Editing and proofreading
Our team offers the different stages of fiction and non-fiction editing:
- Development Editing
- Editorial reports
- Manuscript critiques
- Copy-editing
- Proofreading
Development Editing
This is the first stage of editing a new manuscript – it is the big-picture storytelling. A development edit will present an editorial report together with notes and edits within the manuscript. This report is an assessment of how each of the different storytelling elements have been handled and contains suggestions of how the manuscript might be improved upon by strengthening them. These elements include: theme; genre; story; plot; structure; characters; point of view, scene, dialogue, voice and narrative style.
Your editor will make notes and edits within the manuscript using Track Changes. This will highlight specific instances of where the manuscript might be improved.
Editorial reports
An editorial report fits between a development edit and a manuscript critique. It does not look at spelling and grammar but will look at the manuscript chapter by chapter and highlight possible errors, plot holes, etc.
Manuscript critique
A manuscript critique looks at the big-picture storytelling components, as with developmental editing, but no changes are made to the manuscript and a shorter, An report is given.
Copy-editing
Copy-editors do a lot more than just correct errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and usage. Your copy-editor will read the text several times and in a work of fiction they may check for things like plot holes, consistency in characters (names, descriptions, etc.), viewpoint shifts, tense and sudden changes from first to third person, if they haven’t been ironed out in a development edit.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final check before a document is sent for publication, and after a copy-edit has taken place and amendments made.
Prices
You are probably wanting to know how much these all cost; well, how long is a piece of string?
Every piece of writing is different and is assessed and priced individually. It depends on the word count, how much work is required and whether or not there is a tight deadline.
An example could be: a copy-edit on 80,000 words would be between £800 and £1,000 depending on how much work is required.
A member of the team would be happy to talk to you and advise – no obligation.