Services | Fiction and Nonfiction Editing

If you’re worried an editor will slash and burn your manuscript and interfere with your voice so much you’ll barely recognize your story, I get it. The fear is valid and real. My goal is always to respect your vision, enhance your voice, and suggest tweaks that will help readers escape into your story just the way you saw it in your head when you wrote it. Your vision come to life!

Here’s how I can help make your manuscript the best it can be.

Copyediting

Investment: starting at 2.3¢/word (USD)

➡️Check out my nonfiction editing options.
➡️ For technical editing, I offer an hourly rate.

This service is perfect for authors who have already worked with a developmental editor and/or line editor (or done many rounds of self-editing and worked with beta readers) and are now happy with all big-picture elements. You're now ready for a meticulous copyeditor to take care of the technical details and make sure everything is consistent so readers stay happily immersed in the story.

I will focus on:

spelling, punctuation, grammar
word usage and other mechanics of style
consistency in capitalization and hyphenation
consistency in abbreviations, numbers, and names
overall clarity, consistency, and correctness
flagging any continuity errors

You'll receive:

the edited file with track changes + a clean copy
a style sheet

The style sheet includes all the style decisions on capitalization, hyphenation, abbreviations, numbering (usually using the Chicago Manual of Style), along with details about the main characters, locations, and plot points to keep everything consistent across the whole book. This is also really valuable if you're writing a series and want to keep track of details across many books.

Prices subject to change based on the nature of the project. Once I see a sample of your manuscript, I can provide a detailed proposal tailored to your needs.

Get Started

Working with Erika was a collaborative & empowering experience

“Erika’s meticulous editing of my manuscript not only corrected grammar errors but also significantly improved its clarity and coherence. Her insightful suggestions guided me toward areas that needed further elaboration, enhancing the overall quality of my book. Working with Erika was a collaborative and empowering experience, as she respected my voice while offering valuable feedback. Her professionalism and dedication ensured that the manuscript evolved into a polished and refined piece of work. I highly recommend Erika to any author looking to elevate their writing and refine their manuscript.”

J.R. Szpila
author of The Stars Who Bleed (YA fantasy)

Proofreading

Investment: starting at 1.2¢/word (USD)

➡️Check out my nonfiction editing options.
➡️ For technical editing, I offer an hourly rate.

If you've worked with an editor and want a final quality check, this service is for you.

It helps to have a professional go over your document one last time before sending it to the printer or uploading to Amazon. Proofreading is done by marking up a PDF of the final formatted file. I use Adobe Reader's digital mark-up tools. If you're publishing an ebook, I would work on your final edited Word document.

I will focus on:

spelling, punctuation, grammar
consistency in capitalization and hyphenation
consistency in abbreviations, numbers, and names
accuracy of running heads (headers and footers)
widows/orphans and short lines
end-of-line hyphenation
TOC, pagination, cross-references

You will receive:

the marked-up PDF (or Word doc for ebooks)
a basic style sheet (if you don't already have one from your copyeditor)

The style sheet includes all the style decisions on capitalization, hyphenation, abbreviations, numbering, word list (usually using the Chicago Manual of Style).

Prices subject to change based on the nature of the project. Once I see a sample of your manuscript, I can provide a detailed proposal tailored to your needs.

Get Started

Working with Erika was a breeze

“Erika came highly recommended and I am thankful that I worked with her. Erika guided me through the proofreading process, answered all of my questions and concerns, and delivered a bulletproof manuscript.

Working with Erika was a breeze and I’m thrilled with the final results. I’m sending off my novel that she proofread out to the world without a concern. Erika is going to be the proofreader that I turn to for all of my work going forward.”

Luis Paredes
author of Headhunters (horror thriller)

My Editing Process

After you fill out my contact form to request a sample edit, I'll confirm receipt within a business day and ask you to send me your full manuscript so that I can assess the project scope.
Within four business days, I will send you a 1,000-word sample edit with a project proposal and cost estimate. I will also send you a link to my calendar to book a 30-min call to ask any questions you might have and to make sure it's a good fit for both of us.
If you decide you would like to move forward, I will send you an editing contract to sign, which puts us on the same page in terms of expectations, timeline, payment deadlines, and an invoice for a 20% booking deposit to secure your spot in my schedule.
Right before I start editing, I will invoice for 40% of the total fee and the remaining 40% will be due right before I send you the edited manuscript.
Depending on the length of your manuscript, it will take me usually 2-4 weeks to finish editing your book. It also depends on the type of service. To give you an idea, the turnaround for copyediting a manuscript of around 50k words would be 2-3 weeks. A manuscript of 100k words would be closer to 4-6 weeks. Proofreading takes less time.
I most often use the Chicago Manual of Style for fiction editing and the Merriam Webster dictionary (for US spelling).
Communication: I will follow up with you via email every Friday with an update on my progress, especially for longer projects. You can feel free to email me with any questions.
You will receive the following files: the edited document in Microsoft Word with Track Changes and comments in the margin. I also provide a clean copy with all changes accepted just for easier reading.
I also provide you with a style sheet (full one for copyediting and a basic one for proofreading jobs) and an editorial report (with the Copy and Line Editing package).
You then go through the manuscript and accept/reject my suggestions, then make any minor additions. Send the document back to me and I will check those additions and send you back a cleaned-up version ready for formatting.
After the edit, I provide a 30-minute Zoom call for you to ask any questions about my edits or next steps for your novel.

I look forward to leaning on her expertise anytime I need a manuscript reviewed

“Erika’s editing prowess is everything I needed to get my manuscript in tip-top shape for publication. Her thorough and methodical review helped to ensure all levels of the story’s rollout were under consideration for readers. This included line editing elements, such as word choice, phrasing, as well as clarity and consistency in style, grammar, and punctuation.

Erika is able to easily piggyback off a writer’s tone and make sure her suggestions reflect their style, an important quality in a good editor. They say it’s the little things that make the big things happen, and Erika’s attention to detail has guaranteed my work is in its best form for a pleasant reading experience. I highly recommend her.”

Ryan Hyatt
author of Bob's Pest Control (sci-fi)