Editing
Available Services
- manuscript assessment
- developmental editing
- instructional editing
- ghostwriting/rewriting
- copyediting
Notable Recent Projects
Please click through on the covers to explore these lovely books on Amazon, to sample the quality and diversity of the writing and the level of editing I have provided--from light copyediting for The Gift of the Seer to heavy reorganization and developmental editing for Bring Me Back Home.
Praise From Clients
Dozens of private clients and Reedsy clients have enjoyed our collaborations over the last few years, and I invite you to sample their feedback on a wide variety of projects, including memoirs, anthologies, novels in series, and historical, fantasy, contemporary, and other fiction.
Let's Talk About Your Project . . .
Send me a message to begin a conversation about your editing needs. My industry-standard fees range from light copyediting to deep consultation or ghost writing. You may expect a refund if my time takes less than 90% of the estimate.
Here is how we will proceed:
- After our initial discussion with the message form on this page, you submit a representative sample of about 3000 words of your project.
- I evaluate your needs and demonstrate the different levels of editing you might want to consider, in a sample of 500-1000 words.
- You decide on a level of service and I will prepare a contract and invoice you with a nonrefundable booking fee of $100, or you may skip the deposit if you prefer to wait for my availability.
- By the agreed start date you send your manuscript and remit half the total invoice, minus the booking fee. When I complete 10%-20% of the project, I will submit a report and the edits for your approval, with any billing adjustments needed.
- You approve the work and remit the remainder of the fee, and I will complete the project by the expected due date. (Returning clients may pay the balance at project completion.)
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ALLi members enjoy a 5% discount, but you must notify me before billing. Use the ALLi seal below to explore membership, for which I earn a small
commission - thank you!
Use this button to make a deposit or pay on your editing account via PayPal
Need a low-cost option? Consider manuscript assessment or editing of just a chapter or two . . .
More Details . . .
With over thirty-five years' experience teaching and writing for academia, business, government, and the creative world, and as an independent author myself, I can help your writing rise to its highest level. I am a Partner Member and under the oversight of the Alliance of Independent Authors. I use industry-standard fees of the Editorial Freelancers Association, of which I am a member, and I have completed their course in Intermediate Developmental Editing.
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Consider the unique offerings below. Do you want an opinion on whether your work is publishable, or about what would improve it? Email or use the form above to discuss your needs - I will provide detailed, transparent fee quotes for your unique project. You may download a copy of my curriculum vitae at the bottom of the page.
In 2019 I began offering manuscript assessments and highly recommend them for those who want to know how a careful reader experiences their book. This service includes detailed feedback of several thousand words, designed to serve as a light developmental edit. I will honestly let you know how much editing your book requires, and my comments have been enough to guide many writers through a revision that readies them for copyediting at the next stage. I offer this service for $700 for a 50k-word short novel, for example. I work mostly with contemporary, literary, and historical fiction, and I am open to romance, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, or YA or MG with higher-level historical or literary interest. I prefer not to read explicit sexual content, heavy violence, nor occult material.
Instructional Editing / Coaching
Blending the best of my experience guiding student writers with my desire to help aspiring authors bring their work to market, I will work with your story or novel draft, a chapter at a time, to address your most pressing needs. Using my feedback, you will revise the evaluated portion and apply the principles of the evaluation guidance to improve subsequent chapters, which you will submit as you work with them. This service is designed for those who are open to learning more about the craft of writing, who are willing to consider their drafts as raw material that can be developed into marketable fiction. (Also available for nonfiction.) Consider this service intensive tutoring for your development as a writer. Rates are based on the time actually spent according to YOUR needs, but you can anticipate something like $2000 - $4000 for a 50k-word manuscript in a collaboration of six months or so.
Interested in my taste in books? See my reviews on Amazon here or on Goodreads here.
I now do most of my editing services through Reedsy, "where authors meet the best publishing professionals." My services on Reedsy include additional charges but allow you to compare the services of vetted editors and designers, with guarantees of your satisfaction. Please take a look at my profile here: Cindy Marsch - Editor. Note that if you contact me via Reedsy first, we must complete all our work together via Reedsy.
See a founder of Reedsy in a BBC World News interview here.
Read Reedsy's great blog post here describing the roles of different kinds of fiction editors.
Members of ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors, enjoy a 5% discount on all services. Click on the seal above to learn more.
