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 sloppily edited one will not.
What makes you different from everyone else?
First, while everyone and their grammar teacher is claiming to be an editor these days, the thoroughness and usefulness of our edits sets us apart. Second, our price includes two complete copyedits of your work, so you don't have to worry about introducing errors while making the first round of corrections. Third, we give you a $200 editing credit for every new client you refer to us.
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 invite you to do the same with other editors and compare. Our edit will be thorough, specific, and helpful.
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.
What if I want you to look at my manuscript again after I make your changes?
That's a great idea, and a crucial step in creating publication-ready work. If you're having a developmental edit done, we recommend that you follow it up with a copyedit. If you're having a copyedit done, you're in luck—our copyediting service includes a second round of editing after you've made the changes from the first copyedit.
Why do you copyedit my story twice?
You want your finished manuscript to be as close to perfect as possible, and so do we. When you add, remove, or change text after the first copyedit, you run the risk of introducing new inconsistencies, redundancies, and other errors. And isn't that why you hired a copyeditor in the first place? Once you've made the first round of changes, we'll perform a second full copyedit. If you have a keen eye, you'll have noticed that it's difficult to find even a New York Times bestseller that doesn't contain at least one mistake that's slipped past multiple editors. This second round of editing will allow us to catch more of these and to go over the changes that you've made. It's an essential step in crafting a polished manuscript.
Will you look at it a third (or additional) time?
For the most part, the edits that we suggest during the second round of copyediting tend to be relatively minor ones, and the risk of introducing additional errors while addressing them is minimal. That being said, any changes can potentially cause problems. If you would like us to copyedit your story a third time, we would be happy to do so for an additional charge.
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.
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 first round of edits 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 second round of edits is complete.
I'm with a publishing house or another company. Can you invoice me?
Yes. Commercial clients may elect to receive an invoice with their final edits. Payment will be due within 30 calendar days of the invoice. Late charges will apply if this deadline is missed.
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 5-10 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. 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.
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 sloppily edited one will not.
What makes you different from everyone else?
First, while everyone and their grammar teacher is claiming to be an editor these days, the thoroughness and usefulness of our edits sets us apart. Second, our price includes two complete copyedits of your work, so you don't have to worry about introducing errors while making the first round of corrections. Third, we give you a $200 editing credit for every new client you refer to us.
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 invite you to do the same with other editors and compare. Our edit will be thorough, specific, and helpful.
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.
What if I want you to look at my manuscript again after I make your changes?
That's a great idea, and a crucial step in creating publication-ready work. If you're having a developmental edit done, we recommend that you follow it up with a copyedit. If you're having a copyedit done, you're in luck—our copyediting service includes a second round of editing after you've made the changes from the first copyedit.
Why do you copyedit my story twice?
You want your finished manuscript to be as close to perfect as possible, and so do we. When you add, remove, or change text after the first copyedit, you run the risk of introducing new inconsistencies, redundancies, and other errors. And isn't that why you hired a copyeditor in the first place? Once you've made the first round of changes, we'll perform a second full copyedit. If you have a keen eye, you'll have noticed that it's difficult to find even a New York Times bestseller that doesn't contain at least one mistake that's slipped past multiple editors. This second round of editing will allow us to catch more of these and to go over the changes that you've made. It's an essential step in crafting a polished manuscript.
Will you look at it a third (or additional) time?
For the most part, the edits that we suggest during the second round of copyediting tend to be relatively minor ones, and the risk of introducing additional errors while addressing them is minimal. That being said, any changes can potentially cause problems. If you would like us to copyedit your story a third time, we would be happy to do so for an additional charge.
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.
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 first round of edits 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 second round of edits is complete.
I'm with a publishing house or another company. Can you invoice me?
Yes. Commercial clients may elect to receive an invoice with their final edits. Payment will be due within 30 calendar days of the invoice. Late charges will apply if this deadline is missed.
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 5-10 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. 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.
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.