When, Why, and How Much

“Working with Dana was amazing! She really helped me hone in and see what I can do to improve my manuscript as a whole. I highly recommend using her services!”

-S, romance

When to Hire Me

If you’re here, I’m assuming you have a full novel written. Congratulations! Generally I work with writers who have completed at least one draft of their novel. (If you don’t have one but still want to chat, please send a message anyway!)

There’s a timeline sweet spot for getting a developmental edit. If you haven’t sent your book to beta readers or even done a few drafts on your own, then it’s probable the issues I would find would be issues that you or your beta readers could have found without me. And you don’t want to pay someone for edits you could have done on your own!

On the other hand, if you have combed through your book on your own, over and over, and you find yourself absolutely set on things like chapter order and on each specific character, you may find it much harder to accept any big suggestions from me.

So that’s why I always suggest looking for a developmental editor when you have been through your book a few times but are still able to hold things like character development and plot loosely. That will enable you to be able to take suggestions with an open mind.

Why to Hire Me

I have a BA and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska, and am trained by the Editorial Freelance Association. I have been working with authors for just over three years now. I have had 100% positive reviews, and you can check some of those out throughout the website.

 

I’m also happy to provide sample edits. You can send me a five hundred to seven hundred word excerpt  from the middle of the novel and I will provide a free line edit sample.

Prices

In general, developmental edits are the most expensive kind of edits because of the amount of work that editors have to do. (See the section below for what you’ll get when I edit your manuscript.) That said, it’s important for me to keep my edits at a reasonable price so that even those who are self-publishing can afford them. 


As a guide, most of my edits are priced $1500 and below, and I split that price up into two installments. The level of edits needed, the length of the manuscript, and whether we have worked together before all play a part in my pricing. I do provide payments plans.

 

My turnaround time for a manuscript below 100,000 words is 3 weeks.

What You Get with Your Developmental Edit

Each developmental edit will be delivered with two things: the original document with line edits and an Editorial Essay. 

 

 

For the line edits, you can expect comments on every page of your novel. These comments can range from clarifying questions, rephrasing examples for awkward language, and style suggestions.

 

 

The Editorial Essay will be at least a 4,000 word essay that focuses on the bigger issues in your novel. (The exact length will depend on the number of issues, kinds of issues, and length of book.) This is where I will discuss things like character arc, plot holes, pacing, and other big picture items.

 

 

Note: the base price does not include a second pass through your manuscript after you have rewritten to implement some or all of my suggestions. Instead, I will negotiate with you a new, lower price if that is something that you want.

Things I Don't Do

My preferred genres are: Literary, Romance, Fantasy, and Mystery. While I have the most interest and experience in these genres, I am happy to work in almost any genre, but I won’t edit Erotica, books with sexual abuse triggers, or academic work. 

 

 

Something to note: developmental editors are not copy editors. While I will often correct a misspelling or grammatical error if I see it, my focus is on the bigger issues in your book. 

 

 

If these seem like things that would help you and your book, send me a message here, or reach out to book a call! I offer 15 minute consultation calls for free and would love to talk to you.

“I sent a huge file to Dana and she was able to complete the order very quickly. And she was so thorough. Her line edits were numerous but that's a good thing. She took the time to go through the entire story and every suggestion she offered made the story stronger and more cohesive.”

-N, cozy mystery