Transparent Pricing
We believe serious novelists deserve complete financial clarity. Our rates are calculated deterministically on verified manuscript word count without arbitrary pricing or hidden surprises.
You are not buying hours on a spreadsheet; you are investing in the artistic clarity, structural integrity, and commercial readiness of your novel, guided by experienced human editors.
Novel Word-Count Benchmarks
Transparent estimates across standard novel lengths. For custom word counts, use our interactive calculator.
| Editorial Service Tier | Effective Rate | 50,000 Words Short Novel |
80,000 Words Standard Novel |
100,000 Words Long Novel |
Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Manuscript Assessment 10–15 Page Master Editorial Dossier |
$0.006 / word | $300 | $480 | $600 | 2–3 weeks |
|
Developmental Editing Full In-Text Margin Notes + 15+ Page Letter |
$0.020 / word | $1,000 | $1,600 | $2,000 | 4–5 weeks |
|
Line Editing (Prose Polish) Sentence Rhythm, Cadence & Voice Elevation |
$0.0135 / word | $680 | $1,080 | $1,350 | 3–4 weeks |
|
Copyediting & Consistency Chicago Manual of Style + Custom Style Sheet |
$0.0085 / word | $425 | $680 | $850 | 2–3 weeks |
|
Proofreading Pass Pre-Publication Final Typographical Sweep |
$0.005 / word | $250 | $400 | $500 | 1–2 weeks |
What You Are Investing In
We lead with the outcome, the concrete deliverables, and the level of editorial expertise before price.
Manuscript Assessment
The indispensable first step for any completed novel draft.
Total clarity on whether your story architecture holds. You discover where narrative drive slackens, whether protagonist agency is real or illusory, and how to avoid wasting thousands on premature line polishing.
A bound-quality 10–15 page bespoke Editorial Dossier containing a high-level structural diagnosis, chapter-by-chapter audit, commercial positioning analysis, and a prioritized revision roadmap.
A Senior Fiction Editor with traditional trade publishing background. An experienced reader who understands current acquisitions standards in London and New York.
Developmental Editing
Surgical reconstruction of plot causality, character stakes, and chapter pacing.
A structurally bulletproof novel. Plot holes are identified and solved, sagging midpoints are re-energized, character arcs achieve genuine emotional resonance, and stakes feel earned.
Hundreds of substantive in-text margin annotations throughout your manuscript + an exhaustive 15+ page Master Editorial Letter + written follow-up consultation with your editor.
A dedicated fiction editor paired with your manuscript based on specific genre specialization (Literary, Historical, Suspense, Fantasy, Sci-Fi).
Line Editing
Sentence cadence, prose rhythm, and authorial voice elevation.
Elevated, distinctive prose that commands reader attention. Awkward sentence architecture is dismantled, dialogue subtext is brought forward, and repetitive phrasing is eliminated.
Line-by-line Track Changes markup throughout your complete Word document, stylistic alternative phrasing in margin comments, and a voice calibration summary.
A literary prose stylist with an exacting ear for dialogue cadence, linguistic economy, and psychic distance modulation.
Copyediting
Chicago Manual of Style rigor, grammar, syntax, and timeline consistency.
A mechanically flawless manuscript ready for typesetting. World-building consistency is secured, internal timeline contradictions are resolved, and punctuation follows trade publishing rules.
Fully marked Track Changes document with grammatical corrections and continuity queries + a comprehensive bespoke Editorial Style Sheet.
A Senior Copyeditor steeped in Chicago Manual of Style (17th & 18th Editions) and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary standards.
Proofreading Pass
The final typographical sweep prior to printing or commercial release.
Pre-publication confidence. Eliminates the lingering typos, missing punctuation marks, bad hyphenations, or layout artifacts that undermine professional credibility.
An annotated PDF or Word document identifying all typographical corrections, plus a final pre-press sign-off audit.
A seasoned Production Proofreader with hyper-specialized focus on typographical catch rates and trade layout norms.
Agent Submission Packages
Fixed-fee editorial preparation for authors pitching traditional literary agencies in London and New York.
Query Letter Critique
Includes 2 review rounds
Line-by-line review of your 1-page query letter, sharpening your hook, stakes, comp titles, and bio.
View Query Package →Query + Synopsis Package
Includes 2 review rounds
Complete polish of both your 1-page Query Letter and your 1–2 page Novel Synopsis.
View Query & Synopsis →Full Submission Package
Query + Synopsis + 3 Chapters
Query Letter + 2-Page Synopsis + Line Edit & Narrative Critique of your First 3 Chapters (up to 10,000 words).
View Full Package →How Payments & Contracts Function
Review-Before-Final-Payment Guarantee
You should never have to pay in full before inspecting the quality of your edit. For all manuscript engagements, a 50% retainer commences the work. When your complete deliverable is ready, a 7 to 10-day review window opens for questions and in-scope revisions before the final balance is released.
Read Complete Payment & Review Policy →Author Sovereignty & Copyright
All intellectual property, drafts, concepts, and materials remain 100% the property of the author. We make zero claim on royalties, publishing rights, or adaptation options.
Strict Non-Disclosure & Zero AI Ingestion
Your manuscript files are handled under strict confidentiality. We never feed manuscripts into machine learning databases, never share drafts with third parties, and all editors operate under binding non-disclosure agreements.
Experience the Atelier Before You Commit
Not sure where to begin? Submit your opening chapter to The First 1,000 Words. Receive genuine editorial line notes and voice diagnostics — completely free, with no obligation and no credit card required.
Submit the First 1,000 Words — Free →Begin with a Diagnostic Assessment
Understand the exact health of your story before committing to major developmental revision. Clear, unhurried, deterministic.
Assess My Manuscript →