My Policies
Pricing
As indicated on the page about line editing, I aim to charge a lower-median price for novels (4 cents per word), with a smaller base price for novellas (3 per) and short stories (2 per). For a full novel, the base price is $2,000 for 50,000 words. For a short story, the base price is $100 for 5,000 words. For a novella, it’s $450 for 15,000 words. Additional words beyond the base price returns to the 4 per pricing.
As also indicated, I am willing to give a discount, within reason, for new writers and those on a tighter budget. Hopefully those receiving such a discount will like my work enough to return with future projects and a budget that fits the above pricing structure, or at least more so.
What wasn’t indicated is this:
If you’re considering hiring me to be your line editor for a novel, you are more than welcome to send me an excerpt of 1,000 words. Consider it something of a free sample. You can try me out before you put down that much cash. If what you get back isn’t to your liking, then I will thank you for your consideration.
Workflow
I handle the work of line editing in four steps.
- Reading – I will print and read through the entire manuscript, making only minimal marks for the most obvious issues, to get familiar with your narrative voice and story. If I have any questions, I will ask before proceeding to step 2.
- Scouring – Having become familiar with the manuscript, I will go back through it and inspect every single sentence thoroughly. I will reach out for clarification of any issues along the way. This is the longest step.
- Digital editing – With the marked-up copy, I will edit the manuscript in Microsoft Word with tracking on. At the end of each day, I will send you each completed chapter. You can review them and return them to me with comments to help guide further editing.
- Finishing – With the full manuscript digitally edited, we will go back-and-forth on any outstanding issues until we are both satisfied with the result.
When life allows, I can edit at a speed well beyond 20,000 words per week, but I will push to have a little more leeway than that. I will do my best to honor any agreed-upon deadlines, but the chaotic nature of life is why I will ask for longer time than my best speed would require. Consider it erring on the side of caution.
For a 5,000-word short story, I would like a week to tinker. For a 15,000-word novella, two weeks should do. For a 50,000 word novel, I ask for a month. More words for each would need a longer deadline, but I will get the work done as efficiently as possible.
Should some disaster occur that might prevent me from finishing the work by the deadline, I will inform you as soon as possible.
Privacy
Unless express permission is given, I will not discuss the work prior to its release with anyone other than my wife. I may post on social media that I am working on something and the amount of progress made on it, but otherwise I will consider myself to be under a non-disclosure agreement until the story is published.
Following publication, I will add the work to my list of completed line edits.
I will retain any files related to the work until publication, unless otherwise is requested. This way, in the unlikely event of a catastrophic system failure, you will have a backup copy available for the asking. Should you inform me that you would like to hire me for future projects, I will continue to retain such files as they may be of use should a future project have any relation to the one I completed.
If there should ever be a falling out between us such that you would refuse to hire me further, I shall delete the files accordingly. I’d rather believe such a thing will not happen, but one never knows.
As of December 17, 2022, these are all the policies I can think of that might need laying out. I will update this page if anything else should arise.