Whether you plan to seek traditional publication
or you plan to self-publish, contracting our services
is an investment in your novel's future!
We have a passion for good books and are dedicated to improving the quality of self-published novels and helping authors who seek traditional publication present the best manuscript possible. We provide two types of editing:
Developmental Editing
We love to analyze stories to find out what makes them tick, what works and what doesn't, and why. When performing a developmental edit, we meticulously evaluate all of the elements of a manuscript: language, point of view, flow, pacing, story structure, characterization, and emotional connection, and provide an honest assessment of the manuscript's strengths and weaknesses, along with a summary of our observations and detailed suggestions for improvement. Developmental edits include a phone or video chat to discuss our notes in more detail and brainstorm plans for revision plus follow-up correspondence.
Developmental editing rates typically start at $1000 for full-length novels and are tailored to individual projects based on word count and the level of annotation required. We always provide an evaluation of your opening chapter as a sample edit free of charge. This allows you to get a feel for our work and us to determine the scope of the project and the rate.
Please submit this form if you are interested in working with us or email Jenny Q at jennyq@historicaleditorial.com.
Copyediting
The term “copyediting” is often loosely applied to cover a range of editorial tasks, but what it really entails are simply these “4 Cs”: clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness.
Our goal is to deliver a manuscript that reads smoothly and is error-free before it goes to publication, and we pride ourselves on maintaining an author's voice and style while editing. A copyedit is much more thorough than a proofread, and these are the areas we focus on:
Mechanical Editing, which includes spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation, use of abbreviations and acronyms, and treatment of quotations and numbers.
Language Editing, which includes the correction of errors in grammar, usage, diction, and word choice.
Content Editing, which includes querying any story inconsistencies, and in the case of historical fiction, keeping an eye out for anachronisms and factual errors.
A copyedit is conducted on the final draft of a manuscript, after a developmental edit has been performed (if one is required or desired). In addition to correcting typos, punctuation, and grammar, we will make changes in the text to improve readability. We will make simple revisions to improve awkward passages and balance choppy or overly long sentences, and we may rearrange a few paragraphs to improve flow. However, if we come across any sections of text that require major revision, we will refer them back to you for evaluation.
While copyediting, we will not make judgments on what elements of the story should or should not be included in your manuscript as we would during a developmental edit. But if we come across any major story problems, discrepancies, or inconsistencies, we will point them out to you.
We edit electronically in MS Word using the Track Changes feature, so authors can easily see every edit we make and determine which edits to keep and which to discard.
We edit to the Chicago Manual of Style and keep a running “style sheet” for each project, which helps us keep track of editing decisions and helps authors see at a glance what rules we applied while editing a manuscript.
Copyediting rates are based on page count and the level of editing required. We always provide a sample edit of 5-7 pages free of charge. This allows you to see how we work and to decide if our style will be compatible with yours, and it allows us to determine the scope of the project and the rate.
Copyedits start at $2.50 per page (double-spaced, 12-point font) for manuscripts that need light editing and can go up to $5.00 per page for manuscripts that need heavy editing.
Please submit this form if you are interested in working with us or email Jenny Q at jennyq@historicaleditorial.com.
What you can expect from us:
Professionalism. We like to keep things light and we like to have fun, but we take our work very seriously. We strive to provide every client with personal, professional service and valuable advice.
Accessibility. Since our laptops are basically an extension of us, and our cell phones are always at hand, you should never have trouble reaching us. We promise to respond quickly and effectively to your inquiries.
Confidentiality. Rest assured we will keep your work in complete confidence and privacy, and your work will remain completely your own.
Follow-up consultations. Our job doesn’t end when we hand your manuscript back to you. We take a personal interest in helping all of our clients find publishing success. Our door is always open for questions, ideas, and conversations, and we're happy to help our clients promote their published novels via our websites and social media feeds.
What you should know:
We will ask you to sign a standard contract for services and abide by its terms. We accept payment through Paypal. Fifty percent of the editorial fee is due before work begins. The remaining fifty percent is due when we return your edited manuscript to you.
We will begin our relationship via email, but may progress to telephone, online chat, or video sessions. We will utilize whichever forms of communication you are most comfortable with.
When all is said and done, you are under no obligation to utilize any of our suggestions in your final published novel. But if you do, we would appreciate a mention in the acknowledgments of the book and a brief testimonial for our portfolio.
At any given time, we are usually booked at least two to three months in advance (please note that Jenny is usually booked six months in advance), so it's never too early to contact us to reserve a spot on our schedules.
At any given time, we are usually booked at least two to three months in advance (please note that Jenny is usually booked six months in advance), so it's never too early to contact us to reserve a spot on our schedules.
Please view our individual pages for more information about us and testimonials from our clients!