Book Editing Services
Book editing happens in layers: developmental editing fixes the story, line editing fixes the sentences, copyediting fixes the errors. We quote each layer separately, starting with a free sample edit of your opening pages.
The most expensive editing mistake authors make is buying the wrong layer: paying for a copyedit while the plot still leaks, or polishing sentences in chapters that a developmental edit would cut entirely. So we read first. Send your manuscript and we return an honest assessment of which edit it actually needs, plus a sample edit of your first pages so you can judge the editor's hand before spending anything.
Our editors work in tracked changes with margin notes that teach rather than dictate, and every pass ends with a summary letter: what was changed, what patterns to watch for, and what the manuscript needs next, including 'nothing, publish it', when that is the truth.
What you get
We tell you which editing layer your book needs and quote only that. Sometimes the answer costs you less than you expected.
Structure, pacing, argument, and character: a full editorial letter plus chapter-level notes.
Clarity, rhythm, grammar, and consistency in tracked changes, with a style sheet documenting every decision.
A call after delivery to walk through the big notes. You are never left alone with 2,000 tracked changes.
A clear statement of what remains between this draft and publication, with proofreading and formatting available in-house.
Pricing
| Option | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental edit | from $0.02/word | Structure, pacing, plot or argument, with editorial letter |
| Line + copy edit | from $0.013/word | Sentence-level clarity, grammar, consistency, style sheet |
| Proofread | from $0.008/word | Final-pass error hunt on formatted pages |
Copyediting from $0.013 per word (about $1,040 for an 80,000-word novel). Developmental editing from $0.02 per word. Combined passes are discounted and quoted after the free assessment.
Get the free assessment
Send the manuscript. We tell you what it actually needs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to edit a book?
Industry-wide, editing an 80,000-word manuscript runs roughly $1,600 to $4,000 depending on the editing level. At Scriters, the same book copyedits from about $1,040 and developmental-edits from about $1,600, with an exact quote after a free assessment.
What is the difference between developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading?
Developmental editing addresses the book itself: structure, pacing, and content. Copyediting corrects grammar, style, and consistency at sentence level. Proofreading is the final error check on formatted pages. Books that skip straight to proofreading almost always still contain structural problems.
Will editing change my voice?
A good editor sharpens your voice rather than replacing it. Everything arrives as tracked changes you can accept or reject, and the style sheet records your preferences so they are protected, not overwritten.
My book was ghostwritten elsewhere and it reads badly. Can you fix it?
We see this weekly, and yes. The assessment tells you honestly whether the draft is fixable with editing or needs partial rewriting, and we quote both paths so you can choose with real numbers.
Get the free assessment
Send the manuscript. We tell you what it actually needs.
- • Written quote within 24 hours, no sales call required
- • Milestone payments, about 30% to start
- • Confidential: we sign an NDA before we read a word
- • See our work first: ask for a free sample assessment
- • You own 100% of the work, always