I offer substantive editing, copy and stylistic editing, and proofreading for a number of different genres, and I now also provide book indexing for biographies, memoirs and cookbooks. Wondering what these different editing services involve, and which would be most appropriate for your project? Learn more details below.
Substantive Editing
Substantive editing (also known as structural or developmental editing) looks at “big picture” issues such as structure, organization, length, plot, theme, character development, dialogue, POV, and more.
This stage comes early in the editing process, and it works to strengthen the foundations of a manuscript.
During a substantive edit, I will read your manuscript twice and develop a letter of personalized feedback and recommendations for you (5-7 pages for book-length prose, and 3-5 pages for poetry or shorter prose).
This service is currently offered for fiction, poetry, and memoir/biography.
RATES: $50 CAD per hour. The number of hours required will depend on the length and genre of the manuscript.
Copy Editing & Stylistic Editing
Copy editing aims for correctness, consistency, and clarity in the spelling, grammar, and punctuation of your manuscript. It may involve implementing a specific set of style rules, such as APA or Chicago.
Stylistic editing helps strengthen the tone and flow of your writing, adjusting sentences or word choices to help you connect with your chosen audience more effectively.
During a copy edit or stylistic edit, I will read your manuscript line by line and insert edits and comments into an MS Word document (with the “track changes” tool used to highlight edits). You’ll be able to review and accept or reject changes yourself.
Copy editing and stylistic editing are often done together — or you can choose one, as needed. This service is offered for a variety of genres.
RATES: $40 CAD per hour. The number of hours required will depend on the length of the manuscript, how much editing is required (i.e., a light edit or heavy edit), and whether it includes any special elements such as references, graphs, or charts.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final stage of editing, completed only after a manuscript has been copy edited and fully formatted (i.e., assembled in final layout form, with page numbering, table of contents, and all front/back matter included).
During a proofread, I will carefully examine every letter, piece of punctuation, line, paragraph, and visual element for errors or inconsistencies. Proofreading is the final line of defense against typos before a piece of writing is published, and it can help catch any mistakes accidentally introduced during the layout and formatting process.
This service is offered for a variety of genres.
RATES: $35 CAD per hour. The number of hours required will depend on the length of the manuscript and whether it includes special elements such as citations, images, or indexes.
Indexing
Indexing is the process of building and organizing a reference index of relevant terms found throughout a manuscript. Indexes are most often found at the back of a non-fiction book, but they can also be helpful for reports, anthologies, collections, and other texts.
During the creation of an index, I will read your manuscript multiple times; make note of significant words, topics, and terms; and organize them into headings and sub-headings that readers can use to quickly and effectively navigate your text without having to sort through unimportant information. If you already have a list of terms you want included, I can work with you to incorporate these.
*Presently, I provide indexes only for print books, not ebooks. I offer indexing primarily for biographies, memoirs, and cookbooks, but I’m open to some other genres as well — ask me, and I’ll see if I’m a good fit for your project.
RATES: $5 CAD per page (one page = 250 words).
Costs for each project depend on factors such as the wordcount, the type of project (for example, a short story vs. an academic article), and the question of whether your text needs a light or heavy edit. If you’re working with a fixed budget, we can factor this into discussion.
Georgia Atkin 