Book Editing
Professional Book Editing Services
You have a finished draft and you are too close to it to see what a reader will trip over. We edit manuscripts at the level they actually need, from a final proofread to a full line edit, so the book reads the way you meant it to.
Starting from
$10
- Edited by an in-house team, never subcontracted
- Tracked changes, so every edit is yours to accept
- Revisions included until the brief is met
- Each manuscript quoted with its own timeline
The problem
Most authors buy the wrong kind of edit
Editing is not one service. It is a sequence of passes, each looking at a different layer of the book: the structure and story, then the sentences, then the correctness of every word, then the final typeset pages. Paying for a proofread on a manuscript whose chapters are in the wrong order wastes money, because the proofread work is thrown away when the chapters are rewritten.
The opposite mistake is just as common. An author whose story is sound pays for heavy line editing when what the book needs is a clean copy edit and a proofread. The result costs more and can flatten a voice that did not need changing.
So we start by reading a sample of your manuscript and telling you which level of edit it needs, and why. If it is ready for a proofread, we say so.
Levels of editing
The three edits we offer, and what each one fixes
Editors broadly agree on the order: bigger questions first, surface errors last. These are the sentence-level and final passes most finished drafts need.
Line editing
Sentence by sentence work on clarity, rhythm and voice. We cut repetition, tighten slack paragraphs, fix dialogue that sounds written rather than spoken and flag passages where the meaning is unclear. Best for a draft whose story is settled but whose prose is not.
Copy editing
Correctness and consistency: grammar, punctuation, spelling, word usage, and the details that drift across a long book, such as a character's eye colour, the spelling of a place name, or how numbers and dates are styled. We keep a style sheet so the rules stay the same on page 300 as on page 3.
Proofreading
The last check before publication, ideally on the formatted pages. We catch typos, missing words, doubled spaces, broken hyphenation and layout problems the earlier passes could not see, because they did not exist until the book was typeset.
Not sure which option fits?
Send us the brief. You will get a scope, a timeline and a fixed price within 24 hours — no obligation.
- A free sample edit of a short passage, so you can judge the editor's touch before you commit
- Your manuscript returned in Word with tracked changes and margin comments
- A clean copy with all changes accepted, for easy reading
- A style sheet listing spelling choices, names, terms and formatting rules used in your book
- An editorial note summarising recurring issues, so you know what to watch for in your next book
- US, UK, Canadian or Australian English, matched to your market
- Questions answered on any edit you disagree with or do not understand
How it works
From manuscript to edited file
1. Send the manuscript
Tell us the genre, word count, where the book is going (self-publishing, an agent, a publisher) and any deadline. Attach the full file or the first chapters.
2. Assessment and quote
We read a sample, recommend the level of edit, and give you a fixed price and a delivery date. A book is never rushed to fit a turnaround meant for short articles.
3. The edit
One editor works through the whole manuscript, so voice and decisions stay consistent from start to finish. Questions about intent are left as comments rather than guessed at.
4. Review and follow-up
You accept or reject changes, ask about anything unclear, and we revise until the brief is met. If you want a proofread after layout, it can be booked as the next step.
Fiction and non-fiction
What changes between genres
In fiction, a line editor is listening for voice. The goal is to make your sentences sound more like you, not like the editor. That means leaving deliberate fragments alone, keeping dialect and character voice consistent, and watching point of view so the reader always knows whose head they are in.
In non-fiction, the priority is that the reader understands and trusts what they are reading. We check that terms are defined before they are used, that headings match what the section actually says, that lists and examples are parallel, and we flag any claim that looks like it needs a source. We do not fact-check every statement unless that is agreed in the brief, and we will tell you where we think a check is needed.
Memoirs, cookbooks, business books and children's books each have their own conventions, and we ask about them at the brief stage rather than assume.
Honest limits
What editing will not do
Editing makes a manuscript clearer, cleaner and more consistent. It does not guarantee an agent will sign you or that the book will sell, and we will not suggest otherwise. If your draft has structural problems, such as a plot that stalls in the middle or a non-fiction argument that repeats itself, we will say so in the assessment, because line editing on top of a structural problem only polishes it.
No edit catches literally every error in a long book. That is why professional publishing uses separate passes, and why a proofread on the final formatted pages is worth doing even after a thorough copy edit.
Pricing
What book editing costs
Pricing is per 1,000 words: proofreading from $10, copy editing from $20 and line editing from $30. A 60,000-word novel therefore starts from $600 for a proofread. The final quote depends on how much the manuscript needs, the subject (technical or heavily referenced books take longer) and your deadline.
You get the full price and delivery date in writing after we have seen a sample, so there are no surprises when the edited file arrives.
Free proposal
Tell us the goal. We’ll send the plan.
Share your requirements and a strategist gets back to you within 24 hours with scope, timeline and a fixed price. No obligation, no sales pressure.
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Response within 24 hours
Usually much sooner during business hours.
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Talk to a strategist
Not a call centre — the person who scopes your work.
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Fixed pricing upfront
You approve the number before anything starts.
Prefer to talk?
[email protected]Questions
Questions about book editing
Still unsure about something? Talk to a specialist — no script, no sales pitch.
If readers or beta readers say the story or argument works but the writing feels clunky, you probably need a line edit. If the prose is strong but you know there are errors and inconsistencies, a copy edit. If the book has already been edited and formatted, a proofread. Send us a sample and we will recommend one level, with reasons.
Our rates start at $10 per 1,000 words for proofreading, $20 for copy editing and $30 for line editing. The exact price depends on the condition of the manuscript, the subject and the deadline. You receive a fixed quote after we have read a sample, before any work starts.
It depends on length and the level of edit. A proofread moves faster than a line edit of the same book, and a long, technical manuscript takes longer than a short novel. Each book is quoted with its own timeline, and if you have a launch or submission date, tell us when you send the file.
It should not. Every change is shown as a tracked edit, and anything that touches meaning or style is explained in a comment so you can decide. If you feel a passage has lost your voice, reject the change or ask us to revisit it. Revisions are included until the brief is met.
Yes. Editing for self-publishing is the same work as editing for a publisher: the reader expects a clean, consistent book either way. If you want help with formatting, the cover or the publishing steps afterwards, those are separate services we can quote alongside the edit.
Yes. Your manuscript is used only to edit your book and is never shared or reused. The editing is done by our in-house team, not passed to freelancers, and we can sign your NDA before you send the file.
Works well with
Pair it with the rest of the stack
Book Layout and Design
Typeset interiors for print and ebook after the edit.
Learn moreBook Cover Design
A cover that fits your genre and your trim size.
Learn moreProofreading Services
Proofreading for shorter documents and web copy.
Learn moreBook Publishing
Getting the finished book into print and onto stores.
Learn moreReady when you are
Ready to work with the pros?
Get a free proposal in 24 hours — scope, timeline and fixed price. No obligation, no lock-in contract.
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