FAQ - Editegrity

What kinds of editing do you do?

What genres do you specialize in?

Fiction: historical, dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy, contemporary & literary
Nonfiction: memoir, travel writing and creative nonfiction
Localization: If you're an author in the UK looking to prepare your novel for a US-audience, I can help.

Do you use AI to edit?

I do not use any AI tools for writing my editorial reports, nor do I upload any manuscripts or texts to any AI programs (such as ChatGPT).

What are the industry standards for my manuscript?

The industry standard for one page is 250 words, double-spaced, in 12-point font and with one-inch margins.
Please apply the Word Style Heading 1 to all of your chapter titles before sending me the project.

How do we work together?

Tell me about your project: genre, word count, deadlines, publishing plans etc., using either the contact page or via email.
For a sample edit, I need a Word document of at least 1,000 words and a short synopsis of your story.
I’ll do a sample edit and get back to you with an evaluation plus time and cost estimates.
After we decide to move ahead together, I'll help you through each step of the editorial process.

How much does editing cost?

Every editor charges differently, but it's common to give a price per 1,000 words.

I give project fees, because it includes everything: the editing, the admin, the time emailing or on the phone. I prefer for us both to know upfront about the cost, so there are no surprises at the end.

If you prefer an hourly rate, I can also accomodate that!

Sample starting rates for a 90,000 word novel

£2,500/ $3,100 developmental edit
£1,100/$1,300 manuscript critique
£1,500/$1,900 line and copyedit
£700/$900 proofread

For more information, please see The Costs of Editing page.

What factors affect the cost?

*The top tip I can give to reduce the cost of editing is to get one or two beta readers to give you feedback before you hire a professional.*

Every project is different and the fee depends on several factors:

What type of editing is required?

Developmental editing is a very demanding, in-depth service, so it's more expensive than proofreading.

How complex is the project?

A 100,000 word epic fantasy with multiple points of view is going to take longer to edit than a 60,000 word memoir.

Has the manuscript been read by other people and revised accordingly?

If I'm the first person to see your manuscript, it's going to be expensive. It's worth it to find beta readers before getting a professional edit.

Has the document been properly formatted?

Learn the basics of applying Word Styles to your document, and that'll save one to two hours of editing time!

More about editing rates

I take into account many factors when quoting a rate. I never slap a price tag on a manuscript without a careful review! However, I start with the standard minimum rates given by two professional editing organizations based in the US and the UK:

When can we start?

Plan ahead! I'm usually booked two or three months in advance. So get in touch a few monthes before you're finished and book a space. I want to help you meet your publishing deadlines.
Projects are scheduled once a 30% deposit has been made.

What's the fine print?

Before we work together, I'll send you an editorial work agreement that spells out all the steps, the estimated time frame, and costs. We won't start until we're both comfortable!
I work on a Mac and use MS Word and Track Changes.
The style guides I use include The Chicago Manual of Style and New Hart’s Rules.
The standard dictionaries I use are Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged and the Oxford English Dictionary.

Where in the world are you?

I’m living the dream in London, UK, and I’m happy to work with you wherever you are.
Authors I’ve worked with live in the UK, the US, the UAE, Thailand, the Netherlands, Japan, and Turkey.