The first step in hiring an editor is determining which service you need…
Other important things to consider are: can they work within your timeline, do they fit within your budget, and most importantly — does the editor have experience in your genre?
Developmental editing
$0.01/word
Developmental editing takes a close look at the larger issues of your book, such as plot, characters, themes, and tone. When performing developmental edits, I ensure that the “big picture” groundwork is strong before you move on to line and copy edits. I offer developmental editing within the romance genre. I’m an avid romance reader — I’ve been reading romance novels for over thirty-five years!
Line editing
$0.01/word
When line editing, I perform a sentence-by-sentence review of your manuscript. In this edit, I’m down in the weeds, not looking at the big picture (as in developmental editing). I focus on word choice and restructure run-on sentences and sentence fragments. I help you clarify meaning, eliminate jargon, and ensure that each sentence flows easily in your reader’s mind.
Copy editing
$0.0085/word
Copy editing is checking for repetition, inconsistencies, and mistakes in your manuscript. This service includes correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and technical consistency. For example, did you call the spinster aunt introduced in chapter one “Mrs.” in chapter five? Did your heroine have green eyes or blue? These types of errors can affect your readers’ ratings, and your book will look more professional and polished after I complete copy edits for you!
“I think your comments and suggestions are 100% on point and very helpful!
I feel like for the first time I’ve actually been given some real direction for the script.
I can really tell the care you put into your edits is helping me improve my own writing.“
Payton Bradley, romance screenwriter
CM Wheary Editing 