I help authors prepare manuscripts for self-publishing or submission to agents and traditional publishers, and provide coaching and career support to authors at all levels.

Rose edited A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark for me and they caught a number of problems that I hadn’t even conceived of. Super smart. Highly recommended.

Harry Connolly, author of the Twenty Palaces series and the Great Way series

Rates

Coaching for writers and publishing professionals

• For a one-time discussion of your work or your professional challenges, or for regular one-hour writing coaching or career support sessions, over video call or text chat: $90/hour, plus $5 per 1000 words of manuscript if there’s a particular work you’d like to discuss.

Mentoring and supporting the more vulnerable members of my community is very important to me. If you’re a member of a minority or marginalized group within writing or publishing, I will give you one free half-hour session (with no obligation to pay for any service) and a 10% discount on ongoing sessions and reading fees.

Book editing and marketing

• To evaluate the first three chapters of the manuscript and determine the degree and type of editing it needs: free.
• To provide a sample edit or critique of up to 1000 words: free.
• To read the manuscript and provide an in-depth critique of structural elements: $15 per 1000 words.
• To provide a line-by-line and scene-by-scene line edit of the entire manuscript, focusing on story and language: $35 per 1000 words.
  • To reread the manuscript once you’ve revised it and provide a brief follow-up analysis: $12 per 1000 words (revised length).
• To copyedit and fact-check the manuscript if it doesn’t need any further developmental editing: $25 per 1000 words.
• To proofread a manuscript that is otherwise completely ready for publication or submission: $25 per 1000 words.
• To write or revise a query letter and synopsis or jacket copy: $9 per 1000 words of manuscript if I have already read the manuscript, $12 per 1000 words otherwise.

I also offer a developmental editing package deal that includes an initial critique (after which you revise the manuscript); a line edit (followed by further revisions); a final analysis of the revised manuscript; writing or editing a synopsis, query letter, and/or jacket copy; and four hours of IM conversation—all for just $54 per 1000 words, a 25% discount over purchasing those services separately. If your manuscript is 100,000 words long, you’ll save over $1800!

I’m happy to work on short fiction as well as novels. My minimum fee for any project is $250.

If you have any questions about these services, feel free to email me.

It’s been great working with you, Rose. You were always quick to respond while consistently keeping me involved in the process and encouraged. You showed a great capacity to tackle everything from the broadest elements hindering a story to the tiniest syntactical issues. Thank you.

H.Z. Ilmi, author of The 33rd Marriage of Donia Nour

Frequently asked questions

What is writing coaching? What is career support?

In a single session or in regular sessions, I chat with you in Slack or Discord or on a video call about any aspect of writing, editing, or publishing where you feel the need for improvement or want to reach a higher professional level. Your goals are always paramount. No matter what’s challenging you, I can help.

My approach to writing coaching is experiential and pragmatic. I can help you at any stage: getting unblocked and putting words on the page, identifying and replacing bad habits, developing a revision process that complements your writing process and makes your work really shine. I’m happy to read your work if it will inform the discussion or if you’re looking for help with a particular story, but the primary conversation is about you as a writer and your relationship with writing. You’ll come away from each session full of ideas and feeling empowered to meet your challenges.

The specifics of career support depend on where you are in your career, and where you want to go. Whether you’re a writer balancing market trends with the wild dream of your heart, an indie author wanting to break into the next earnings tier, or a freelance editor developing a stable of clients, I can help you make a plan and access the resources you need to achieve your definition of success.

What does a manuscript evaluation look like?

You email me your complete manuscript. I look it over and write back, usually within a couple of days, with my recommendation of where to begin the editing process. If the book doesn’t yet feel fully formed, or if I spot the warning signs of big structural issues, I will generally recommend starting with a critique. If the structure of the book is solid, I’ll suggest line editing to tighten up the prose and characterizations. If the prose is already polished, copy editing will catch any stray errors of fact, word choice, or internal inconsistency.

Thanks for your obviously deep reading of the book… I can already feel the better book this is going to become.

Peter Mackey, writer

What does a critique look like?

I read the manuscript from beginning to end and write up a detailed critique with examples drawn from the text. The critique addresses large-scale issues like pacing, character development, exposition, and plot structure.

I want to thank you for telling me bluntly what needs to shift to have a story that matters. Character development, upping the emotional stakes, introducing risk and therefore tension—all this advice makes me think about the books that I really like, but somehow I needed you to thump me over the head with it for me to think seriously about how to apply it to my own writing. You’ve pushed me further than any other person who has critiqued this manuscript. So I’m very grateful.

Lisa Wynn, writer

What does line editing look like?

Line editing takes place within the text. I use Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature to make my suggestions, so you can individually accept or decline each one. During line editing, I will recommend changes to specific words and to the organization of sentences and paragraphs, all in the service of highlighting your literary strengths and keeping the reader enthralled. I’ll also call out character inconsistencies and specific instances of problems like infodumping, vagueness, and unrealistic behavior.

That was incredibly quick and very helpful. Your comments and edit letter are crystal clear. I found your criticism to be right on, but the ego stroking bit didn’t hurt either!

Jamie Schultz, author of the Arcane Underworld series

What’s the difference between copyediting and proofreading?

Copyediting examines the manuscript for inconsistencies and includes an element of fact-checking. A copyeditor will catch things like the moon being full twice in two weeks, or a reference to a Beatles concert taking place in 1982.

Proofreading is the very last stage, after all the editing and revising is done, and is solely about fixing typos. Unpublished authors may want to have a proofreader go over a manuscript before sending it to an agent; self-publishers should always send a proof to a proofreader before declaring a book ready for sale. As a rule, I do not proofread manuscripts I have edited, on the theory that it’s always better to have another set of eyes looking out for mistakes.

Contracts, schedule, and payment

I always provide a written contract in plain English; I will only perform services and send invoices as laid out in that contract. This sample contract for a line edit will give you an idea of my usual terms. It’s very important to me to keep you in the loop from beginning to end, and I expect you to do the same for me. My motto is “No surprises.” If you have any questions or concerns at any time, you can always email me.

My typical turnaround time for a novel-length project is two to three weeks for a critique or proofread, and four to six weeks for a line edit or copyedit. Sample edits and critiques will be turned around within one week.

I usually request 50% payment up front and 50% within one week of project completion. I accept online payment only, via PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.

If you have any questions about these terms, feel free to email me. I’ll be glad to work with you to create a contract and fee arrangement that makes us both happy.

Your criticism triggered my metamorphosis from a keyboard-pounding, self-published author to a professional writer who respects both the craft and dedication it demands. Not only did you identify numerous issues specific to my book—which, by the way, were spot on—you also noted some general elements of the genre that, in the long run, I have found even more invaluable. I continue to apply those lessons today. With your expert guidance, along with a lot of work, I took what was a good story and turned it into a good book.

R.T. Kaelin, author of the Children of the White Lions series

Want to learn more? See my Reedsy profile or drop me an email.

See my services for publishers.