Speculative Fiction Line & Copy Editing

 ​​​What my speculative fiction line/copyediting services offer:

• Kind, honest, direct, supportive feedback on your novel draft

• Focused feedback adapted to your publishing goals

• Continued support: We'll have a debrief call where you can ask questions about the editorial feedback you receive, and you can email me anytime with questions during the month after you receive the report

• Traditional publishing experience: Feedback grounded in a deep knowledge and awareness of the current market, through my experience as an editor hired by multiple Big Five imprints in the UK and the USA

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Speculative Fiction Editing Services

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For a combined line/copyedit, when you send me the manuscript:

• You should be happy with the story structure and other big-picture elements

• All the parts of the manuscript should be in the right order

• You will have developed and self-edited the novel, and feel ready for professional editorial help to polish the text before publishing

• I specialise in carefully crafted, revision-ready manuscripts. For that reason, I don’t work on early drafts, AI-generated or substantially AI-assisted texts, or books written for a rapid-release schedule.

• This service does not include developmental editing or writing instruction.

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Pricing: £25 per 1000 words

If I've worked with you on a critique or developmental edit, the rate is £20 per 1000 words, and there is no initial read-through.

 

Every line/copyediting project for new clients begins with a full read-through of the manuscript to assess clarity, consistency, and overall readiness for copyediting. This ensures the edit is effective and aligned with professional publishing standards.

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If, during this initial read, I find that the manuscript would benefit more from substantive or developmental work, I may pause the copyedit and recommend next steps before proceeding. This approach helps authors avoid investing in a service that isn’t yet the right fit for their manuscript.

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What’s included:

• An initial read-through of the full manuscript

• A full line/copyedit focusing on clarity, flow, consistency, and correctness at sentence level

•  Targeted light stylistic refinements, such as tightening prose, removing redundancies, and smoothing awkward phrasing, while preserving the author’s voice

• Sentence-level edits to improve clarity and readability

• Identification (but not correction) of any significant editorial issues that stand out at sentence level—such as inconsistencies or point-of-view slips—with notes for the author where relevant

• A detailed style sheet covering spelling and punctuation preferences, character and place names, worldbuilding terms, and timeline notes to ensure internal consistency

• Consistent application of editorial style, including spelling, numbers, punctuation, abbreviations, and proper nouns. I follow the Chicago Manual of Style for US English and New Hart’s Rules for UK English.

• Correction of spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors

• Application of MS Word styles and a document formatting check, where appropriate

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You receive:

• An edited Microsoft Word document (with changes tracked or accepted, as agreed)

• A PDF of the edited manuscript, with all changes tracked

• A concise editorial summary (up to 500 words) outlining any recurring issues or areas to be aware of

• One hour of post-edit support (a video call or email discussion) to answer questions about the edit and clarify any feedback provided

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Additional T&Cs:

• All projects for new clients include an initial full read-through to confirm readiness for copyediting. If the manuscript is found not to be suitable for copyediting at this stage, the edit may be halted after the read-through. In these circumstances, a fixed assessment fee of £300 will be charged, regardless of the original project quote. You will receive my editorial notes explaining the decision and outlining suitable next steps.

• I work only on original, human-written manuscripts. I do not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted text, including material produced or substantially revised using generative AI tools.

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