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You've put your heart and soul (and who knows how many hours) into creating your book, and you've just typed the last word. But is it really ready for your audience? Is it polished and communicated effectively? Plot holes filled in? Pacing nice and brisk? Characters developed and their names consistent throughout? Conflicts interesting? A good editor can help with all of these, and give you the peace of mind to know that your book will be your perfect vision, only better.
Writing and publishing a book is an intensely personal process for an author. It's a piece of yourself you're giving to the world. You want it to look its best. So, you want an Editor. Lisa is honest, thorough, and supportive. She is professional, yet personable. She will always be objective and diligent, and when she's done, you'll feel completely confident about releasing your work into the wild.
"Working with Lisa was a breeze. She was meticulous, thorough, and spotted errors and continuity issues previously missed by multiple editors. I love that she included ideas and suggestions for potential improvement along with her assessments. She also blended her critiques with positive feedback. I would definitely recommend her services to anyone looking for a top-notch editor, and I would absolutely use her again for future projects." - Mary Frame, author of the Imperfect series
I’ve always been impressed by the professionals at Hidden Gems, but none more so than Lisa, who’s copy-edited and proofread for me on three separate occasions. Each time, she’s gone above and beyond to polish my manuscript to near-perfection. For those of you who may have grown used to having an average editor, or maybe a subpar one, I’d strongly suggest giving Lisa a shot. Her work is priceless, but luckily for us, actually attainable! She’s one of the few editors I’d recommend to ANY author, regardless of your specific needs, because she meets them all. For those with a limited budget, congratulations, she’s within your price range. For new authors, you’d be extremely fortunate to find such a great editor so early in your career. And for seasoned authors, I’d put her work up against anyone else’s in the publishing business. You can’t go wrong with Lisa. - Dwayne Gill, author of the Written By Blood series
Behind every great book is a great author, and behind every great author a great editor is quietly scribbling notes on the manuscript while no one is looking. Chris is the best—she won't pull any punches, but won't make you feel like a punching bag. And in the end, your book will be ready to go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights.
"Chris is absolutely fabulous. There's no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't have the success I do without this service. It's not just editing. It's all the extras with the content development, and details to the scenes and characters that make Chris more than worth it. I often feel insecure with my work and worry about the flow and how it will be perceived. Chris provides a detailed perspective on what's written as well as what can be added to smooth over scenes and provide any needed development or added features to the book that readers will enjoy and/or expect. By the time Chris whips my books into shape, I have all the confidence in the world that my fans are going to love it." - Willow Winters, USA Today Bestselling Author
"Chris is a one of a kind editor. I won't release a book without her." - Alana Albertson
After review of the complete and unedited initial manuscript, the editor will provide a price and delivery estimate based on the initial word count, the level of editing desired (see below), and the condition of the manuscript.
Please note: Rates listed apply only to full-length fiction novels. For novellas, children’s books, poetry books, and nonfiction, please email to discuss your project so we can provide you with a quote.
For new clients unsure about working with an editor they haven't used before, a free sample edit can be done on the first ten pages of the manuscript to ensure a good fit.
Sample edits generally take between 48 to 72 hours to complete, but in some cases can take up to a week depending on the editor and their current workload.
If you choose to move forward, or don't require a sample edit, a deposit of 50% is due before work begins. This deposit will be based on the original word count of the manuscript.
The editor will deliver a completed manuscript with tracked changes. The author will be able to accept or reject any suggested edits.
Please note: The balance will be based on the final accepted word count of the final manuscript (or the word count of the original manuscript, whichever is greater), minus the amount of the deposit, and is due upon delivery.
Please note: The price estimate will be based on the level of editing you select below, but after a review of your manuscript and publishing timeline, additional surcharges may be added to the final estimate. They will be reviewed with you for approval before work begins.
Correction of basic typographic errors.
Note: Includes a proofread.
A more involved proofread which corrects grammatical and punctuation errors, rectifies issues with capitalization and spelling, checks factual information, and ensures consistency among character, setting, and plot details.
Note: Includes a copyedit and a proofread.
An involved and thorough edit that focuses on the language you use to communicate your narrative. It ensures tonal consistency, corrects pacing issues, improves dialogue, clarifies confusing language, and eliminates redundancy.
Note: Includes a line edit, a copyedit, and a proofread.
A developmental edit is a process in which the editor works closely with the author during the creation of the book to consult on story structure, character development, genre beats, language choices, style, and marketability.
This price may also be used for edits that require extremely complex technical fact-checking or those which require work above and beyond the norm (for example, for books written by non-native speakers).
Please note: A sample will need to be provided to the editor and the scope of the project discussed before a quote can be finalized.
What format and font settings should I use in the files I send?
Please ensure all submissions are saved in Microsoft Word as a .doc file (or .docx) and formatted in Times New Roman, 12 point.
What style guide/dictionary do you use?
I edit according to the guidelines found in The Chicago Manual of Style (currently in its 17th edition) and I use Merriam-Webster as my dictionary. If you’re a new author, I highly recommend you get a copy of CMOS.
What can I expect?
The work I do varies depending on what level of editing you’ve booked, but all clients will receive a copy of their document with Tracked Changes enabled so you can easily see what my suggested changes are. I also leave comments when applicable (e.g., say a character’s name is spelled inconsistently – I’ll default to making sure all instances are consistent with the first instance of how it appears in the book, but leave you a note letting you know to change things if you prefer a different spelling). I’m not a stickler for grammar in the sense that everything will be 100% grammatically correct – my goal as your editor is to make your work marketable while respecting your personal writing style. This means your book might not adhere to grammar rules you learned in grade school, but I’m willing to bet the world is a lot different now compared to when you were in grade school, along with language, which is always evolving.
Please note I don’t typically give clients a separate copy of their document with all Tracked Changes accepted, but if you’d like that, I’m happy to do so at no additional cost to you.
What kind of books do you edit?
I specialize in fiction, and romance in particular (all subgenres). To date I’ve edited over 105 full-length novels and around two dozen projects that fit into other categories (e.g., novellas, nonfiction, poetry, children’s poetry). My personal favorite genres are science fiction and fantasy, but I’m always happy to have a new story to read!
How long will it take you?
My turnaround time varies depending on a number of factors, so I’ll need to see your entire book before I can give you an estimate on how long I’ll need to edit something. Generally speaking, I’ll need additional time if your book’s word count is over 55K, if you’ve written a book that takes place outside of the United States where I’ll need to double-check locations and words in languages other than English, or if English is not your first language.
How do I pay you?
Hidden Gems handles all the billing aspects – I’m only here to edit! Please note I only accept PayPal for payment, but if you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to email us.
