Thrilled with the returned result. Thank you so much! I know your critique will help me improve as a writer as well as with my current and future stories. Highly recommend! – V. Duplessie
I had Jean critique my ~100K word manuscript and I’m very pleased with the result. I have a raft full of good comments that will help me make the next revision much stronger. There was a mix of good, bad, and ugly comments that helped me see the issues, but at the same time provided encouragement. – JD Mulcey, Warphan
At Daydreamer Publishing, our goal is to make your final book look as professional as possible. As editors, we strive to work with you as partners in developing both your story and your writing style. As writers ourselves, we understand that you’re handing us your baby and we promise to take really good care of it. We take great pains never to squash your voice and to make sure you get the final word on each and every editorial decision.
A few general notes:
- We edit to the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the U.S. book publishing industry standard.
- If you’re new to this, we recommend that you view each type of editing listed below as essential steps in taking your book from first to final draft, regardless of whether you have us handle each step or give it to someone else.
- Manuscripts should be submitted to us in 12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, double-spaced with standard margins.
Ready to get started? Read on to find out how…
Getting Started: Sample Edit & Manuscript Appraisal – $45
We’ll scan through your entire manuscript to determine whether we’re a good fit to take it on,* what stage you’re at in the book’s development and what type of edit is needed (if you think you already know what it needs, we’ll tell you whether we agree). We’ll send it back with our recommendations, a sample edit, and an estimate for doing the entire manuscript.
*If it’s readily apparent that we’re not a good fit, we’ll send it back untouched with our apologies and a full refund.
Developmental Critique – $5 Per Page
We’ll read your manuscript with a critical eye toward plot, structure, pacing, characterization, dialogue, narrative voice, writing style, etc. and send it back to you all marked up with our notes on what you’re doing right as well as what needs work, along with our recommendations for the latter.
Partial / Short Story Critiques
Just need feedback on a partial manuscript or short story? No problem. The rate is the same as above, but there’s a minimum fee of $25.
Substantive Line Editing, Copy Editing, and Proofreading – $40 Per Hour
Substantive Line Editing – This is what most people think of when they think of editing. We’ll edit your manuscript line by line, cutting, rearranging and polishing where necessary to punch up your prose and make your writing clear and consistent.
Copy Editing – We’ll check your manuscript line by line and correct issues with grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., as well as make sure your manuscript conforms to the Chicago Manual of Style.
Proofreading – We’ll scour your manuscript for typos and spelling errors, including making sure character and place names are spelled consistently throughout.
Please note: substantive line editing and copy editing can be combined in one pass (although if it needs extensive substantive work, it’s best to save copy editing for the next draft), but proofreading should be done separately as the very last pass on your final draft.
Partial Edits
If you can’t afford to have your entire manuscript edited in one go and need to break it into smaller jobs, or if you just need a partial edit (we cater mainly to indie authors, but we’re also happy to edit chapters and synopses for traditional publishing submission packages), that’s fine. Short stories are also welcome. There is a minimum fee of $40.
Payments & Financing
For projects under $100, full payment is required up front. For projects between $100 and $1,000, a non-refundable deposit equaling 50% of the estimated fee is required up front, and the rest will be due upon completion. For projects estimated at $1,000 or above, 35% of the estimate will be required up front, 35% at the midway point, and the remainder will be due upon completion.
Once an agreement is in place we’ll e-mail you an invoice with a link to pay via Paypal. You can use any credit or debit card that Paypal accepts. Six-month, interest-free financing is also available via Paypal for those who qualify.
Personal checks and money orders are also accepted, but they must clear the bank before we begin work on your project.
How are Editing Project fees estimated?
We’ll do your sample edit on pages that appear to need a lot of work. We’ll see how many of those pages we can edit or critique in an hour, and extrapolate from there. If the writing is in decent shape and the story is engaging, we can probably average about eight to ten pages per hour. The more work it needs, the lower that number goes, so it’s in your best interest to clean it up as much as you can before engaging our services.
Refund Policy
If we do any work on your project, you must compensate us for our time, regardless of whether you’re happy with your edit. We don’t give refunds, except in the case of determining we can’t take on your project at the manuscript appraisal stage. This is why obtaining a manuscript appraisal and sample edit as the first step is a must.
If at any time you decide we’re not working out or that you need to part ways, you’ll only be billed for the work we did up to that point.
Got questions? Ready to get started? Click here to get in touch!
Daydreamer Publishing 