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 and powerful.

Some people think of editing as fixing grammar and spelling. But the first stage of editing is developmental: strengthening the story itself by attending to elements like characterization, pacing, dialogue, plot, structure, narrative style, genre conventions, etc. Developmental edits include a detailed editorial letter and in-manuscript comments. For ongoing support, check out my Coaching page.

Developmental editing rate for novels and novellas: 1.5 cents per word (e.g., $900 for 60,000 words). This covers one pass and a one-hour Zoom call to talk about it. Fee for additional passes/calls can be discussed.

Prices are good through December 31, 2025. See note below regarding discounts.

In addition to correcting grammar, spelling, usage, consistency, etc., I indicate anything that pulls me out of the story: usually pacing and sentence structure issues. I teach as I edit, explaining problems and suggesting improvements. I work in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes and Comments.

Copy/line editing rate for novels, novellas, and nonfiction books: 1.2 cents per word (e.g., $720 for 60,000 words) for manuscripts without an abundance of sentence structure errors. This covers one pass and an optional one-hour Zoom. If you need extra help to write clear sentences, I’ll need to charge more for the additional hours involved. In all cases, I’ll do a free 10-page edit first to see if we’re a good match.

Prices are good through December 31, 2025.

See note below regarding discounts.

I’ve edited more than 60 short stories in the past couple years. It’s fun, so I want to highlight it here as a service.

Developmental editing – helping you strengthen and deepen the story itself by attending to characters, plot, pacing, conflict, etc.

Copy/line editing – helping your story read smoothly and effectively by addressing sentence structure, pacing from a different perspective, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and anything else that pulls me out of the story.

Charging by the word doesn’t work with short fiction, so I have hourly rates:

• $60/hour for developmental editing
• $50/hour for copy/line editing

As an example, the stories I did recently – about 10,000 words; line editing with some developmental thrown in – took about 3.5 hours each. Of course, that will vary depending on length and the shape the story is in.

Prices are good through December 31, 2025.

The good news is that once I edit one short story for you, you’re eligible for a returning client discount.

A manuscript evaluation is a close read and big-picture assessment of your novel or novella, detailed in an editorial letter. It points out strengths and weaknesses and suggests strategies for revision. It does not offer in-manuscript comments.

Manuscript evaluation rate: 1.2 cents per word (e.g., $720 for 60,000 words). This covers one pass and an optional one-hour Zoom call to talk about it.

Price is good through December 31, 2025.

See note below regarding discounts.