Work with Me

Professional Editing Services for Authors

I’m over the moon with my collaboration with Elyse. 

★★★★★

“Her positive, friendly, and professional approach has made the experience just delightful. She has been fantastic every step of the way. Her skill in copyediting and knowledge of the English language is echoed in her strong communication skills, making every process easy, straightforward and an absolute pleasure.”

—Grace S.

Ready for the next step in creating your book?

Let’s work together.

Discover how.

My Services

  • A page from Elizabeth George's book Write Away.

    Developmental Editing

    Developmental editing tackles the overall structure and content of a book. For fiction, this involves in-depth, collaborative work on issues such as plot, character development, narrative perspective, and theme.

    From $33 per 1,000 words

  • A page from Sandra Gerth's book Show, Don't Tell.

    Line Editing

    Line editing polishes a work at sentence level, focusing on issues such as word choice, phrasing, rhythm, redundancy, and clarity to create vivid, professional prose and ensure the author’s voice shines.

    From $30 per 1,000 words

  • A page from Amy J. Schneider's Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction.

    Copyediting

    Copyediting deals with grammar and spelling, but also so much more! For this service, I also ransack a book for any remaining continuity errors and plot holes, fine-tune phrasing, and double-check facts.

    From $26 per 1,000 words

  • Glasses on a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style

    Proofreading

    Has your book already been copyedited? Proofreading is the final stage before publication. I’ll scrutinize the manuscript for errors that eluded previous rounds of editing. If your book has been typeset, I’ll check for formatting issues.

    From $15 per 1,000 words

  • Author copies of David Vernon's Beethoven: The Late Quartets

    Publishing Support

    Need advice on navigating the indie or traditional publishing world? I offer bespoke services that range from one-off consultations to full-service self-publishing support. (Limited support is also included free with editing services.)

    $70/hour

  • The Nairn Bookshop in the Scottish Highlands.

    Customized Packages

    Most editing services can be combined in a custom package, usually for a lower price: line editing and copyediting, copyediting and proofreading, and so on. Contact me to discuss your needs, or add an extra service to one you’ve booked.

    Price on request

Availability

I currently have a five- to six-month waiting list for full-length book edits.

Contact me for more information, or sign up to my newsletter below for up-to-date information on my availability. You can also ask me about custom services, such as manuscript evaluations, that are not yet listed above.

Don’t forget to check out my Portfolio page for a better understanding of the types of books I edit and look at my About page to get a sense of who I am.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Line editing, copyediting, or proofreading for book-length manuscripts usually involves a turnaround time of up to one month. For developmental edits, we’ll need a minimum of four weeks, depending on the format of our collaboration.

    If you contact me in January and my next available slot is in early May, this means you can expect a completion date of late May to early June, at minimum. However, expedited services are occasionally available upon request.

  • Please see my Portfolio page for a better understanding of what genres I edit. I copyedit, line edit, and proofread most types of fiction, as well as memoirs. I’m much more selective when it comes to developmental editing: I usually work with thrillers, literary fiction, LGBTQ+ literature, and romance, as well as additional projects that happen to be a good fit for my skills and experience (e.g., some types of business and self-help books).

    I also copyedit, proofread, and line edit trade nonfiction (nonfiction for a general audience), as well as some types of scholarly literature, usually related to the humanities. I have experience in Chicago and MLA style and can adapt to other citation systems on request.

  • Absolutely. I’ll never share, publish, or otherwise use your work; if I did, my career as an editor would be over!

  • I work in US and UK English; I’ve also worked in Canadian English. I will not change UK to US English, or vice versa, unless specifically requested.

  • No problem at all! This a common concern. Just reach out to me via my Contact page, and I’ll either meet with you via Zoom or discuss your needs and goals via email.

  • I normally meet clients via Zoom. If you’re more comfortable with a phone call, though, that’ll work as well.

  • Absolutely! Most clients I work with directly pay 50 percent in advance and 50 percent on return of their edited files. However, I’m happy to break that into smaller installments at no extra cost.

  • Yes. I may occasionally recommend additional freelancers to work with you on the same project, but the choice of working with them is yours. I never subcontract or outsource work and pass it off as my own.