Book editing for authors
You’ve put so much into your manuscript. We help you understand what it needs next, whether that’s shaping the bigger picture, strengthening the prose, checking consistency or preparing the final pages, so you can keep moving toward the book you want to share.
A few lines is enough to start. We agree a written scope with you before you commit.
Clara had always kept the orchard’s ledger in pencil, because it was the case that nothing in it ever felt final to her. She read it over twice and then she, then went out to the trees to go and count the late pears.
A line edit works on sentences, so the marks stay small. The other three stages look different, as you’ll see below.
Four stages, four questions
Each stage asks a different question, usually at a different point in a book’s life. The right combination depends on the manuscript and the work already completed. Line editing and copyediting are sometimes combined, and the written scope says exactly which you’re getting.
Does the book work as a whole?
Structure, pacing, and the plot or argument.
The sale deadline is set up in chapter 2, then not mentioned again until chapter 11. Consider returning to it in chapters 5 to 8 so the pressure on Clara builds.
Best whenYou can still move, cut or rewrite whole sections.
An editorial letter or plan, as agreed in the written scope.
Do the sentences sound like you, only clearer?
Rhythm, clarity and voice.
Three consecutive sentences begin with “She.” Could we vary one opening without changing the voice?
Best whenThe structure is settled and the prose still feels uneven.
Edits and queries in the format agreed in the written scope.
Is it consistent and correct?
Grammar, usage, punctuation and consistency.
Chapter 2 gives the orchard as forty acres; chapter 8 says forty-two. Which is right?
Style sheet: record the agreed acreage so it stays consistent across chapters.
Best whenThe language is stable and you want it checked for correctness.
Edits and queries in the format agreed in the written scope.
Is the laid-out page clean?
Typos, punctuation and layout slips on the typeset pages.
p. 112: running head reads “Chapter Tree.” Change to “Chapter Three.”
p. 113: one line of the paragraph is stranded at the top of the page. Flag for layout.
Best whenThe book has been laid out and you want one last careful check.
Marked corrections, as agreed in the written scope.
Not sure which stage you’re at? That’s the usual place to start. Tell us about your book and we’ll help you work it out.
How it starts
Genre, rough word count, where the manuscript is now and what help you want.
We name the stage and the service that suits it, and whether we can deliver it. If it isn’t us, we’ll say so plainly.
A bounded scope, timeline and revision boundary, in writing, before you decide.
Go ahead, change the scope or walk away. The book stays yours.
Good to know
Not every book needs every kind of edit. The right combination depends on your manuscript and the work you’ve already completed. If you’re unsure, start with the two guides above or tell us where the book stands.
A few lines, not the manuscript: genre, rough word count, where the book is now and what you’d like help with. If a sample is needed, we’ll explain how to share it safely.
Yes. We confirm the stage and the scope first, then quote a bounded scope, timeline and revision boundary in writing.
We don’t sell a one-size package. We work out which stage your book is at, then write the scope around that, including what you’ll receive and what is not included.
You do. You keep your copyright, your accounts and every publishing decision.
Get an editorial scope and quote for your book, starting with a few lines about where it is now.