Book Editing
Hands-on editing work usually begins when a manuscript is complete. I edit fiction and non-fiction for readers of all ages.
- Developmental editing (aka macro or substantive or content editing)—looking at the organization, logic, clarity, plot, setting, and characterization of your work. In other words, the big picture.
- Stylistic or line editing—making your writing sing. Fine-tuning it. Word by word.
- Please note, I always do a bit of copyediting as I edit a manuscript, but I am not a professional copyeditor or proofreader.
- Editing does not include chatting about your manuscript at 2 AM because you had the BEST idea for an opening sentence!
Book Editing Consultations
Free 20-minute phone consultation
I’d love to talk with you about your writing journey. What genre do you work in? Who are you writing for? What are your goals? What do you struggle with? Are you just plain stuck? How can a book coach help? We can have a free 20-minute chat about how to move your writing forward and actually enjoy doing it. Contact me at sarah@verbatimedits.com and we’ll set something up.
Book Editing Packages
Level 1
- One initial phone call to get things rolling
- One phone call every two weeks
- Email support up to 3 times a week, weekdays only
- Up to 5,000 words to be sent to me every two weeks for critique and discussion
- Editing can start at any time during a calendar month. An editing month is 28 days.
- All fees must be paid in full at the start of each editing month.
Level 2
- One initial phone call to get things rolling
- One phone call a week
- Email support up to 5 times a week, weekdays only
- Up to 7,500 words to be sent to me every week for critique and discussion
- Editing can start at any time during a calendar month (A coaching month is 28 days.)
- All fees must be paid in full at the start of each editing month.
Mini-mentorship
Here’s how a Mini-mentorship works:
- Contact me to set up a time for your one-hour session. This can be a Zoom call or a phone call. Before we meet, I will send you a short contract, outlining the terms of our agreement.
- Email me up to 5,000 words of your project a week before we are due to meet. Please send your manuscript to me as a Word document in 12 point Arial or Times New Roman, double spaced, with one-inch margins.
- Meet me at the appointed time for an hour to discuss details of your project
- I will send you my notes after the session.
- Cost: $250, payable in advance. Non-refundable unless cancelled a week before the session.
If you want to continue working with me after this session, please consider signing up for Manuscript Assessment, Book Coaching, Book Mentoring or Book Editing.
Three-month Mentorship
Maybe you’ve completed my mini-mentorship and you’re ready to commit to a longer period of working with me, moving your work ever closer to publication.
This is how a mentorship works:
- Contact me to talk about whether a mentorship is right for you. This can be a Zoom call or on the phone.
- If you decide to go ahead, I will send you a simple contract, outlining the terms of our agreement. Mentorships can start anytime, and run for three consecutive months. The schedule will be included in your contract.
- Every month, on a specified date, you will submit up to 5,000 words of your project. Please send you manuscript to me as a Word document in 12 point Arial or Times New Roman, double spaced with one-inch margins.
- A week later, we will meet for an hour to workshop what you sent me, and plan what comes next. This schedule continues for three months, at which time you can sign up for another three-month session, if desired.
- Cost: $900, payable in full in advance. The fee is non-refundable, so please be very sure you can meet all the specified deadlines for submitting work and meeting.