So you’re considering having your manuscript edited, but it’s a daunting decision to make. You’ve put so much of yourself into your book. What if the editor heartlessly tears it apart? Or what if they don’t say much that’s helpful? It’s awful to think of wasting that much money and time.
These are concerns I know intimately, having been in your shoes before. In fact, my first experience hiring a freelance editor was poor one…and that’s why I’m so determined to make working with me a positive, enriching, encouraging experience. I know I can’t fully erase the anxiety that goes with handing your manuscript over to someone else, but I hope that I can ease it by giving you a detailed look at the process.
What Happens when you Hire Me as a Substantive Editor for Your Book
Free Fifteen-Minute Consultation
When someone reaches out about a substantive edit, I always want to make sure that our expectations are fully aligned, and that I’m the right fit for the project. That’s why I’ll start by scheduling a free fifteen-minute consultation with you by phone. I’ll also ask you to share an excerpt of your book so that I can review it before we chat.
During the consultation, I’ll ask you what your vision for your book is, whether you expect to pursue self- or traditional publishing, and how complete you consider the manuscript to be. If you already have an idea of what its weaknesses or challenges are, I’ll get you to talk about those. Based on that information, I might say, “Yes, it sounds like you’re ready for a substantive edit; let’s talk about a schedule.” Sometimes, though, I can tell a text is still going to go through some significant transformations, so a full substantive edit won’t be worth it to you. In those cases, I might recommend instead that you start with a focused counselling call or a manuscript evaluation. Or we might choose to do a substantive edit of just a portion of the book.
Once in a while, I turn down a project outright. It isn’t that I don’t want to work with you…but if you’re writing, say, a graphic-novel parody of the horror genre, I simply don’t have the expertise you need. However, I’ll do my best to point you in the direction of someone who does.
A final important aspect of this conversation is finding out what you want from this partnership. Some people know their book will never be traditionally published, and they also know they can’t bear to have certain things about their manuscript changed, even if those changes would make it more marketable. Others want to learn everything they can from the experience and to get better at writing for publication. Some don’t have much time for revisions and would rather I rewrite a paragraph than coach them through doing it themselves.
In every case, I adapt my approach to what the client wants: no judgment, no problem. If I were working for a publishing company, my responsibility would be to help you make the most marketable book possible. But because you are the one hiring me, you get to determine what the goal of our relationship is.
You are also welcome to request a sample edit of up to 1,000 words for a novel-length work.
Quote for Services
After our conversation, I’ll provide you with a quote based on the scope of the project. In most cases, I’ll quote three different figures for the three tiers of services I offer (more on those later). You’re always welcome to ask questions about the quote.
As a freelancer in the province of Ontario, I am required to charge sales tax for clients within Canada. That tax is based on the province you live in. You’ll see the sales tax clearly broken out on your quote.
If you live outside of Canada, I don’t have to charge you sales tax. In addition, I can convert my fee into US dollars as needed.
Invoice and Contract
Once you approve the quote, I’ll send you a contract. Most professional editors use one, because they’re good for all parties concerned. With a contract, the author’s intellectual property is officially protected, and so is the editor’s time. It also lays out the schedule we’ve agreed to follow, and exactly what you can expect me to deliver.
Along with the contract, I’ll send you an invoice based on the quote we agreed on. It will tell you how much money is owing as a deposit to begin the project; the rest will be due when I deliver the edit. Once I receive the deposit, I’ll begin work.
The Process of a Substantive Edit
During the substantive edit I read your manuscript, pausing frequently to write comments. As a substantive editor, I very rarely make any changes to your book—unless, as mentioned above, you’ve said you prefer me to rewrite passages where that’s quicker than coaching you. For the most part, I relay to you the reader’s experience of reading your work. Where that experience is less than smooth, I make suggestions about how to increase clarity, improve flow, and solve problems. If I have questions, I’ll reach out to you and ask them so that I have all the context I need to do the best job possible.
Some In-Line Comments I Might Leave
On a novel:
“This reveal might be more satisfying in Chapter 25. Right now, the characters only have a moment to react before Smith makes his declaration, which saps a lot of the power the event could have. It would only require a few changes to delay the secret coming out; I’ll highlight the affected passages in yellow.”
“This scenario is so relatable! And the character growth we get from it is excellent. I did have to read the scene a few times to understand the order of events, though. Can you add a few sentences here to set us up with more information at the outset?”
“Is this consistent with the characterization you’ve established for her? If you’re deliberately having her act out of character, would her friends notice and react to it?”
On a nonfiction text:
“You’ve had to direct readers to Part II for more information about this topic a few times. It might make more sense organizationally to address it sooner; that way they’ll already have that foundational knowledge when they read this chapter. See the report for some ideas about how you can tackle that.”
“This tangent is interesting and relevant, but it distracts a bit from the main thrust of the passage. I recommend pulling it into a sidebar or a photo/graphic caption. That will keep the information on this page while allowing the reader to concentrate on the point you’re making.”
“Readers might find the length of this quotation daunting. You could easily paraphrase the first half, and then those last three sentences will pack a stronger punch.”
On a picture book:
“You describe his body language changing a few times in this paragraph, but the illustrator will only be able to show one moment in time—probably the moment where he drops the cake. You can easily solve that by changing ‘He threw up his hands’ to something less visual, like ‘He groaned.’”
“You’ll see in the report that I talk about needing to make the manuscript less wordy for a contemporary picture-book audience. The markup on this page shows an example of how you can tighten up your text to be briefer and faster paced without losing any of your key elements.”
“I love this bit of dialogue! It captures their personalities so efficiently.”
When I’ve finished my read-through, I go back over everything, revising, condensing, or moving comments as needed now that I have the full book in my head. For short works, like a picture book, I will read the whole thing many times, put it down to think about it for a day or two, and come back with new perspective to further refine my comments.
The Editorial Report
Through all that time, I’ll also have been collecting big-picture thoughts in a Word document. Now it’s time to turn them into a holistic report. I’ll open with a letter that introduces the edit as a whole and provides any context you need to know. I’ll also be sure to tell you what I loved about your work. Then I’ll dive into whichever topics your manuscript most needs addressed. The most common ones are:
Audience
- If a manuscript is missing the mark on reaching its target audience, I’ll outline the elements that would make it more successful.
- Sometimes a book will flipflop between addressing one audience, like teachers, and another, like their students. I’ll describe the factors that are causing that to happen and suggest solutions.
Voice
- The narrative voice of a manuscript should be consistent throughout. If it isn’t, I’ll flag problem spots in the in-line comments and discuss the overall patterns I’m seeing in the report.
- If the voice of a protagonist is weak, I’ll suggest ways to give it life.
- Sometimes a voice is just not suited to a book’s subject or audience, so I’ll provide recommendations for bringing it in line with reader expectations.
Pacing
- It can be hard to notice pacing issues when they’re spread through a whole manuscript, so laying them out succinctly in a few paragraphs makes them easier to tackle.
Organization
- This is a huge one for nonfiction books, where the order in which information is presented makes all the difference to a reader’s experience. It can also matter in fiction, especially if a book isn’t 100% chronological. As a fresh set of eyes approaching your manuscript, I’ll be able to see new possibilities for organization so seamless the reader will never have to think about it.
The Follow-Up
When the in-line notes and report are ready, I’ll email them to you along with the final invoice. Once you’ve had a chance to read and digest them, we’ll set up a 30–45-minute call to discuss the edits. You can ask questions, talk through possible solutions to problems, and discuss next steps. I always welcome your feedback about my work at this time.
Upgrade: The Premium Substantive Edit
If you opt for a Premium Substantive Edit, you’ll also get a second round of edits once you have revised your draft. At any time during your revision work, you can book a 45-minute Scribble Support session to talk through any tricky bits; the first one is free with a Premium Substantive Edit package.
The second edit will again include in-line notes and an editorial report (5–7 pages for novels, 2–4 pages for picture books). In our phone call following your receipt of the second edit, I’ll discuss with you the hook and main selling points that should be brought to the fore in your future pitch letters or marketing copy, and I’ll follow up with a complementary 200–300-word synopsis and a 1–2-line elevator pitch that you can use and adapt for either purpose.
Manuscript Evaluations
What if a substantive edit is beyond your means, but you still want the benefit of getting feedback from a professional editor? Plenty of writers are in that situation, which is why I’ve added this tier to my services.
To prepare for a manuscript evaluation, we discuss your top questions or concerns about your book, and I keep those in mind as I work through it. I don’t generally make in-line notes for this service, but I may leave some if it’s the most efficient way to explain something. I do write an editorial report.
I still read your full manuscript (or, to further decrease the price, agreed-on portions of it). Then I write a report that addresses your top three questions or concerns about your manuscript and also highlights the most impactful issues that I’ve observed myself. The report is 7–10 pages for a novel-length work and 2–3 pages for a picture book. We finish with a 30–45-minute follow-up call.
For this tier I charge a flat rate of $0.015 per word for the first 60,000 words, and $0.01 per word after that. The minimum fee for any word count is $200.
Ready to discuss your project? Book your free 15-minute consultation now.
Is Hiring a Freelance Editor Worth It?
If you have taken your manuscript as far as you can on your own but you know it still needs something more, yes, a substantive edit is often worth it. If I honestly think you don’t need the service you’re requesting, I will always tell you.
Here is some feedback from authors I’ve provided these services to in the past:
“Erin helped transform a technical manuscript into accessible writing suitable for a general audience….Her feedback has not only bettered the manuscript but has also been a personal learning experience for me as a writer.”—Dr. Salman Khan
“Erin reviewed my middle-grade fantasy novel and her attention to detail was incredible. Her insights into the industry and the editing process were thorough and thought-provoking. She pinpointed issues I couldn’t even articulate myself and offered actionable suggestions to fix them. Her advice was both kind and detailed—exactly what my book needed.”—Sabrina Medora
“As a first-time nonfiction author, I needed an editor who could navigate the complexities of the intricate topic of outdoor learning….What really impressed me was her professionalism and reliability. Deadlines were never an issue and her quality was top-notch. Thanks to Erin’s expertise, my book caught the eye of a Canadian publishing company, and now it’s set to hit the shelves in 2024!”—Lauren MacLean
“I am so grateful for your insights and words of wisdom. You are really good at what you do, Erin.”—Sally Kidson
Erin Alladin 
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