Why should I hire a professional editor?
If you're publishing online, a well-polished book will help you stand out from your competitors and can lead to better reviews, more word-of-mouth referrals, and increased sales. If you're hoping to publish traditionally, you probably know that publishers aren't able to provide as much in-house editing as they could before. Many now rely on authors to submit publication-ready manuscripts. Because agents and publishers are typically overwhelmed with submissions, there is no guarantee that a professionally edited manuscript will be accepted, but it is virtually guaranteed that a poorly edited one will not.
What makes you different from everyone else?
While everyone and their grammar teacher is claiming to be an editor these days, the thoroughness and usefulness of our edits sets us apart. Our copyedit, for example, covers so much more than the language issues that edits are typically limited to. We also offer a simple and lucrative referral program to save you money on future edits.
Which genres do you edit?
We specialize in fiction, both literary and popular, with experience in fantasy, science fiction, thriller, horror, mystery, and romance. We also edit some nonfiction manuscripts, including memoirs (particularly food or travel), true crime, biographies, and corporate writing.
Which stylebook and dictionary do you use?
We edit to the standards of The Chicago Manual of Style and use US spelling. Because language is ever-evolving, we refer to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged online dictionary, which is based on Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. While US spelling has become the international standard for many published works, we can edit to Canadian spelling if preferred.
How do I know if you're the right editor for me?
Try us out for free. We'll give you a short sample copyedit at no charge, and we encourage you to do the same with other editors and compare results. Our edit will be thorough, specific, and helpful. Please note that we do not provide a free sample developmental edit, as it is difficult to suggest meaningful big-picture edits based on a short excerpt.
Why don't you offer proofreading as a service?
In our experience, it's rare to find writing that can't benefit from a copyedit. Our goal is to help you get your work ready for publication, and we can only do that by addressing any issues we find. Proofreading will ensure a sentence is grammatically correct, properly punctuated, and accurately spelled, but it can't tell you if that sentence is poorly phrased, out of place, ambiguous, redundant, completely unclear, or if someone is saying or doing something that seems out of character. Copyediting will address all these issues and more, making it the best way to create a manuscript you can have confidence in.
Will you really give me $200 just for referring someone?
Yes, as long as the referral meets the requirements below. Our philosophy is that the most meaningful recommendations come from people who have used a service and love it. We prefer these honest referrals from authors to slick ad campaigns. Simply put, we'd rather give money to you than to big advertising companies.
What's the catch? How does it work?
The person you refer to us must be a new client who purchases at least $200 worth of our editing services and identifies you as the person who referred them. The $200 doesn't have to come from a single order—multiple smaller orders over time are fine. You get a $200 credit off a future editing order for each person you refer who meets these requirements. The credit will be issued when payment received from the client equals or exceeds $200. There's no limit to the number of referral credits you can get. Referral credits never expire and are fully transferable.
How will you know I referred someone?
We ask all new clients how they heard about us. In addition, you're always welcome to send us an email with the person's name. This information is for internal use only; we won't spam them or initiate contact with them in any way.
Do I have to give up any sort of rights to my work?
No. Even if you accept our changes and incorporate text we suggest, all rights to your work remains yours and yours alone.
How do I pay you?
Most of our clients prefer to use PayPal. You don't need a PayPal account to send money. PayPal allows you to use any major credit card or your bank account, and we never have access to your personal payment information. We accept cash, but we don't recommend sending cash through the mail and can't be responsible if it doesn't make it to us. If you're in Canada, you can also pay with Interac e-transfer, where you email money to us from your bank account. And if you're into crypto, we accept Bitcoin.
When do I pay you?
Once we agree on a price and time frame, we'll send you an invoice for 50% of the fee up front. We'll invoice for the remaining 50% once the edit is complete and your manuscript is ready to be returned to you. As a courtesy for repeat customers, no deposit is necessary. The full payment can be deferred until the edit is complete.
How long does editing take?
The exact time frame will depend on how many manuscripts are ahead of yours in the queue and when our next available slot is. Most edits are allotted a two-to-four-week window. We'll quote you on a turnaround time before we request the first payment.
I'm in a hurry. Can you rush it?
Possibly. Email us the first 8-10 pages of your manuscript, along with your deadline, and we'll let you know whether or not we can do it.
How should I prepare my manuscript for submission?
Please make sure your work is double-spaced in a 12-point font with standard margins. There should be one space after periods, not two. Do not insert blank lines between paragraphs. Documents should be saved in Microsoft Word's .doc or .docx formats.
What if I have questions about your edits?
Ask us. We're available by email for post-editing consultations at no charge.
How do I start?
To ask us questions, submit your work for editing, or request a free sample edit, click below to send us an email.
If you're publishing online, a well-polished book will help you stand out from your competitors and can lead to better reviews, more word-of-mouth referrals, and increased sales. If you're hoping to publish traditionally, you probably know that publishers aren't able to provide as much in-house editing as they could before. Many now rely on authors to submit publication-ready manuscripts. Because agents and publishers are typically overwhelmed with submissions, there is no guarantee that a professionally edited manuscript will be accepted, but it is virtually guaranteed that a poorly edited one will not.
What makes you different from everyone else?
While everyone and their grammar teacher is claiming to be an editor these days, the thoroughness and usefulness of our edits sets us apart. Our copyedit, for example, covers so much more than the language issues that edits are typically limited to. We also offer a simple and lucrative referral program to save you money on future edits.
Which genres do you edit?
We specialize in fiction, both literary and popular, with experience in fantasy, science fiction, thriller, horror, mystery, and romance. We also edit some nonfiction manuscripts, including memoirs (particularly food or travel), true crime, biographies, and corporate writing.
Which stylebook and dictionary do you use?
We edit to the standards of The Chicago Manual of Style and use US spelling. Because language is ever-evolving, we refer to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged online dictionary, which is based on Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. While US spelling has become the international standard for many published works, we can edit to Canadian spelling if preferred.
How do I know if you're the right editor for me?
Try us out for free. We'll give you a short sample copyedit at no charge, and we encourage you to do the same with other editors and compare results. Our edit will be thorough, specific, and helpful. Please note that we do not provide a free sample developmental edit, as it is difficult to suggest meaningful big-picture edits based on a short excerpt.
Why don't you offer proofreading as a service?
In our experience, it's rare to find writing that can't benefit from a copyedit. Our goal is to help you get your work ready for publication, and we can only do that by addressing any issues we find. Proofreading will ensure a sentence is grammatically correct, properly punctuated, and accurately spelled, but it can't tell you if that sentence is poorly phrased, out of place, ambiguous, redundant, completely unclear, or if someone is saying or doing something that seems out of character. Copyediting will address all these issues and more, making it the best way to create a manuscript you can have confidence in.
Will you really give me $200 just for referring someone?
Yes, as long as the referral meets the requirements below. Our philosophy is that the most meaningful recommendations come from people who have used a service and love it. We prefer these honest referrals from authors to slick ad campaigns. Simply put, we'd rather give money to you than to big advertising companies.
What's the catch? How does it work?
The person you refer to us must be a new client who purchases at least $200 worth of our editing services and identifies you as the person who referred them. The $200 doesn't have to come from a single order—multiple smaller orders over time are fine. You get a $200 credit off a future editing order for each person you refer who meets these requirements. The credit will be issued when payment received from the client equals or exceeds $200. There's no limit to the number of referral credits you can get. Referral credits never expire and are fully transferable.
How will you know I referred someone?
We ask all new clients how they heard about us. In addition, you're always welcome to send us an email with the person's name. This information is for internal use only; we won't spam them or initiate contact with them in any way.
Do I have to give up any sort of rights to my work?
No. Even if you accept our changes and incorporate text we suggest, all rights to your work remains yours and yours alone.
How do I pay you?
Most of our clients prefer to use PayPal. You don't need a PayPal account to send money. PayPal allows you to use any major credit card or your bank account, and we never have access to your personal payment information. We accept cash, but we don't recommend sending cash through the mail and can't be responsible if it doesn't make it to us. If you're in Canada, you can also pay with Interac e-transfer, where you email money to us from your bank account. And if you're into crypto, we accept Bitcoin.
When do I pay you?
Once we agree on a price and time frame, we'll send you an invoice for 50% of the fee up front. We'll invoice for the remaining 50% once the edit is complete and your manuscript is ready to be returned to you. As a courtesy for repeat customers, no deposit is necessary. The full payment can be deferred until the edit is complete.
How long does editing take?
The exact time frame will depend on how many manuscripts are ahead of yours in the queue and when our next available slot is. Most edits are allotted a two-to-four-week window. We'll quote you on a turnaround time before we request the first payment.
I'm in a hurry. Can you rush it?
Possibly. Email us the first 8-10 pages of your manuscript, along with your deadline, and we'll let you know whether or not we can do it.
How should I prepare my manuscript for submission?
Please make sure your work is double-spaced in a 12-point font with standard margins. There should be one space after periods, not two. Do not insert blank lines between paragraphs. Documents should be saved in Microsoft Word's .doc or .docx formats.
What if I have questions about your edits?
Ask us. We're available by email for post-editing consultations at no charge.
How do I start?
To ask us questions, submit your work for editing, or request a free sample edit, click below to send us an email.