Book Editing Services

From rough draft to refined masterpiece, the partnership between an author and myself (as the editor) is sacred. We work together toward the same goal: to make the book as fabulous as it can possibly be. 

 

 

In Authors' Own Words...

"Omg. It's so so so good. You made it go from 'It's good' to 'This is the next hit'!"

—Sara O'Neil, co-author of When the F Will He Text?

"If you're looking for a fantastic editor, look no further. I got a whole lot of hand-holding, cheerleading, and constructive feedback." 

—Mary Belle, author of Vivi il Momento

"Worth every penny and more!"

—Joanna Hardis, LISW-S, author of Just Do Nothing

"I loved working with Elizabeth on the editing process, especially the developmental edits. I knew I had holes, but I was too close to see them. I also really appreciate that she offers her suggestions but ultimately leaves the decision to the author. My finished product is a million times better than the original manuscript I sent to her, but it's still mine."

—Jodi Newby, author of She Used To Be

"There is so much more that goes into the editing process that people don't know or understand. Working with Elizabeth was an amazing opportunity!"

—Jacqueline Hopper, author of Becoming

"I’m on page 125 of the second round of edits. I’m amazed at how the flow and readability is improving before my eyes! You are really good at what you do!"

—Chip V. 

 

All Authors Need Editors 

All (actual) bestselling authors have editors, and there’s good reason. You are simply too close to your own work to see gaping holes in content, probable misinterpretations of what you said versus what you meant to say, and grammatical errors that can truly mess with your credibility if not caught. 

 

 

Different Types of Editing

 

DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

In a developmental edit, the editor is focused on revising or reshaping the manuscript when it comes to the overall structure, flow, and messaging. The editor will make sure that the book flows well in terms of the overall message you are trying to convey, and that your tone and voice are consistent and a good fit for your target audience. They’ll ensure that you haven’t given too little attention to one topic or too much to another. This is where they may recommend moving chapters around, combining chapters, moving pieces of content from one chapter to another, outright deleting content, or adding in new content to better support a concept or story.

 

LINE EDITING

Line editing focuses on the book's style and how well each concept is understood by readers. Line editing ensures that an author's style is consistent throughout and that each sentence is written as effectively as possible. A line editor ensures that sentence structure is tight and the language is clear while also ensuring that an author's word choice best contributes to the overall tone and emotion of the writing. Overall pacing is addressed to ensure that there aren't any areas where the reader might be unnecessarily slowed down or become bored. 

 

COPY EDITING 

Copy editing is purely mechanical. Are commas in the right place? Is the wrong instance of their/there/they're being used? Does one paragraph need to be split into two? Is a sentence unnecessarily a run-on? 

 

Sometimes, three separate editors are hired, one for developmental, one for line, and one for copy edits. In other cases, one editor will do developmental edits and another will do copy and line edits. I do either two rounds of developmental editing, with the second round also addressing line/copy edits or two rounds of copy/line edits only. 

How I Work as an Editor

I provide both developmental and copy/line editing services

A developmental editing package includes: 

  • Two full rounds of developmental edits
  • One round (second round) includes line/copy edits
  • First round of edits typically takes between 4 and 7 weeks, depending on word count
  • Second round of edits takes approximately 2-3 weeks (after author incorporates suggestions from round 1)
  • Phone consultation between rounds 1 and 2 for us to discuss the edits and so the author can ask any questions about my suggested edits
  • Investment: $0.05/word

A copy/line editing package includes: 

  • Two full rounds of copy/line edits
  • First round of edits typically takes 4-7 weeks, depending on word count
  • Second round of edits takes approximately 2-3 weeks (after author incorporates suggestions from round 1)
  • Investment: $0.04/word

Who Am I (and Why Should You Consider Partnering with Me as Your Editor)?

I'm a 6x author and the founder of Publish A Profitable Book and Finn-Phyllis Press. 

I started Finn-Phyllis Press in 2004, only intending to publish my own books.

But after multiple people asked me to put the same effort and care into publishing their books that I put into my own, I thought, "Maybe this is an opportunity to provide the publishing model and service levels I wish I'd had when I was first starting out!"

I love nothing more than words, stories, and taking the hassle out of writing, editing, publishing, and launching so others can enjoy a straightforward process for getting their books on the market.

I've been editing books for well over a decade. My mom is also an editor, so as someone who's been edited since she first started talking, I'm guaranteed to be editing everyone as they're talking (including myself). It's an annoying trait when I'm not editing your book. But it's one you can be thankful for when I am. 

Some of the Books I've Been Thrilled to Edit

 

To ask any questions at all or otherwise chat with me about working together on your book...

please email me at [email protected]