developmental editing checklist

Next spring, I need to get new windows for this ancient house. Accordingly, if you ever wanted to give yourself the gift of an edit from an experienced editor/writer/teacher who is also a Locus and World Fantasy Award nominee and Nebula award winner, I highly encourage it. All edits/reads include the chance to identify particular spots for feedback in advance and to ask questions afterward.

Here’s what I offer:

Story editorial read

$50 per 5,000 words. This is not an edit. It is a 1-2 page analysis that includes notes on suggested changes, weak spots, and other editorial feedback. Stories over 5,000 words will be pro-rated at $5 per additional 500 words.

Novel editorial read

$1000 per 100.000 words. This is not an edit. It is a chapter by chapter analysis that includes notes on suggested changes, weak spots, and other editorial feedback. I will include a copyedit of the first chapter (up to ten pages) to show patterns and suggestions at the sentence level. Works over 5,000 words will be pro-rated at $10 per additional 1000 words.

Story copyedit

$100 per 5,000 words. This is a rigorous edit of something you consider finished, with changes tracked and explanatory notes. If you are not happy with it, I will return your money. Stories over 5,000 words will be pro-rated at $10 per additional 500 words.

Novel copyedit

Because this can vary greatly, the fee is based on how much work I’m looking at. Send one chapter and the word length and I can provide an estimate.

Got a project that doesn’t fit any of these? Feel free to mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net (it would be handy if you use the subject line “Edit Request”) with the details.

Projects will be added to my work queue in the order they are received. If you need your work prioritized due to a deadline, there is an additional rush fee.

The question of hiring an editor often comes up in my classes, and since editor for hire is one of the hats I wear, I wanted to provide some overview. There are different kinds of edits. I’m focusing on two: the developmental edit versus the copy edit. You might also hire someone to proofread, where they are simply looking for mistakes and errors, rather than making any editorial suggestions.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt put together this developmental editing checklist for novels after the first session of my online editing class. (Details on the next time the editing class will be offered.)

I guest blogged on the Dark Continents website about why I believe Small Presses are the Risk-takers.

In TAFT 2012, a time-traveling President Taft gets dragged into the 2012 election cycle. I interviewed its author, Jason Heller, for the SFWA blog.

My story, Acquainted with the Night, can be found in a really fun anthology of superhero fiction put together by Lincoln Crisler, CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY?

I’m appearing at MidSouthCon this weekend as their Editor Guest of Honor. While there I’ll be giving a talk entitled “We’re All Bozos On This Bus: The Truth About Electronic Publishing.” I’ll put the text up on here afterwards.