Fiction or Nonfiction:
Manuscript Evaluation: After carefully reading your manuscript, I’ll offer an overall assessment of its unique strengths and weaknesses, taking into account matters of craft such as structure, plot, pacing, characterization, dialogue, language and style, and/or any other areas that call for attention. I’ll also offer concrete suggestions for revision using examples from your own work. The cost of Manuscript Evaluation is $2 per page (one page = 250 words), and there is a minimum page limit of 125. (You can use my Consultation services, billed at an hourly rate, for shorter works.) Manuscript Evaluations typically run 12-15 pages.
Line Editing: Line editing is intensive, line-by-line editing done directly within an electronic copy of your manuscript. Line editing is always highly specific to a given manuscript and can accomplish anything from enlivening flat dialogue to making your manuscript flow to cutting unnecessary passages to finding just the right word to express your meaning, and it encompasses copyediting. It can be the final scrub that leaves a manuscript ready for publication or if necessary, can constitute what some have referred to as book “doctoring.” Every author with books on the shelves has been through some type of line editing process; even the most accomplished writers need an objective eye to give a final yea or nay to their prose. I sometimes use line editing in a consultation capacity so you can have “real time” reactions to your writing, but the goal of line editing in most cases is to leave you with a polished, publication-ready manuscript. Line editing fees range from $7 - $15 per page. To determine the fee, I review a few random sections from your manuscript. Obviously, the more work your manuscript needs, the higher the fee for editing.
Consultation: Consultation hours are perfect for editing shorter works such as short stories, speeches, articles, individual chapters, or the all-important query letter. If you'd like to use Consultation hours on an ongoing basis (for example, to submit a book for evaluation chapter by chapter), I offer a discounted hourly rate.
You can also use consultation hours to speak with me about any aspect of your writing or the publishing industry you need to discuss. Examples of past consultation topics include: the commercial viability of a proposed book; an on-the-spot workshop of a pitch; a query letter workshop or assistance in writing a query letter; a recommendation of agents who are suitable for a particular work; a detailed description of the publication process; tips for improving a book proposal; ways to promote your project; and ways to improve your author platform. The topic is up to you.
My consultation fee is $65 per hour or $40 per half hour. Consultations can be done by phone or by video conference, and if you're in the Des Moines area, I'm happy to meet with you in person.
Nonfiction only:
Cover to Cover: If you need someone to guide you through the entire process of getting your ideas onto the page to getting your nonfiction project to the bookstore shelves, the Cover to Cover service is for you. The Cover to Cover service includes strategizing on ideas and execution, full book proposal preparation, full manuscript preparation (200-300 manuscript pages), and query letter. In addition, I'll help you formulate your marketing platform so as to make your book proposal as salable as possible. In short, if you opt for the Cover to Cover service, you're hiring a writer, an editor, a consultant, and an advocate to help you through the often lengthy and arduous process of creation to publication. This service extends many months, but the actual writing normally takes no more than six to eight months. The cost of the Cover to Cover service can vary widely and depends upon the length of the manuscript and the amount of research your project will require. During our initial phone consultation, we would discuss your needs and I would provide a firm quote shortly thereafter.
Manuscript Preparation: The cost of the Manuscript service for a 200 - 300-page manuscript ranges widely depending on the length of the manuscript and the amount of research it will require, so I would provide a firm quote after discussing your needs with you. Please note that nonfiction books are sold on proposal rather than a completed manuscript, so in most circumstances, Manuscript Preparation occurs after you have already sold your proposal. (Some clients, for instance, have sold proposals on the strength of their platform and now need assistance in writing or editing their book.) If you have not yet prepared a book proposal, see below....
Book Proposal Preparation: My Book Proposal Preparation service leaves you with a polished, professional proposal that will attract the eye of agents and acquisitions editors. To date, every book proposal I've written has been signed by an agent (one in as little as four hours, and one in as little as two). A book proposal normally consists of an overview of your ideas, an assessment of your competitors, a description of your marketing or promotional platform, a brief biography of you, an annotated table of contents (i.e. chapter summaries), and two sample chapters. Including sample chapters, a full book proposal usually runs 50 - 75 pages.
eBooks: If you'd like to forego the mainstream publishing route and publish digitally, I can produce a full manuscript in a matter of months. eBooks are often shorter than print manuscripts and book proposals are not required, so the production timetable is much faster for an eBook. Fees are adjusted accordingly.