Editing Services

I am offering a range of editing services with a focus on fiction novels and short stories. See the list below for each service and sample pricing. [Skip to background.]
I am willing to work in most genres, but have varying degrees of experience and expertise with different material. [Skip to genres.]
I am not averse to strong or difficult themes, but may bow out of works that I feel overtly glorify exploitive, degrading, or nefarious activities.
I have a fair level of empathy and conscientiousness with regard to minority or otherwise disenfranchised identities, but do not have the lived experience to offer opinions in the capacity of a sensitivity reader.
You are receiving 100% confidential human labor. I will not share or outsource any portion of the work, and I will not enter any portion of the work into any automated services (AI or otherwise).
Feel free to request a sample edit to assess if we are a good fit to work together.

Critique

$0.002 (1/5 cent) per word (Minimum fee $10.00)
You can also think of this as beta reading, but with thoughtful feedback and actionable advice. I will read your work and provide commentary on aspects such as pacing, consistency, character development, plot holes, and factual errors, as well as address any specific facets of the work you are looking for feedback on.

I will not:
Correct spelling or grammar.
Workshop solutions to any weak points in the story. I may offer suggestions at my discretion, but leave the rest up to you.
Asseses your work for commercial viability. I can only tell you if I think it's a good story, not predict if it would do well in sales.

Proofreading - Long Works

N/A
I can't in good faith read a work and not address all of the potential problems that stand out, so I don't provide a price point for solely text correction for expansive stories. I do offer discounted rates for light-load projects, so still consider engaging a copy edit if all you believe you need is a final pass.

Proofreading - Short Story, Article, Essay

$0.01 (1 cent) per word (Minimum fee $20.00)
For a condensed narrative, or content where the composition requires little to no evaluation, I provide proofreading to ensure a clean, grammatical copy.

Copy Editing

$0.018 (1 4/5 cents) per word
This is the standard check for correct spelling, grammar, and clarity, along with pointing out any plot holes, inconsistencies, and factual errors I discover.

I will not:
Do extensive line edits.
Workshop solutions to any weak points in the story. I may offer suggestions at my discretion, but leave the rest up to you.
Do extensive research to ensure scientific, historical, etc. accuracy.

Developmental Edit

$0.02 (2 cents) per word
I will review the work for pacing, consistency, character development, plot holes, and factual errors. I will workshop solutions with you to improve the flow of the story. I will research the veracity or plausibility of all scenarios requiring such to the best of my ability, in accordance with your preferences. (E.g. We can hand-wave the physics of airship flight, but still do the ballistics calculations to make sure the airship battles read true to life.)

I will not:
Correct spelling or grammar, excepting where the text is unclear.
Do extensive line edits.

Full Treatment

$0.029 (2 9/10 cents) per word
A developmental edit, copy edit, and a proofread together. I will help you actualize your story's fullest potential and make the text as pristine as humanly possible. This includes general feedback, research, and line edits.

I will not:
Guarantee perfection. No one can.

Prices displayed are an initial estimate competitive with industry averages. I may prorate works which need very little treatment, and reserve the right to surcharge works which require extensive correction, research, or fact-checking.
I am only fluent in American English. I am happy to work with UK/AUS/NZ/ETC. authors, but I cannot give sufficient assurance of adhering to all spelling conventions. I may not offer sufficient value outside of developmental work.

Genres

I am confident in my ability to provide copy edits with respect to grammar, clarity, and continuity for any story, but in terms of developmental strength, this is a basic guide of my familiarity with the tropes and nuance of the typical works in or expectations of various genres.
Strong genres: Fantasy and science fiction, especially imagined worlds, superhero, litRPG.
Moderate genres: Detective fiction, horror, other speculative fiction.
Weak genres: Historical fiction, romance, "upmarket" fiction, memoir.
Non-Starters: I don't believe I can offer sufficient value for literary fiction or non-fiction works.

Background

I have over 5 years of experience in professional transcription work, where I followed both standard and customized style guidelines producing clean copy for numerous different industries, including large commercial projects.
I have over 15 years of experience in collaborative storytelling for live action and tabletop game settings, including writing lore and adventure modules, developing characters and scenarios, performing scripted and spontaneous interactions for paying participants, as well as writing and editing rulebook copy.