Three passes, one clear voice
Book Editing & Proofreading
Editing is three different jobs that get called one word. Knowing which one your manuscript actually needs saves you both money and a great deal of disappointment.
The approach
Most manuscripts do not need a proofreader. They need someone to tell them chapter four should be chapter one.
A developmental edit interrogates structure: what order the material belongs in, which chapters earn their place, where the argument sags. A line edit works sentence by sentence on rhythm and clarity. A copy edit and proofread catch the errors. They are sequential, and doing them out of order wastes money.
We will read a sample and tell you which you need. If your manuscript only needs a proofread, we will say that rather than selling you three passes.
What is included
- Sample read and honest recommendation before you buy
- Developmental edit with a full editorial letter
- Line edit for voice, rhythm and clarity
- Copy edit against Chicago style, or your house style
- Final proofread on typeset pages, not just the manuscript
- A scheduled call with your editor to talk through the letter
- Style sheet documenting every decision made
The process
How this
actually runs.
Five stages, each gated by your approval. You will always know what happens next and what it costs.
Start the conversationSample assessment
We read 5,000 words and recommend the level of edit the manuscript genuinely needs.
Developmental pass
Structure, argument, pacing and chapter order, delivered as a detailed editorial letter.
Author revision
You revise against the letter. Your editor is available for questions throughout.
Line and copy edit
Sentence-level work in tracked changes, plus a style sheet for consistency.
Proofread on pages
A final pass on the typeset proof, where layout errors actually appear.
Questions
The things
authors ask first.
If your question is not here, ask it on the consultation call — we would rather answer it before you commit than after.
Developmental changes what the book is. Line editing changes how it reads. Copy editing fixes what is wrong. If you are unsure, send us 5,000 words and we will tell you which your manuscript needs.
A good editor sharpens voice rather than standardising it. Every change arrives as a tracked suggestion you can reject, and the editorial letter explains the reasoning so you can push back.
A developmental edit on that length takes about three weeks; a line edit two to three; a copy edit and proofread about two. Rush scheduling is available at a premium when we have capacity.
Both, with different editors. Fiction editing is about pacing and character consistency; non-fiction is about argument and evidence. We do not pretend one editor does both equally well.
Yes, and a good share of our editing work is exactly that — manuscripts written elsewhere that need professional finishing.
Also available
Other services.
Most authors combine two or three. Bundled together they cost less than booking each one separately.
Book Ghostwriting
A professional writer captures your voice and delivers a finished manuscript, chapter by chapter.
Memoir & Life Story
We turn decades of memory into a structured, readable memoir your family will keep.
Business Books
Position yourself as the authority in your field with a book built from your own expertise.
Let’s talk about your book.
A free 30-minute consultation and a written quote within one business day.