The Editing Process

Before we agree to work together, please send me a selection of your writing. Send me, via email, a 1,000 word sample of your manuscript, to ken@macleanediting.com , along with your requirements. Save the file as a Word document. Include also a brief description of your book, and a total word count of your full manuscript. I will then send you back a free estimate for the cost of editing the entire manuscript. The estimate will include my editing comments about the manuscript. Note that non-fiction, particularly academic writing, takes more work to edit than fiction.  My quote will reflect this.

Once we have agreed on what needs to be done with the manuscript, and the editing fee, I will send you a standard editing contract for you to sign. After that, send me the full manuscript, in Word format, to ken@macleanediting.com . I will then begin the edit.

As the edit progresses I will almost always have questions about the material, which I will email to you. If necessary we can talk on the phone to resolve any confusion. No charge for these consultations, which are part of the editing process.

In addition to the standard edit, I will make constructive comments about anything I like in your work, as well as anything I feel needs improvement. These comments will be from a general reader's point of view. I always find these suggestions very helpful in my own writing.

I will edit your material in Microsoft Word. Word gives us a basic manuscript layout, or "look and feel," for editing purposes. Your publisher will then refine and tweak the edited layout for printing, or I can do that for you with professional desktop publishing software.

To see the changes I made, just click "Review" on the ribbon. Toggle back and forth between "Final Showing Markup" and "Final."

Follow-up Edit

After the edit has been completed your job is to look over the manuscript and revise the document, following the guidelines and comments I've given you. Especially for creative writing, I will usually make extensive comments that may require you to do some rewriting.

You have the option, for an additional fee, to send the manuscript back to me for a final follow-up proofread/edit.

I will give you an estimate, before I begin the work, of the additional cost. If you have done a good job of rewriting, it will take me less time.

Pay Editing Fee

To pay your editing fee, either send me a personal check (preferred), or go to Payment.php.

You will be directed to a secure https site where you can send the funds either by Pay Pal, or credit card. Unfortunately, payment through the website involves a payment gateway fee, which is usually 2%-3% of the total. I may ask you to slit this with me.

P.S. I love books and I love writing. Editing is something I really like to do; it's not just a job. A book is like a child. It's your creation! Having written 8 books myself, I know how much work you have already put into it, and how much you want others to read and enjoy your work. You need someone who is meticulous and who actually cares about what you have written, and has the desire and ability to make it the very best it can be. These are the vital intangibles that I offer to every author and every book that comes to me.

I look forward to working with you!