Hi! I provide two types of editing services: Manuscript Evaluation, and a Copyediting + Proofreading Combo.

MANUSCRIPT EVALUATION (assessment)

For: romance and speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror), and any mix and subgenre of those.

The manuscript evaluation is an overarching examination of your story. It’s often the first look from an outsider your piece will receive. You can consider it a DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT – the LITE version.

An evaluation is exactly that: a chance for an impartial party (lil ol’ me) to run through your book and feel for strengths and weaknesses. The evaluation considers the general flow, feel, and structure of the story, as well as plot and character arches. It doesn’t focus too intensely on the prose, but might offer a few examples of good language usage, or common problems that run through the story. It helps answer questions such as: Does it fulfill the promise to the reader? Adhere to genre expectations? Subvert them enough to feel fresh and interesting? Will the reader be left satisfied and rewarded, and possibly carrying a soft spot for your characters, when they finish reading?

I expect the story to still be a draft. There might be heavy editing and restructuring still to do! But don’t worry, that is exactly why I will try to note the major areas that you should focus on.

I am familiar with various story structures, from 3 Acts to 7-point structure, to Save the Cat, as well as with genre-specific beats, and I’ll be happy to use them if that is what you are comfortable with.

PRICES:

For short stories or novellas under 40,000 words contact me directly.

From 40,000 to 60,000: $450

From 60,000 to 90,000: $600

From 90,000 to 120,000: $800

Anything over, contact me directly for a quote. If your book runs just over to the next tier, it will be considered as the original price (ex: if your book is 61,000 words, you will pay the $450 price).

You can book a spot in my calendar in advance – I actually suggest you do that unless you have a short piece, so that we can be sure I will have the time to dedicate to your project. To book, send me an email (or contact me on social media) with details about your project, the first chapter or a couple thousand words for me to evaluate, and the timing you wish to book. Once agreed to work together, I will need a deposit of $100 to confirm your spot. You won’t lose the deposit if you need to shift to another time – I can be very flexible!

WHAT WILL YOU GET BACK?

You will receive: an assessment letter (pages vary depending on project length and complexity) containing areas of interest, major weaknesses, and also strengths you want to play up. Remember: I am here to make your book better! I have no interest in being mean or make you hate me (or your story!), nor to make you feel less of a writer. I love stories, I love writing and writers, and I am happy to help you on your author journey!

I might also note books or materials that might be helpful for working through my suggestions, because, please remember, my letter and evaluation is, at the end, just an opinion! I won’t get offended if you don’t agree with me, and I am more than happy to discuss the why and how of my suggestions.

Depending on the project, we might also have a direct chat (text, chats, or call, no video, don’t worry) to expand on my letter.

Copy-editing and Proofreading package

You are in the right place! I will edit your book to get it ready for publication. I will check grammar and punctuation, but also look for typos, repetitions, crutch words. I will keep an eye on overall consistency (character’s traits, names, and so on), language use (British or American English?), and more. We’ll have that book sparkle like a YA vampire in no time.

Why these two types of editing together? Because I know how expensive editing can be, and how bootstrapped most of us indie authors are. By bundling the two types of editing together I am able to offer you a more affordable solution that won’t sacrifice quality. I have more than a decade’s worth of experience and studies in editing both nonfiction and fiction, and am an avid reader in a variety of genres – I would love to take care of your book.

Price: Starts at $0.012pwd or $12 per 1000 words. I require a $150 deposit to book a slot in my calendar. A further half of the total price has to be paid for me to start working. Final payment has to be received before I send you the fully edited manuscript with my editing notes.

How it works: You write a book, and edit it to its final draft (alone or with help from developmental editors/beta readers). You fill this handy form (note it requests a few hundred words of your writing so I can judge the wok that needs to be done, ideally from the same manuscript you want me to work on), and I will contact you to discuss things further. Please note I usually take an average of 2-4 weeks to edit a full-length book, especially if it’s a longer fantasy or similar, and won’t always be able to accommodate rush jobs, so try to leave enough time.

I will contact you back within 2-3 business days, and if we decide to work together we can start discussing the particulars of the job: starting time, particular aspects, estimated final price, and deliverables.

As I said, if you want to book a slot in my calendar months ahead, you certainly can. In fact, I encourage you to do so! The first payment will serve as a deposit to block the time. And if you need to move the date, we can do that too!

My editing process:

On average, I make at least 5 different passes on each manuscript. They range from an overview look-through to get a feeling for the voice and style, and to pick on characters and elements that need to be checked for consistency, to a chapter by chapter sift to corral irregularities, to a backward reading to finely remove any stray typos or double spaces.

At the end of the process, once I’ve received the final payment, I will send you the full manuscript with track changes, and an editor’s note.

Please remember: This will NOT be a developmental edit, or anything related to plot and so on. This will not be a LINE EDIT either. Line edits check for style and use of language – I work with the mechanics and the nitty gritty of each word as it is written and used! I just check if your character keeps their blue eyes and the sidekick always throws with the same hand, but I will not comment on their daring escape through the roofs, nor on whether the love interest has enough agency! For a clarification, see this article.

I can work with Word documents or Google docs, and edit either for British or US English. I will make a dedicated listing on my shop, where you can pay with Paypal and cards.

I am most experienced in: fantasy, romance, science fiction, thrillers.

For any doubts or questions, do contact me – you can send me an email at busymusewriting @ gmail [dot] com.

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you might also be interested in my:

LAUNCH BUNDLE

This is a special package I offer on a case-by-case basis and it generally includes all you need to bring your manuscript from final draft to final product ready for sale. Contact me at busymusewriting @ gmail.com

The most common items included are:

EDITING + PROOFREADING	PRINT + EBOOK COVERS	PRINT + EBOOK FORMATTING
INSIDE ART (MAPS, HEADERS…)	SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGES	CHARACTER ART, SPECIALS
BRANDING ELEMENTS	OTHER GRAPHICS/PRINTABLE	and more!

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I ALSO OFFER, ON A SPECIAL PROJECT BASIS:

Translation ITA/ENG – ENG/ITA – email me for info. Rates: $0.10 per word

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