Services & Pricing

I’m excited to help you in your writing journey, and I offer services every step of the way! Every writer is different, and every manuscript needs attention in different areas. Contact me so we can discuss what your story needs!

Genres

I do my best work when I love the material. The following are my favorite genres, but feel free to ask about others. I enjoy the following Children’s, Young Adult, and Adult genres:

  • Fantasy
  • Clean Romance
  • Christian/Inspirational
  • Historical Fiction
  • Contemporary Lit
  • Sci-Fi, Speculative, and Dystopian
  • Mystery

I don’t edit horror or thrillers. I don’t edit erotica or anything I don’t consider clean. This means: 1. Romantic content should be kept at a PG level. No “bedroom scenes.” If clothes come off or it goes beyond making out, I won’t edit it. 2. No vulgarity or crassness. 3. No profanity beyond what you would hear in a PG-13 movie. 4. No graphic violence (check with me if you’re unsure if your violence is too much).

Services Offered

{Step One: Improve Your Story}

Developmental Assessment

  • A detailed assessment (typically 8-15 pages) of story strengths and weaknesses with specific suggestions for improvement, plus in-manuscript comments and several pages of chapter-specific notes.
    • Genre-specific elements such as romance, mystery, or magic systems.
  • The following elements will be analyzed:
    • Plot, including pacing, conflict, climax, and resolution
    • Character development and narrative voice
    • Themes, with suggestions for developing them to deepen story message
    • Genre-specific elements such as romance, mystery, or magic systems.
  • Occasional style notes if I see a trend in stylistic or grammatical mistakes
  • E-mail support for your questions during revisions (or a 45-minute phone or video call if preferred)
  • Rate: $0.007 – $0.008 per word
  • * Final rate will be based on how many hours the assessment takes since manuscripts vary widely in how much time and help they need. * This service was previously called the Developmental Edit. The rate has increased, and I’ve changed its title to distinguish it from the more hands-on Deep-Dive Developmental Edit I’m now offering.

Deep-Dive Developmental Edit

An intensive analysis and scene-by-scene breakdown of plot structure, character development and themes. This includes everything offered in the Developmental Assessment, plus:

  • A detailed book map dissecting word count, scene-specific goals and character arcs
  • Detailed suggestions for how to adjust plot beats, word count, and character development

You can choose this deeper edit from the beginning or add the more in-depth portion if you find you need more specific direction after I’ve done the Developmental Assessment.

Rate: $0.01 – $0.012 per word

or $0.003 per word as an add-on to Developmental Assessment

* Final rate will be based on how many hours the edit takes since manuscripts vary widely in how much time and help they need.

Developmental Workbook: Do It Yourself!

Story Renovations will guide you through an analysis of your own manuscript, asking questions about plot structure, character development, and themes to find where you can improve, and giving suggestions for those improvements. You’ll learn how to create a book map and shrink your manuscript down to get a bird’s-eye view of your story’s elements. You can do this completely on your own or with my help for an hourly rate. Consultation is flexible and depends on what kind of help you need. I can brainstorm with you through email, read your analysis and offer feedback and suggestions either in written form or in a video call, or talk you through any part of the process you get stuck on.

Email me to purchase!

{Step Two: Improve Your Writing}

Line Edit

The line edit digs into your manuscript to make it sound the best it can sound, achieving your story goals while maintaining your own author voice. 

  • I’ll use the track changes feature in Microsoft Word or suggestion mode in Google Docs to make corrections and suggestions for the following: 
    • Flow, clarity, and readability
    • Word choice, awkward phrasing or repetition
    • Sentence structure
    • Story logic; consistency of story elements and descriptions
    • Grammar, punctuation, spelling
  • I will also create a style sheet during this process, which will include characters’ names and descriptions, preferred spellings for words with more than one correct spelling, and action timeline if necessary to ensure consistency throughout.
  • Rate: .7 – .9 cents per word ($70-$90 per 10,000 words): based on a sample read.

Policies, Notes, & Extra Fees

  • Formatting: I edit in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Please have your manuscript formatted to make it easy to read, with consistent paragraph indentation. 1.5 spacing is helpful.
  • Scheduling: Opens up the first of each month for the following month. For example, beginning March 1st you can book for the month of April. If the month is filled up, I will ask you to contact me the following month. Schedule by emailing me at thewritersasst@gmail.com or filling out the contact section!
  • Payment: A $50 deposit will be due with the signed contract when you book your appointment, with the remainder due upon return of manuscript.
  • Cancellation Fee: $50 fee for appointments cancelled with less than 2 weeks’ notice (deposit won’t be refunded).
  • Late Fee: Payment is due 24 hours after manuscript is returned to you. After 48 hours, a $10-per-day late fee will be applied. Clients who are over 2 weeks late in payment will be required to pay in full prior to subsequent editing jobs.
  • Rush Fee: Your manuscript should be sent by 8:00 am the day of your appointment, though the evening before is preferable. A $50-per-day rush fee will be charged for late manuscripts.
  • Hourly Rate: $45 an hour for services beyond the regular scope of the edit, or for miscellaneous help.
  • Blurb Help: I’m happy to help you with your blurb/book description for free after any edit!