Editorial Services

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Do any of these sound like you?

“This is so frustrating! I’ve been shopping my manuscript around for ages, and all I get are vague responses that it has promise, but it’s not the right fit.”

“I’ve taken my draft as far as I can. Now, I need a professional’s perspective.”

“I need that extra edge to get to the next level in my writing career…but I don’t know what it is.”

“Self-publishing my book means I need to invest in editing…but I’m not sure my budget can stretch to three separate rounds of it.”

“Why can’t someone just be straight with me—but also gentle!—and tell me what is or isn’t working?”

You’re in the right place!

My editing services are designed to address structural matters in your manuscript, teach you the skills to cut your copyediting needs in half, and compassionately guide your future revisions. But I also have a special skillset. After years of writing marketing copy for published books and holding pitch meetings with salespeople, wholesalers, and review-journal editors, I’ve developed a keen eye for spotting the right hooks to match your book with its audience. I’ll help you make the most of those hooks—both in your book, and in the way you pitch it.

Get a Quote

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Imagine this:

You were nervous to get your manuscript edited (What if she says it’s no good?!), but as soon as you open the document, relief settles over you. There’s no half-hearted tinkering or brusque criticism. Instead, thoughtful, encouraging notes ask, “Have you considered this?” and point out real, actionable steps you can take to make your manuscript shine. An enclosed report holds pages of enlightening commentary about the big-picture aspects of your work, like voice and audience, and a market analysis shows you how to hit the right spot for agents and acquisition editors. NOW it all makes sense!

It’s a lot of information, but it lights a fire in you. You never thought you could feel so excited to tackle revisions.

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“Erin [is] a sensitive and thoughtful reader, with a keen ear for how a text will sound when read aloud….I have consistently been impressed with her attention to detail, knowledge of the educational market, and deft hand at trimming what is not needed.”

—Laura Alary, Sun in my Tummy

“I was lucky enough to work with Erin Alladin on six picture-book manuscripts. Her expert insights and encouraging nature always made the revision process a pleasure. Erin’s keen editing skills and thoughtful feedback will take any manuscript to the next level and beyond.”

—Deborah Kerbel, the Weather Days collection, Before You Were Born, Sun Dog

“I worked with Erin on three of my picture books….It was a great experience, and throughout the process, Erin was really helpful, providing me with valuable suggestions to improve my manuscript. She has a gift for selecting book titles, for which I’ll always be grateful. I’d recommend her to any writers, whether they’re new to the craft or well-established.”

—Bahram Rahman, The Library Bus, A Sky-Blue Bench, and If You See a Bluebird

Substantive Editing Services

My substantive editing services are tuned for authors who have a complete or nearly complete manuscript and are ready to tackle high-level revisions. I offer three tiers in order to meet you where you’re at in your writing career:

Tier 1 | Substantive Edit

This accessible option goes straight to the heart of the editing process.

It includes:

A holistic report that speaks to big-picture elements like audience, voice, pacing, and organization (10–15 pages for novel-length works; 3–5 pages for picture books)
Detailed and thoughtful in-line comments that flag specific issues in the text (and celebrate great moments)

Tier 2 | SubstantivePlus Edit

This option is great for writers looking to save time and money on future rounds of edits.

It includes everything from the Substantive Edit tier, plus:

Copyedit notes that teach you the skills to fix nitty-gritty sentence- or word-level issues that crop up throughout
For self-illustrated picture books, art-direction feedback
A bonus Scribble Support session

Tier 3 | Premium Substantive Edit

This option is for the most committed client.

It includes everything from the previous two tiers, plus:

An initial consultation to discuss your vision, goals, and priorities for the text
A market report that assesses your manuscript’s place in its particular market and provides advice on positioning it successfully; I may also include suggestions for comparative titles
A complementary synopsis and elevator pitch

What You Get

Premium Substantive Edit	SubstantivePlus Edit	Substantive Edit
Multi-Page Report	Multi-Page Report	Multi-Page Report
Detailed In-Line Notes	Detailed In-Line Notes	Detailed In-Line Notes
Instructive Copyedit-Level Notes	Instructive Copyedit-Level Notes
30-minute Consultation
Market Analysis
Synopsis & Elevator Pitch
BONUS Scribble Support session	BONUS Scribble Support session

Request a Quote

email me at erin@erin-alladin.com, or use the contact form below. We’ll schedule a 15-minute call to discuss your options.

What to Include:

Tell me your manuscript’s genre, target audience, and word count, as well as your thoughts about the stage it’s at and what kind of support you feel it needs most.

FAQs

Do you only work with authors who are/want to be traditionally published?

Nope! I’ve dabbled in self-publishing myself, and I know that it can be the right choice for someone who has done their research and who has a game plan for how to market and distribute their own work. It’s even more important for self-publishing authors to have their work edited, since it won’t get that benefit from a publisher, so I’m always happy to provide that professional polish.

I think I need a hybrid version of some of your services. Is that possible?

Absolutely. Send me a note explaining your situation, and we’ll work out an approach that suits your needs.

Is it safe to send my whole manuscript to a stranger? How is my intellectual property protected?

Your manuscript is yours because you’ve written it. Copyright law protects it unless you’ve explicitly signed over your copyright to someone else. However, to prevent any possible misunderstanding, editors who, like me, are part of a professional association will usually sign a contract with you. Mine affirms that not only is the manuscript your intellectual property alone, but I also sign over to you any of the notes I make on it as soon as our contract is complete. That means that even if you become a bestselling bajillionaire, I can’t come along and waste your time with a lawsuit arguing that some of the words in your book are my intellectual property, because I suggested them during our edit.

What kind of issues does a substantive edit address?

Every edit is different, but common areas of focus include:

Plot holes and continuity
Character development
The reinforcement of central themes
Pacing

Consistency of voice
Suitability for the intended audience
For rhyming texts, notes on rhyme, meter, and musicality
For nonfiction, overall organization of the information

What’s the difference between a substantive edit and a developmental edit?

That depends which editor you ask. Sometimes, they’re exactly the same. To my way of thinking, “developmental” is a more useful term when you’re working with a partial manuscript—especially in nonfiction—and your goal is to nail down how the book will be organized and where it needs to go—to finish developing it. But if my substantive services sound like the developmental edit you were looking for, you’re right. Around here, there’s no difference between the two unless there needs to be.

I’ve worked so hard on this manuscript. What if I can’t bear to see it criticized?

That’s a very natural worry; everyone feels some trepidation when opening feedback from an editor. That’s why I put so much care into how I communicate. When I’m working on a text, I make a point of flagging my favourite parts so that you know what’s working and where your manuscript’s strengths lie. When I identify something that needs revising, I explain why, and offer open-ended suggestions. I never want you to feel badgered or beaten down by my edits, and I never forget that you are the ultimate authority on your manuscript. Success for me is an author saying, “I’m actually excited to start revising!”

I see your website uses Canadian spelling. Are you less qualified to work on American texts?

Not at all. I spent my whole in-house career working with books that used American conventions and spelling, based on Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and the Chicago Manual of Style. In fact, I spent a lot of time Americanizing Canadian, Australian, and UK texts, so I’m very comfortable with switching between them all!

Trust is so important to the author-editor relationship. How do I know I can trust you?

I’ve thought about that question a lot, and I’m always adding new ways for you to get to know me and my approach to editing. You can sign up for my newsletter [will add link once newsletter is set up], watch my free content on TikTok at @editor.erin, or find out if we have some favourite things in common on my About page. I also lead occasional workshops at writing conferences, and you can find announcements for those in my newsletter.

I don’t know…I’d rather learn the skills to edit myself than pay for someone else to do it.

That’s a great approach! I will say, though, that the best lessons I ever got in editing didn’t come from the courses I took, but from the times I had my own work edited by a professional.

I always approach editing as an opportunity to help you learn, not just to “fix” your work. That’s why I created the SubstantivePlus Edit tier, where I pair a substantive edit with mini lessons to help you copyedit your own later drafts. Even aside from that service, if you let me know that learning is a particular goal for you, I’m happy to dial my teacher instincts all the way up.

Why would I hire an editor when I want my work to be traditionally published? Isn’t that the publisher’s job?

If you have strong writing skills, a great hook, and a clean text, you absolutely might get picked up by an agent or publisher completely under your own steam. But if you’re having trouble getting a foot in the door, some professional polish can make a big difference. It isn’t just a case of fixing typos: I also know how to bring out the strengths in your manuscript, make sure it’s hitting the right notes for its target audience, and emphasize the themes and hooks industry gatekeepers are looking for.

Do I need a professional editor if I have a good critique group?

That depends. If you and your fellow writers have an excellent understanding of the market you’re writing for and of how acquisition editors make their decisions, you may be golden. And if I look at your manuscript and see that it needs little to no work, I’ll tell you so.

On the other hand, if you’re only getting critiques from people who write in different genres from you, or who don’t yet have direct experience outside of writing their own manuscripts, a professional edit can make a big difference. It isn’t just about spelling and sentence structure; a good editor will also make sure you’re striking all the notes that readers (and gatekeepers!) in your target audience expect.

I’ve been burned before with one editor suggesting I make one change to my manuscript, and another arguing that I should do the opposite. How do I know I won’t waste my time with your suggestions?

Boy, do I EVER sympathize with that concern! It haunted me in my early days of editing, knowing that the publisher or the sales team could come along and say that changes I’d asked for were the wrong move. That’s why I never throw my weight around and demand changes based on my opinions or preferences. Of course, everything is subjective in the end—there’s no escaping that—but I never forget that you, the author, are the authority on your work. I will share my experience in the market, and keep you focused on key themes, and help your authentic voice speak consistently throughout your text. I’ll offer suggestions to address the problems I see…but I’ll never make high-handed pronouncements about how you should solve them.

Can I get a refund if I’m not happy with the results of an edit?

Like a lot of service-based businesses, I don’t offer refunds because there’s no way to get my time back once I’ve done the work. But if, for some reason, you need to halt an edit before it’s complete, you can notify me in writing and I’ll only charge for the work that was done.

You and I will discuss your service ahead of time and make sure the quote is right for your needs. Once you tell me you’re satisfied with the quote, then we’ll both sign a contract that protects my time and your intellectual property. You’ll pay a deposit up front, and the balance will be due once I’ve sent you the edit.

If your manuscript isn’t ready for the service you’ve asked for, I’ll let you know right away and offer some other options so that you can get the most out of your investment. My first experience with an editor was someone who took my deposit…only to tell me that my book wasn’t ready and he wasn’t going to finish reading it. I’ll never do the same to another writer!