Writers Tools · Paid

Ideation to publication, with an editor who reads.

We take on few books and we tell you the price before you ask. The calculator below is the same rate table we quote from; nothing is hidden behind a form.

Estimate your book

What would we charge for this?

Founding member price These are founding rates for our first list of authors, which is why they sit below what the same work costs elsewhere. A quoted price holds for that book whatever happens to our rates later.

Manuscript length 80,000 words

5k200k

What the book needs

Beta reading Structural and story feedback only, no line-level fixes. A reader’s report, not an edit. $0.001–$0.008 / word Developmental editing Structure, plot and the big-picture problems. The pass that changes what the book is. $0.06–$0.15 / word Line editing Sentence-level rhythm and voice. Where the prose starts sounding like itself. $0.04–$0.10 / word Copyediting Grammar, consistency and a house style guide kept for your book. $0.02–$0.06 / word Proofreading Typos, punctuation and formatting. Final polish on the typeset pages. $0.013–$0.03 / word

Rush turnaround Moves you to the front of the desk. Adds 30 percent.

Founding member quote

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Market range for this work—

Single passno discount

Deposit to book the slot—

Rates are per word, benchmarked against the Editorial Freelancers Association 2026 fiction bands. A sample edit of 1,500 words is free and comes before any invoice. Send us the manuscript ⇢

How the work runs

Stage I

The read

We read the whole manuscript before quoting a structural edit, and send a free 1,500-word sample edit so you can hear how we sound in your margins.

Stage II

The edit

Structure first, then line, then copy, then proof. Each pass comes back with a letter explaining what changed and why, and you keep every decision.

Stage III

The book

Cover, typesetting, jacket copy, metadata and the listing work. Quoted separately once the manuscript is final, because it depends on the book.

What we will not do

!Charge you for a print run, an ISBN block, or "distribution" you could buy yourself for less.

!Take a share of your royalties or your rights in exchange for editing work. You pay a fee; the book stays entirely yours.

!Promise reviews, placements, awards, or sales figures. Nobody honest can.

!Run your manuscript through a machine and call it an edit. Read how we use A.I.

Not ready for an editor yet? Start with the free tools. All Writers Tools ⇢