All books benefit hugely from a really good editor. Editing is the process of reviewing and correcting your book material to improve accuracy, readability, flow, pace, and style – and depending on your book this could be an advanced structural editor who rewrites and fixes a lot of it OR a 'last eyes' copy editor.
"The importance of the editor is immeasurable. They should be at an entirely different altitude to you. Their clarity of vision helps you move beyond therapeutic writing."
Not sure which is for you? We will send you more info
A developmental or senior structural editor
This is an editor or professional author/ writer who is going to take your entire book and fix it FOR YOU. We can liken this to a hybrid between a ghostwriter and a senior editor.
Who should chose this? You have written a book but you have run out of steam, don't want to do another rewrite or just want to hand it all over to a professional to do it all for you. No problem. That is what we are here for. It is your idea and you have put it down on paper as best you can, but it's not working and you need someone to make it work.
This process will take 12 weeks depending on the length and the quality of your existing book and what needs to be done to it. We will match your book with the right editor, who is a specialist in that field.
You will hand over your manuscript and expect it to be fixed, improved, substantially changed and entire sections rewritten at times.
This may include conducting more interview, writing in missing pieces, asking you to source more copy, moving the entire book around, re-arranging the chapters, creating an argument/ angle / thread and running it through the book.
This editor will also do traditional editing functions and you can see what those are in Package below. This is a close collaboration between you (as author) and an editor. This is a far lower price than having a ghostwriter and you have done the bulk of the initial work. They do all the finishing work and make this book a professional and well-written product.
YOU WILL NEED
Your full manuscript in Word and a book proposal (which is your overview we need that for context).
On acceptance we need an initial meeting between a few parties to go over over all publishing goals and ideas.
A second feedback meeting to discuss ideas and changes
8 -16 weeks to allow the changes.
There will be ongoing contact and conversation with you and the editor.
You will get a completed book returned to you to review.
We allow one more second cycle of revisions and changes after you have accepted and read the book.
COST - these are indications of costs only and we need to look at your work first.
60,000 - 80,000 words and under from $2,500 (or R45,000 ZAR)
30,000 – 60,000 words $1,200 (or R28,000 ZAR)
Over 80,000 words you will add on the additional reate as per above.
Southern African authors get a 20% discount
Book Structural Editing Deposit
USD
1 000
One-time editing package for structured progress. This is the deposit payment only.
Valid for one month
A senior or specialist editor
You have written your book, it's working, you have done a few rewrites but it needs a professional touch.
It may need better chapter headings, a read for legalities, spelling and grammar fixed, tenses checked, your point of view corrected. These are all things an editor does.
An editor will look at your book overall, make changes, suggest new chapter headings, fill in blanks or inconsistencies, point out and fix problems, check legalities or advise what to check.
It will include all the things that a copy editor does.
They will flag places need to write more, or less. They may move chapters around, make suggestions to cut, look for flow and suggest changes. They may ask you to add some pieces or for input.
This editor is going to make your book better and slicker.
You will get your manuscript in Word with changes that you can accept or reject.
COST
60,000 - 80,000 words and under from $2,000 (or R35,000 ZAR)
Book Structural Editing Deposit
USD
1 000
One-time editing package for structured progress. This is the deposit payment only.
Valid for one month
A copy editor
A light copy editing service is for well-written work that nevertheless still requires a thorough proofread and final check.
This includes editing and proofing for spelling mistakes, typos, punctuation problems, capitalization errors, clumsy grammar and overall flow and readability. The editor will fix all minor errors and flag any larger areas you need to correct or look at. The manuscript will be returned to you as a professional and well-written product that can be published.
The editor is not changing your story, concepts or structure and the assumption is that you have done most of the thinking and fixing work, they are making it print-ready.
Although it is not the same as proofreading (which is done later on a printed version of your book after layout), the copy editor will also proofread your book - correcting grammatical errors, style errors, and spelling.
You will get your manuscript back in Word with changes made, and bigger suggestions that you can accept or reject.
COST
60,000 - 80,000 words and under from $1,500 (or R25,000 ZAR)
Book Structural Editing Deposit
USD
1 000
One-time editing package for structured progress. This is the deposit payment only.
Valid for one month