Copyediting, Proofreading, and Manuscript Evaluations
for indie authors who want their readers to wonder if they’re traditionally published
Make sure your words are unpolished before publication.
Want to be your readers’ new favorite author?
Well first, you have to write the book: check! Then, you have to edit the book: che—oh, you haven’t done that yet?
Well, I’d love to do it for you! Why? Because your readers might not notice that you worked with a professional editor, but they’ll definitely notice if you don’t work with one.
Plot holes, flat characters, typos, clunky sentences that trip your reader up—you can avoid all of these if you bring in a fresh pair of eyes (mine, of course!) to get your story in the best shape possible before publishing.
Here’s How Unpolished Words Can Help
Manuscript Evaluation
starting at $1,750 for up to 75k wordsFor the author who’s finally completed a first or second draft of their book and wonders, “Is this even good?”
Not because you don’t believe in yourself—you wrote a whole book!—but because you’ve been living and breathing this book for months or years, and it’s hard to see the big picture anymore.
Or, the author whose manuscript is stuck in purgatory (aka that folder you never open). You know it needs work, but you’re not sure where or even how to start your next revision.
Timeline: 4 weeks
Genres: nonfiction and adult fiction.
I don’t work with children’s books or poetry.
What you get:
… learn exactly what’s awesome and what doesn’t hold together in your manuscript
… feedback from the perspective of both a professional editor and a reader (it’s me, I’m both)
… an editorial report outlining both big and small picture things for you to consider during your next revision
… clear, specific, and actionable next steps you can take to make progress toward completing your next draft
… go from overwhelmed to ready to write again
Manuscript Polish
starting at $1,500 for up to 75k wordsFor the author who plans to self-publish or who is working with an independent publishing press.
You feel like you’ve taken your manuscript as far as you can on your own, and you’re ready to hand it off to a pro for the final polish before it’s published.
Timeline: 4-6 weeks
Genres: nonfiction and adult fiction.
I don’t work with children’s books or poetry.
Your Polish Options:
proofread only — I’ll check for typos, grammatical errors, and formatting issues
copyedit only — I’ll check for grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and readability; do some minor fact-checking; and do a tiny bit of line editing to make sure your words flow smoothly and your voice shines through
combination copyedit & proofread — first, I’ll copyedit your manuscript, then you’ll review and implement the edits, and then I’ll do a final proofread
Plus… you’ll get the freedom to relax knowing your book is in good hands
The process is simple
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After you fill out the inquiry form on my contact page, you’ll receive an email with a follow-up questionnaire requesting more details about your project and a writing sample.
I ask for these things because I want to make sure I’m the right editor for you—both in that I can actually give you the kind of help you need and in that we’ve got compatible vibes.
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After reviewing your inquiry and writing sample, I’ll send you a proposal for the work (and a sample edit if you request one in your questionnaire!). This includes a custom quote, a projected timeline, and some extra details about working with me.
Or, if I don’t think I’m the right editor for you, I’ll let you know and send you some recommendations to others I think might be a good fit.
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If you like the proposal, you’ll accept it by signing the contract and making your first payment!
I require a 50% deposit to hold your spot on my books, and the remainder won’t be due until a couple of days before your final files are delivered.
Payments must be complete before any final files are released.
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Contract signed, invoice paid—time to celebrate not having to reread your book for the hundredth time (at least, not for a few weeks). 🎉
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This is your book, so you retain total creative control and get to accept or reject any suggested edits I make. (How’s it feel to have all that power?)
If you do a combination copyedit and proofread for the Manuscript Polish, there will be another round of edits before we close out our project.
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Oh, no for real—that’s the end. You get to publish and start being adored by your readers! Go you!
As your editor, I’ll make sure to…
… keep your unique voice—no whitewashing or making you italicize words in your mother tongue just because the reader might not understand (they can Google it; it’ll be fine).
… leave you cute little comments with my genuine reaction to your writing and storytelling, because it helps the editing process not feel like shit.
… keep your reader at the forefront and make suggestions in their best interest (with yours right behind!).
… look at the big picture while keeping tabs of tiny details so you can be confident your book works on every level.
… root for you endlessly and shout about your book from the rooftops (if you want me to, of course).
Let’s get your manuscript one step closer to published, yeah?