“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter.
It’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
Mark Twain
The Editing Process
I believe every story—and every author—is best served by following the Funnel Model of editing. This approach starts with the big picture and gradually narrows to the smallest details.
-
At the top of the funnel, we focus on structural elements: identifying pacing issues, fixing plot holes, strengthening themes, trimming unnecessary characters and subplots, deepening character development, and resolving inconsistencies in world-building. This bird’s-eye level of revision goes by many names, but it’s most commonly called developmental editing, which is the term I’ll use moving forward.
-
Next, we move into line editing, where the work shifts to the scene, paragraph, and sentence level. Here, the goal is to refine your voice and style: clarifying confusing passages, cutting filler that doesn’t earn its place, and choosing language that’s more precise and impactful. This is where your prose begins to shine, and I personally find it to be the most rewarding stage of the process.
-
Next comes copyediting, the technical phase. This is where you ensure the manuscript is both accurate and consistent. That includes checking timelines, names, places, and other story details, as well as correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and word usage. At the end of this stage, you should receive a clean manuscript along with a style sheet (sometimes called a “story bible”) that tracks key details to maintain consistency moving forward.
-
Finally, you reach formatting and proofreading. Formatting prepares the manuscript for publication by creating a printable version of your book and addressing layout and design issues (eliminating visual distractions like widows, orphans, and uneven spacing). Once that’s complete, a proofreader performs a final pass to catch any lingering typos or inconsistencies introduced during revisions.
So which type of editing is right for you?
All of them. Just not all at once.
While there is overlap between the stages of editing, that doesn’t mean a single pass is enough—or that you can skip over the early stages and expect a polished end result. The repetition built into the system is a feature, not a bug. In air travel, healthcare, and infrastructure, redundancy saves lives. While the stakes may not be that high in writing a book, it can still save your professional reputation.
Many aspiring authors begin by searching for a copyeditor, assuming their story only needs commas adjusted and the occasional spelling error fixed before it’s ready for its debut. After all, friends and critique partners liked it, and so did Mom—and Mom doesn’t even like the genre.
Many authors claim they can’t afford multiple editing passes, but if you want a publishing-house-quality book, your manuscript needs to go through all the same stages of improvement a publishing house provides. Making a book the best version of itself takes time, ingenuity, and a village—much like raising a child.
A team of skilled editors who support you at every stage of your manuscript’s development is an essential part of your village. The right collaboration doesn’t just polish your work; it walks with you along the path toward becoming a stronger, more professional storyteller.
My services cover the high- and mid-level stages of editing…
Manuscript Evaluation
Developmental Editing
Line Editing
I do not offer copyediting, proofreading, or formatting.
The reason is simple: Distance matters.
By the time a manuscript reaches the late stages, both writer and editor become deeply familiar with the text. Just as you can become blind to issues in your own work, I also become too close to the manuscript after multiple passes. At that point, small errors are best caught by a fresh set of eyes—someone who hasn’t spent weeks inside the material. That’s where a dedicated copyeditor and proofreader come in.
Process Integrity
I do not skip stages in my process.
You cannot hire me for a developmental edit unless I’ve first completed a manuscript evaluation. Likewise, I don’t take on line editing unless I’ve completed the prior stages.
The only exception is if you’ve already completed those stages with a trusted colleague of mine.
This structure is intentional. It ensures each stage builds properly on the last, so your manuscript develops in a cohesive and meaningful way.
I care deeply about the quality of work that carries my name, and I don’t cut corners. I also care about my clients enough not to accept work in a way that would compromise results. I always want to support your investment of time, energy, and money in producing the strongest book possible.
Payments
Payments are due at the end of each weekly video call. I must receive payment before continuing to the next section of your manuscript.
This weekly structure is designed to keep things fair and flexible. It ensures I’m compensated for completed work, and it gives you the freedom to pause—or even to walk away if you determine my feedback isn’t serving you in the way you need. If you choose to take a break (whether for a few weeks or a few months) we simply pause and resume where we left off when you’re ready.
This model helps make the process more accessible, since you’re not required to pay large lump sums upfront. Instead, costs are spread out over time as the work progresses.
Timeline
The length of the process depends on your manuscript length, your preferred weekly word count, and whether you take breaks along the way.
As an example, for a 100,000-word manuscript working at maximum pace (with a cap of 10,000 words per week for developmental and line editing, and 20,000 words per week for copyediting), the timeline would look approximately like this:
Manuscript Evaluation: ~5 weeks
Developmental Editing: ~10 weeks
Line Editing: ~10 weeks
After that, your manuscript would be ready for proofreading and formatting.
-
For starters, many editors (and authors) believe editors should apply a light hand and avoid disturbing the delicate ecosystem of the story in its current form as much as possible.
I disagree.
I am a very hands-on type of editor. When I fall in love with a story, I become obsessed, and that gets my creative juices churning. I believe good stories are robust enough to withstand poking, shaking, squishing, and stretching. I especially like to look for ways to expand a story to its fullest potential. This often involves magnifying existing elements that aren’t being used to their greatest capacity as well as suggesting new plot threads, backstories, character traits, and other elements that can create greater cohesion between the original parts of the story. It also means I’ll gladly take a machete to the parts that are, in effect, invasive species: things that hinder or compete for space with the core emotional throughlines and themes.
I’m an extremely character-arc- and theme-focused reader, so the majority of my suggestions tend to orbit around strengthening, magnifying, and deepening the emotional wounds, wants, needs, and growth of the characters; ensuring that growth is sufficiently earned on the page; that the relationship dynamics feel justified and serve the characters’ arcs; and that the messages inherent in the characters’ arcs are amplified through multiple threads across the entire story.
I’m also an over-deliverer. I don’t like leaving any hole unpatched. So be prepared for a firehose of information, and don’t plan on absorbing it all at once. The best approach is to take one idea at a time and let it percolate.
-
That’s good. You should. Your role as a creator is to love your creation, warts and all. Creation is a labor of love. (Every parent understands this.) My job is to love your book too much to leave it that way. I’m an advocate for the reader, your reputation, and your book’s as-of-yet untapped potential.
I view the author-editor partnership as a collaboration in which both people may throw idea-spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks, but the author retains full control and final say. You always have the right to take or leave any suggestion I give, and I will never take offense either way. I brainstorm and offer myriad possibilities in an attempt to grease the creative wheels in case you’re feeling stuck about how to fix a problem. There are always more paths to choose, and you can bushwack as many as you like. Some authors don’t like good ideas just because they didn’t think of it. Just remember: Even if the idea comes from someone else, you’re still going to implement it in a way that’s unique to you.
-
I’m rarely the right fit for authors who haven’t practiced the art of taking criticism. If you feel that your story is too precious to be sullied by anyone’s fingerprints but your own, or you want to be told your story’s wonderful as-is and are looking for permission to publish, I’m not for you. I’m interested in rubbing shoulders with authors who like a little company in their personal sandbox and are most interested in taking their story’s emotional core to the next level. I’m expecially interested in authors who want to punch up their story’s emotional core, growth arcs, description, and narrative/character voices.
Taking correction is hard, even when it’s constructive. It’s a skill that needs to be practiced in critique groups and partnerships with fellow writers at a similar (or greater) level of skill and experience to your own. This doesn’t mean friends and family. It means people who are serious about improving their craft and intend to enter (or are already in) the professional arena. If you don’t know how to take criticism without getting your guard up, when you step into the ring with someone who intends to stretch you (like me), you’ll likely discover you’ve got a glass jaw. KO.
-
No. I’m going to encourage you to change your story.
Even if you have the chops to take critique on the chin well, you’re still going to disagree with me sometimes. That’s expected. I’m not the ultimate authority on anything. It’s also not my book. You never need to feel threatened or intimidated by my input because I have no power to change anything in your story that you don’t want changed. If it helps, think of me as the jester who sits behind your throne and tells you the hard truths everyone else is too polite to say, but also occasionally spouts utter nonsense. Ignore my nattering at your will and pleasure.
A deeper dive into my process…
-
I understand that receiving critical feedback on something so close to your heart requires trust. That’s why I recommend a video call as a way for us to get acquainted and determine whether we’re a good fit to work together. This call is a chance to discuss your story, my services, and to set clear expectations—what kind of feedback you’re looking for, what I provide, deliverables, timelines, and payment.
Before we meet, I encourage you to spend a few minutes thinking about any concerns you have about your manuscript or the editing experience in general.
If we decide to move forward, we’ll sign a contract and you’ll pay a one-time, non-refundable $350 deposit to secure your spot.
-
Cost: $.01 per word, with a 75% non-refundable deposit due on the front end
First, I read your manuscript cover to cover to understand the full picture.
After the initial read-through, I create a detailed editorial report (typically 20–30 pages), offering feedback on the parts of your story you may want to consider revising before diving into more detailed issues. I take a full month to build this report in order to give my thoughts time to develop. The report focuses primarily on big-picture elements—plot structure, character arcs, pacing, world-building, themes, and overall story cohesion. I may touch on stylistic tendencies, but the emphasis at this stage is on strengthening the foundation of your story.
Once the report’s complete, we’ll meet for a follow-up video call (or two, if needed) to review the feedback together. This is your opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification, challenge interpretations, and brainstorm next steps. I’ll also recommend resources that may help you continue developing your craft. At this point, I’ll let you know whether I think we’re a good fit for continued collaboration or, if not, I can suggest another editor who may be better suited to your project.
If you are satisfied, you pay the remaining balance ($0.01 per word, minus the deposit already paid). If you don’t find my feedback helpful, you can walk away, report in-hand.
From there, you take the time you need to revise and rewrite.
-
Cost: $0.03 per word
We begin with a video call to discuss how your revisions are progressing and how you’ve felt about the process so far. We’ll also set clear expectations for this phase—what kind of feedback I’ll be giving, how it will be delivered, and how you can best use it.
You’ll submit your revised manuscript in sections. Each week, I review between 2,000 and 10,000 words*, leaving in-document comments and providing a short report on that portion of the text. As in Phase 1, this stage focuses on big-picture storytelling: plot, pacing, character development, themes, and overall structure.
I analyze each scene with the goal of ensuring it contributes meaningfully to the narrative’s momentum and purpose. I highlight areas that feel underdeveloped (unclear motivations, missing description, weak action) and flag sections that may benefit from trimming, restructuring, or relocation to improve pacing and flow.
I also offer suggestions to strengthen dialogue, prose, tone, setting, tension, conflict, and stakes. Throughout the manuscript, I check for inconsistencies, illogical developments, and factual inaccuracies. I identify redundancies and note where key information may be missing or unclear.
Beyond the scene level, I examine broader narrative threads—character arcs, world-building, timeline continuity, narrative voice, tropes, and thematic development—to ensure they are cohesive and effectively carried throughout the novel.
You review my feedback.
We video call again to discuss your work and my notes. This is a collaborative space to ask questions, get clarification, and push back if something doesn’t align with your intent. It also helps me better understand how to support you as we move forward.
You pay for the week’s work.
You revise the following week while I move on to the next section.
Once we’ve worked through the full manuscript, I recommend stepping away from the project for a bit. Refill your creative well, let the story rest, and give your ideas time to develop.
When you’re ready, return with fresh eyes and revise—strengthening the story with the needed changes we’ve identified.
Once your manuscript feels solid, you’ll be ready to move on to Phase 3.
*You choose your weekly word count (2,000–10,000 words) based on your budget and revision pace. At $0.03 per word, this comes to $60–$300 per week.
-
Cost: $0.03 per word
As in previous phases, we begin with a video call to review your progress. Together, we clarify expectations for this stage and define the focus of feedback moving forward.
You submit Draft 3, and I begin noodling through your prose at the same pace of 2,000–10,000 words per week.
Feedback is delivered directly in the manuscript through comments and suggested edits. This is a hands-on, detail-focused stage with substantial markup—but don’t be alarmed by the volume of notes. Line editing is where the prose is refined at the sentence level to ensure every word earns its place on the page.
The focus is on trimming unnecessary or repetitive phrasing, improving flow and clarity, restructuring awkward sentences, and strengthening word choice. The goal is never to erase your voice, but to sharpen it—removing noise so your intent and style come through more clearly and powerfully.
At this stage, the writing becomes more immersive and intentional. Dialogue tightens. Description gains precision and texture. Emotional beats land with greater impact. Language begins to sing. Whether refining action, sharpening humor, or deepening mood, line editing aligns your prose with your vision and enhances the reader’s experience.
After receiving feedback, you review my notes and we discuss over video call. You share what resonates and what doesn’t. We clarify intent, resolve any misunderstandings, and explore solutions together.
You’re billed for the work completed during that week.
You then revise your manuscript during the following week while I move on to the next section of the text. This cycle continues until the full manuscript is complete.
Once the whole manuscript is finished and you’ve completed revisions, I’ll do one final pass to ensure the changes make sense and to clean up errors. Think of this as a light copyedit without the story bible/style sheet.
-
This service can be added onto a manuscript evaluation deposit. It is not a stand-alone service.
If your book is part of a series and depends on context from earlier installments, I’m happy to read as many previous books as needed to fully understand the bigger picture. This add-on is especially valuable if you’d like me to consider your characters’ backstories and prior arcs before offering feedback on where they are now—or where they’re heading next.
I charge a flat fee of $20 for each book you want me to read other than the one I’m providing feedback on. I do not give feedback on any of these books. This is purely to provide context for the book I’m working on and enable me to view the story through a wider lens.
“Only God gets it right the first time, and only a slob says,
‘Oh well, let it go.’”
Stephen King
