01
Developmental editing
Structure, argument, scope, and sequence, while the draft can still change.
Book editing for nonfiction
A book does not need every kind of editing at once. It needs the right reader at the right stage, with clear attention to the thinking, the sentences, and the final page.
The three stages
01
Structure, argument, scope, and sequence, while the draft can still change.
02
Rhythm, clarity, emphasis, and the sentence-level movement of the book, including copy editing and technical consistency.
Copy editing, as part of this stage →03
Typos, dropped words, and format slips on the final pages.
What does a book editor do?
A book editor reads for the work you are trying to make. That can mean seeing the architecture before worrying about a sentence, helping a paragraph carry its weight, making the style consistent, or catching the small errors that remain when the book is otherwise ready.
Read what a book editor does, and how the three stages relate.
Book editor cost
Cost is shaped by the manuscript’s word count, condition, subject, schedule, and the kind of editing it needs. A developmental read asks different questions from a proofread, and a clean 50,000-word manuscript asks different questions from a sprawling first draft.
Entry prices and a full pricing ladder are published on the pricing page, so a prospective author can see what the work costs before enquiring. Every package is then quoted to the specific manuscript, because the number depends on length, condition, subject, schedule, and the kind of editing it needs. The published ranges are a starting point, not a quote.
The next page
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