mean completion times will vary. However, we will keep you up-to-date as best we can, and provide approximations of both start and completion time before your work is booked.