Editing Services

Hello everyone,

Perhaps you are looking for an edit through my business, Fair Crack of the Whip Proofreading and Editing, or perhaps you are still writing your story and are just wondering what editing services you may need, or which kinds are available.

While this list is not conclusive of what can be performed, hopefully it can help you in some small way. I perform all of the below edits either separately or in a bundle (a combination of edits will be discounted).

I offer free sample edits  on most manuscripts. Rates vary depending on the services requested, the intensity of the edit and the word count, etc, however I have included some price ranges below so you can get an idea on what the cost will be. However, if you are interested in an exact quote, please don’t hesitate to message me.

With all of my edits, I like to work closely with you, keeping you updated on progress and discussing the manuscript as we go. I offer two rounds of edits on ALL my services without extra costs, as I believe this provides the cleanest results. Further rounds can be discussed at a discounted rate.

I prefer to use Track Changes on Word or Google Docs as we can use the benefit of Track Changes and apply changes within the edits. It also allows you to accept (or reject) any changes I make. I will never finalise the changes for you as I believe you should have full control over your manuscript.

Regardless of whether you would like to hire my services, see a sample contract, or simply ask me some questions about the business of editing in general, please do not hesitate to contact me at dontgrumblegiveawhistle@gmail.com

Now let’s have a look at the edits on offer!

 

Critique Evaluations (0.003 – 0.004c per word):

This is where I read through your story, highlighting any potential problem areas and assessing the overall readability. It is similar to a beta-read – only more in depth.

Generally I attempt to send you regular updates throughout the read-through and then an overall report at the end, however, I can alter the correspondence in virtually any way to suit you.

Developmental Editing ( 0.01c – 0.02c per word):

This is performed while your work is still young, before any major edits although usually after the Critique or Beta Reads. Here, I will collaborate with you to ensure your manuscript develops with the intention, voice and style that you seek to obtain. I make suggestions based on readability, character development, content, use of dialogue and sensory description, narrative voice, pacing, and language. I will work with you, answering any queries and brainstorming whenever you require it.

As the title suggests, this edit helps develop and craft your story, bringing out the best qualities and strengthening the work. I do not correct grammar and spelling at this stage as it is too early in the process to do so correctly.

I will make my edits within the document, pinpointing areas to develop and discussing the finer points with you.

Structural Editing (0.01c-0.02c per word):

A structural edit is similar to a developmental edit only it is performed when you have a manuscript close to completion. Sometimes a story will require both a developmental and structural edit; at other times it may just need one or the other. This depends on your personal choice and the amount of work required.

During a structural edit, my focus is on refining your writing, reordering and restructuring events and scenes in order to tighten the story and improve readability, clarity and accuracy. I alert you to any inconsistencies regarding plot, character development and speech and assist you with your language usage and in creating believable dialogue and plotline.

Again, this sort of edit requires the edits to be made within the document and I will be working closely with you throughout the process.

Copy Editing (0.008c – 0.01c per word):

Basically, this is line editing and comes after a structural edit (or developmental edit). It corrects grammar, punctuation, spelling, word usage, etc. I will suggest alternative words or sentences if I believe they will work better towards your purposes. I can do both a structural/developmental edit and copy edit together in a bundle, if you are happy with this arrangement and if time permits, as the two often go hand-in-hand and, quite frankly, I can’t ignore a spelling mistake once I see one. However, if you prefer, I can also perform both separately.

There is generally less to discuss during this edit since a lot of it is dependent on grammar and punctuation rules, however I will still keep you posted on my progress and discuss or comment on areas that need more consideration.

Proofreading (0.006c – 0.008c per word).

I do offer a proofreading service as well, which is basically a final run through of your manuscript at its completion to ensure there are no obvious errors and that the mark ups from editing have been applied. Please take into consideration with timelines that I do not like to proofread something that I have just finished editing without a small time lapse in between as I am usually too close to the work to perform the proofread correctly.

 

Please note that these methods and interpretations are mine alone and in general may vary from book to book. Hopefully, they give you an idea so that you can plan on what you would like to do with your story in its next exciting step on the road to publication!