My editing services

“I highly recommend Sarah to anyone looking to elevate their manuscript. I am thrilled with the final result and will definitely work with her again in the future!”

— Iryna M.

$0.011 to $0.20 per word

Best for:

A manuscript that has been through one round of editing and is ready for a detailed polish to straighten out inconsistencies in style—plus comments and questions about confusing sections.

Copy editing

I do multiple passes through your manuscript to address:

• Consistency (character names, physical descriptions and details, etc.)

• Adherence to CMOS (or your preferred style guide)

• Punctuation, spelling, typos, duplicated/missing words

• Wordiness

• Unintentional shifts in verb tense or tone

• Contradictions or redundancies

• Plot inconsistencies

• Light fact-checking

A copy edit can range from light to heavy, depending on our consultation and what you want. All copy edits ensure that the language throughout the entire piece is polished, clear, and grammatical. For heavier copy edits, I make thoughtful comments to suggest small-to-medium style improvements to streamline clunky sentences or clarify areas that may confuse readers.

Includes the creation of a stylesheet.

All copy edits start with a sample edit to determine a) if we're a good fit and b) the custom quote price.

Copy Edit Deliverables:

A copy of your manuscript with:

• tracked-change edits

• comments explaining edits

• comments flagging any out-of-scope issues

• reader feedback comments (if desired)

A stylesheet with:

• your language and style preferences

• list of characters, locations, and worldbuilding details

• plot timeline

$0.007 to $0.01 per word

I do one proofreading pass through your manuscript, focusing purely on “technical” errors:

• Typos

• Spelling

• Grammar

• Punctuation

• Sequential chapter numbers

• Duplicate/missing words

• Capitalization/font consistency

• Formatting/layout consistency

A proofread does not include any edits for style, sentence structure, or flow, but eliminates even the smallest errors to give your work its final, word-perfect polish so that it’s ready for self-publishing or querying.

Best for:

A final draft that needs a pair of eagle eyes to catch any remaining errors before publishing.

Proofreading

Add proofreading to a copyedit for $0.005 per word

Proofread Deliverables:

A copy of your manuscript with:

• tracked-change edits

• comments flagging any larger issues (if desired)

• reader feedback comments (if desired)

Referral discount

Returning author discount

Price ranges

After your first project with me, if you return and book me for a second, third, fourth, etc., you get 10% off each future booking.

Per-word prices within the given ranges are determined based on manuscript and the level of editing you want, which we'll determine during our consultation and sample edit.

For example, proofreads on page proofs are at the lower end of the proofreading price scale, and heavy copy edits on manuscripts that haven't undergone prior editing are at the higher end of the copy editing price scale.

If you refer another author to me, and that author books me for a service...

• You get 10% off your next project with me.

• The author you referred gets 10% off their first project with me.

“I never felt confined by the rules of grammar with Sarah, as she left me several opportunities to let my own style (and the characters' voices) shine through while still making sure my manuscript was professionally edited!”

— Cassie Truett, author of the Whittaker Ranch series

1. Contact

Fill in my contact form to tell me about your manuscript. I'll reach out to discuss your pub date, my availability, and other details to start the process.

2. Free sample edit

After we chat a bit, I'll edit 1,000 words of your manuscript for free. This helps you get a sense of my work as you choose an editor, and it helps me get a feel for your manuscript. Win-win!

3. Sign contract

If we decide to move forward, we'll both sign a contract outlining the date of your booking, scope of work, payment plan, expectations, and a few terms and conditions to protect us both.

You'll also fill out my intake form (with a few more details to help me personalize my editing services to exactly what you need) and pay a deposit to hold your spot on my books.

4. Start of edit

My favorite part—I dive in and complete the edit. This usually takes 1-4 weeks (our contract outlines the firm deadline), and I'll get in touch with you as I work to ask questions or to update you on my progress.

6. Afterward

Take a few days to go through the edits, ask me any and all questions you have about them. I want you to be over-the-moon happy with your manuscript, and I'll work with you to make sure that happens. (I don't deliver and dash, and I've never had a client be unhappy with my work!)

Edited manuscript, with tracked changes and query comments

Stylesheet (for copyedits only)

*On a tight budget? Let's chat! I can offer longer payment plans that work for most budgets.

I do not use generative AI in any of my work. I love what I do; why would I let a machine have all the fun?

How it works

5. Delivery of edit

On or before the date specified in the contract, I'll deliver your edited manuscript! Remember, all my edits are suggestions, and YOU are the final arbiter with the power to accept or reject them as you see fit.

Manuscript for editing

Second payment: 25%

Update emails as I work to let you know how things are going and/or ask questions

Optional: aftercare phone/video chat

Final payment: 50%*

Editorial services contract

First payment: 25% deposit

1,000-word snippet from the middle of your manuscript

Intake form

Optional: Intro phone/video chat

Contact form

Get in touch

Have a question? Ready to hire an editor? Fill out my contact form to tell me a bit about your project, and I'll get back to you within 48 hours.