Copy Editing
Copy Editing Services for Your Book
Copyediting is the edit that makes a finished draft read cleanly: grammar, consistency, word choice and the small factual slips readers notice. We copyedit manuscripts with tracked changes and a style sheet, so every decision is yours to accept.
- Edited by an in-house team, never subcontracted
- Tracked changes, so you approve every edit
- Style sheet delivered with your manuscript
- Revisions included until the brief is met
Where it fits
What copyediting is, and what it is not
Editing happens in layers. Developmental editing looks at the big picture: structure, plot, pacing, argument. Line editing works on the style and rhythm of your prose. Copyediting comes after both, when the content is settled, and works sentence by sentence on correctness and consistency. Proofreading is the final check of the formatted pages before publication.
Copyediting is the right edit if your book says what you want it to say and is organised the way you want, but you know there are errors, inconsistencies and clumsy sentences you can no longer see. It is not the right edit if you are still unsure about the plot or the structure; money spent copyediting chapters you later cut is money wasted.
If you are not sure which stage your manuscript is at, the sample edit we do before quoting will show it.
- Grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage, to the style guide you choose
- Consistency: character names, spellings, capitalisation, hyphenation, numbers and dates
- Continuity slips, such as eye colours that change or a Tuesday that becomes a Thursday
- Word repetition, unclear sentences and ambiguous pronouns
- Light fact checking of names, places and dates that a reader could easily check
- Dialogue punctuation and formatting conventions for fiction
- Headings, lists, citations and references for non-fiction
- Queries in the margin wherever a change would alter your meaning
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.
What you get
What comes back to you
Tracked-changes manuscript
Every edit visible in Word, so you can accept or reject each one. Nothing is silently rewritten.
Author queries
Comments where we need your decision, explaining the issue and suggesting options.
Style sheet
A record of every spelling, name and style decision in your book, useful for proofreaders, sequels and audiobook narrators.
Clean copy
A second file with changes accepted, ready for typesetting once you have reviewed the queries.
Style and voice
Correct, without flattening your voice
Most US book publishing follows The Chicago Manual of Style, now in its 18th edition, published in 2024. We use it by default for US English and adapt for UK, Australian or Canadian conventions if your book is aimed at those markets. If you have a publisher's house style, we follow that instead.
A good copyeditor knows when to leave rules alone. A narrator who speaks in fragments, dialect in dialogue, or a deliberate run-on sentence are choices, not errors. We note the choice in your style sheet and apply it consistently, rather than correcting it away.
How it works
From manuscript to clean copy
1. Sample edit
Send your manuscript and we copyedit a short sample before quoting, so you can see our approach and we can confirm the right level of edit.
2. Quote and schedule
A fixed price based on word count and the condition of the text, and a delivery date.
3. Copyedit
Your editor works through the whole manuscript, building the style sheet as they go.
4. Your review
You accept or reject changes and answer queries; we resolve any follow-up questions with you.
Pricing
What copyediting costs
Copyediting is quoted per manuscript. The price depends on the word count, the genre and how much work the text needs, which is why the sample edit comes first. A clean, well-revised manuscript costs less to copyedit than an early draft, and non-fiction with references and citations takes longer than straightforward prose.
Every book is quoted with its own timeline. Copyediting reduces errors a great deal, but no single pass catches everything, so we recommend a separate proofread of the typeset pages before publication.
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 copy editing
Still unsure about something? Talk to a specialist — no script, no sales pitch.
Copyediting works on the manuscript before layout, correcting grammar, consistency, clarity and usage sentence by sentence. Proofreading happens after typesetting and catches remaining typos and layout problems such as bad page breaks. Most books benefit from both, done by different people, because fresh eyes find different errors.
It should not. A copyeditor corrects errors and inconsistencies and flags unclear sentences, but your voice stays yours. Every change is tracked, intentional stylistic choices are recorded in the style sheet, and anything that might change your meaning is raised as a query rather than changed.
It depends on length and condition. A shorter, clean manuscript may take a week or two; a long or complex book takes longer. We give you a delivery date with the quote. Rushing a copyedit tends to mean missed errors, so plan time for it before your publication date.
Only if the structure, plot or argument still needs work. If beta readers or a previous editor have raised big-picture issues, fix those first. Our sample edit will show whether your manuscript is ready for copyediting or would benefit from an earlier stage.
For US English books, The Chicago Manual of Style by default. We adapt to UK and other English conventions where your market needs it, and follow any house style a publisher provides. Your preferences go into the style sheet so they are applied throughout.
Yes. Self-publishing authors use copyediting before layout and upload. Authors querying agents sometimes copyedit the opening chapters or full manuscript so it reads cleanly, though agents and publishers will usually edit again after acquisition. Either way, you get tracked changes and a style sheet to keep.
Works well with
Pair it with the rest of the stack
Ready 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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