Editorial services |
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At Lexical Peaks, I offer developmental editing, copyediting and proofreading for writers of fiction and outdoors literature. I'm happy to work with publishing companies or independent authors. |
Your comments are very clear and relevant and I will work on tightening up the text with your suggestions. Thank you for the fantastic service! |
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Developmental editing |
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A developmental edit is about making sure you’re telling your story as well as you possibly can, ensuring you've created a compelling narrative that readers will be absorbed in. It considers all the big-picture elements of your story such as plot and structure, voice, character development, point of view, tense and pacing.
You’ll receive a detailed editorial report which will highlight the areas that are already working really well, discuss any areas that could be strengthened and suggest the next steps for your manuscript. I’ll use Track Changes to suggest minor changes and leave comments to identify the areas discussed. We can then arrange a one-hour Zoom or phone call to discuss the report and for you to ask any questions you’ve got or discuss how to move forward with your manuscript. This service does not include a copyedit, as there’s often too many changes made following a developmental edit for a copyedit at this stage to be a worthwhile use of your time or money. Prices are around £16-22 per 1,000 words for a novel-length manuscript. If your manuscript is shorter than this, please drop me an email to discuss pricing. |
Manuscript critiques |
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If your manuscript doesn’t quite feel ready for a full developmental edit yet, or if budgets are tight, a manuscript critique might be what you’re looking for. You’ll receive an editorial report which will consider big-picture elements such as plot and structure, voice, character development, point of view, tense and pacing. This will help you ensure you've got a compelling narrative without being as intensive as a developmental edit.
This service does not include any in-text comments on your manuscript itself. The price is £475 for a manuscript of 60,000–90,000 words. If your manuscript is shorter or longer than this, drop me an email for a quote. |
Copyediting |
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Copyediting is the next stage once you're happy with the structure and plot of your manuscript. You might have taken it through a round of developmental editing, or had a manuscript critique, or even just had a handful of trusted beta readers go through it for you. Either way, you're satisfied with the plot and the story, and you need someone to check through the writing before publication.
In a copyedit, I’ll address issues like:
I'll complete the copyedit on Word using Track Changes and Comments. You'll be able to approve every edit made, so you'll still have full control over your manuscript. Prices are around £14-19 per 1,000 words. |
Proofreading |
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Proofreading is the final step before publication, or before submitting your writing to a competition or magazine. After taking your text through multiple drafts and rounds of edits, it can be difficult to read your own writing closely enough to catch any remaining typos or mistakes. I've noticed many times with my own writing that it really is impossible to proofread your own work thoroughly; sometimes you need someone else to notice that you've used the wrong you're/your, or that your computer has incorrectly changed its to it's.
As someone who's another step removed from your writing, I've got the distance and perspective to help reduce any remaining errors. I'll help you make your text as good as it can be, ready for publication. In a final proofread, I’ll check for issues of:
The proofread can be completed on Word using track changes, using comments on a PDF, or on a paper copy. I'm able to use BSI marks on paper or on Word/PDF if required. If necessary (or as an option for tighter budgets), I offer 'proof-editing', which is a very light copyedit picking up proofreading issues as well, although I'd only recommend this for manuscripts which are already very clean. Prices are around £9-11 per 1,000 words. |
Very thorough, thank you. |
A note on pricing |
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I've given some idea of my fees for copyediting and proofreading above. It's impossible to give a flat rate as different writers/manuscripts require different levels of intervention, and some texts are more complex than others and therefore slower to work through. I’m aware that budgets are generally tight so I’ll always complete the job in the fewest hours possible but I won’t put speed above quality; it’s important to me that you get a careful and accurate proofread or edit to help you ensure your writing is of a high standard before sharing it with the world
For novels or longer pieces of writing, I offer a free sample proofread/edit (max 1,000 words) which will give you an idea of how the process works, and helps me give you a more accurate no-obligation quote. Please send me a message or email me at philippa@lexicalpeaks.com for a full quote. I am always happy to discuss your work, and if it turns out I'm not the right person to work on your writing, I’ll be happy to point you in the direction of experienced editors who would be better placed to help you. |
How to choose an editor |
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Handing your book over to someone else is always a big decision. It’s so important to find editorial professionals you can really trust with your work, especially if you’re a self-published author working without the support of a publisher. As with any job, different editors will have different ways of working. I’ve tried to explain a bit here about my approach to help you understand how I would work on your book. I'm always happy to discuss the process in more depth and answer any questions over email before you commit to anything. + I’m genuinely passionate about books and stories. It’s difficult to convey this online without it just sounding glib but books really have been essential for me, and have helped me get through some of the hardest points in my life. I really love working on stories that might give that same feeling to someone else. + I understand that your job as the writer is to tell a good story, not to be an expert in every detail of grammar and punctuation. That’s what you’re trusting me to deal with, and I’ll offer helpful suggestions and corrections where needed without any judgement. + It wouldn’t be right for me to agree to work on any and every book I’m offered. Your book might be a genre I’m not familiar with (there’s more info on the genres I specialise in here), or your writing style might not be a good fit for me, or your timescale might not fit with my schedule. If I think a different editor would be a better fit for your book for any reason, I’ll always do my best to recommend someone else to you, although there’s obviously no obligation for you to use their services. + I understand the importance of being careful with someone else’s words. I do a lot of writing myself and would hate the thought of an editor interfering with things that don’t need to be changed or being critical of the story I’m trying to tell. I’ll always edit with a light hand leaving your voice intact and will be gentle with any suggestions, but I’ll also tell you if something isn’t working – it wouldn’t be fair to you or your book not to. + I offer a free sample proofread/edit of up to 1,000 words. This gives you an idea of the sort of things I’ll catch or flag up in the whole text. It also means we can discuss the appropriate level of intervention for your book, and gives you a chance to check you’re happy with the way I work. + I’m always happy to chat about how the editing process of works, to answer any questions you have, or just to discuss what level of intervention is best for your book. Get in touch with me here. |
