top of page

Services

If you need a personable, professional copyeditor or proofreader with years of experience, an eagle eye/memory for detail, respect for your hard work and authorial voice, quick turnaround times, and knowledge of grammar and style guides who will not just polish this book but teach you how to make the next ones better, you've come to the right place.

​

A person types on a laptop on a desk
A person at a cluttered desk jots in a notebook
A person sits at a table in front of an open laptop and writes in a notebook while typing with their other hand

Free Sample Edit

My rates are based on an edit of 1,000 words that allows me to see what your manuscript needs. You get to experience the process and see if we are a good fit, and there's no obligation.

See what copyediting involves as well as a sample. Copyediting rates typically range from $0.017 to $0.027 per word ($17 to $27 per 1,000 words).

See what proofreading can do for your manuscript as well as a sample. Proofreading rates start at $0.01 per word ($10 per 1,000 words).

Promo Materials / Smaller Jobs

Editing for your website, promo materials, newsletters, blog posts, book blurbs, ads, reels, videos, social media posts, and any other book-related materials starts at $45/hour.

​​Professional editing is an investment in your work. Click here to see how my rates compare to industry standards.

Click here to see my blog post about freelance rates.

Facebook ads(1).png
comparison chart.png
Stack of books with the genres Maine Woods Editing edits on the spines: Action/Adventure, Steampunk, Some Nonfiction, Romance/Erotica, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fairy-Tale Remakes, Mystery, Fantasy.

The Collaborative Process

  • Sample edit

  • Decide on an edit start date together

  • Sign the contract

  • Pay the $50 deposit to hold your spot (PayPal or Wise)

  • Fill out the author questionnaire

  • ​Pay half the invoice when you send your file

A January calendar page on a clipboard with a pencil on top is surrounded by other office supplies and some eyeglasses

  • Pay remainder when edits are done

  • Look over text and ask questions

  • Do a final proofread

  • Give me feedback

  • Send me your cover image and links if you'd like them on my website

  • Publish!

Artificial Intelligence/AI Policy

Person types on laptop in background; foreground is a transparent purple screen that says "Chat AI"

When you pay me to work on your manuscript, you are paying for a human editor. I do not use AI for editing.

I do not accept manuscripts for editing that have had any sections written or generated by AI.

Here's why I don't support AI in writing, editing, and book art:

  • AI has been trained on the work of humans, and for the most part, those creatives were not compensated.

  • There’s more to art, writing, and editing than creating a prompt; education, training, and experience matter.

  • AI text and images cannot be copyrighted, so whatever you create using AI can be created/copied and sold by anyone else.

  • The people who would normally get paid for these jobs are losing their livelihoods.

  • AI sometimes creates information that is biased and/or false, and it’s not likely to flag legal or ethical issues with texts or accurately fact check.

  • AI artwork isn’t particularly realistic; AI writing can sound wooden and voiceless, adhering strictly to rules; and AI editing doesn’t catch inconsistencies, understand the nuances of language, edit to specific style guides, or make concrete suggestions to improve the text.

  • AI requires a tremendous amount of energy and fresh water and contributes to global warming.*

  • People support creatives, small businesses, and local communities; AI does not.

  • If you use AI to write a book or create a piece of art, what stake do you have in the product? Where’s the pride of mastering a skill, learning a craft, using your intellect, persevering? It feels more like a participation trophy than something truly earned, something that no one else but you could have created. And from an observer’s standpoint, can you appreciate an AI’s work the same as a living artist’s creation? Can it be worth as much if anyone with the right prompt could replicate/reproduce it? (Have a listen to Daphne Willis's song "Work For It.")

  • Art, writing, music are ways humans interpret, interact with, and express their emotions about their world. What is an AI expressing, and do I care? How will we get new ideas, new art styles, new ways of thinking if we’re all using AI that regurgitates the past? In the realm of creativity, AI limits innovation and diversity.

  • I revel in the creativity and ingenuity of the people around me. They continually astound me with their work, their perseverance, and their drive, and they inspire me in turn. I don't want to lose that sort of wonder in the world.

On average, it takes ten to thirty times as much energy to find an answer with AI than to do a Google search. Just one AI-generated email of 100 words uses about 16.9 ounces of fresh water and the equivalent energy of fourteen LED bulbs left on for an hour. If 10% of working Americans wrote one 100-word AI-generated email per week for a year, the electricity would equal that used by all Washington, D.C., households for twenty days, and the water consumed would match that used by the state of Rhode Island for a day and a half. Generating an AI image uses about the same energy as charging your smartphone. Upward of 34 million AI images are generated per day.

*

bottom of page