In a marketplace where your manuscript faces heavy competition, it needs a second eye to ensure success. To help you achieve your goals, I provide a variety of editing services, including proofreading, copy editing, substantive editing, and developmental editing. My professional services are among the most writer-friendly you’ll find – and I’ll polish your manuscript until it shines bright!
Types of service
• Proofreading – Simple editing of a piece for spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar
• Copy editing – Editing of mature manuscripts close to being published
• Substantive edit – Editing of an early draft of your manuscript
• Developmental editing – Guidance through the writing process
Fees (per piece):
(All prices are in U.S. dollars)
Developmental editing
$40/hour
Blog post, resume (1 page)
• Proofreading – $10
Short story, academic paper (1-5 pages)
• Proofreading – $25
• Copy editing – $35
• Substantive edit – $40
(6-10 pages)
• Proofreading – $40
• Copy editing – $50
• Substantive edit – $75
(10+ pages up to 10,000 words)
• Proofreading – $75
• Copy editing – $100
• Substantive edit – $125
(10,001-20,000 words)
• Proofreading – $100
• Copy editing – $125
• Substantive edit – $150
(20,001-30,000 words)
• Proofreading – $150
• Copy editing – $175
• Substantive edit – $225
(30,001-40,000 words)
• Proofreading – $225
• Copy editing – $275
• Substantive edit – $325
(40,001-50,000 words)
• Proofreading – $275
• Copy editing – $325
• Substantive edit – $375
(50,001-60,000 words)
• Proofreading – $425
• Copy editing – $475
• Substantive edit – $525
(60,001-70,000 words)
• Proofreading – $475
• Copy editing – $525
• Substantive edit – $575
(70,001-80,000 words)
• Proofreading – $525
• Copy editing – $575
• Substantive edit – $625
(80,001-90,000 words)
• Proofreading – $625
• Copy editing – $675
• Substantive edit – $725
(90,001-100,000 words)
• Proofreading – $725
• Copy editing – $775
• Substantive edit – $825
(100,001-110,000 words)
• Proofreading – $825
• Copy editing – $875
• Substantive edit – $925
(110,001-120,000 words)
• Proofreading – $925
• Copy editing – $975
• Substantive edit – $1050
(120,001-130,000 words)
• Proofreading – $1025
• Copy editing – $1075
• Substantive edit – $1125
(130,001-140,000 words)
• Proofreading – $1125
• Copy editing – $1175
• Substantive edit – $1225
(140,001-150,000 words)
• Proofreading – $1225
• Copy editing – $1275
• Substantive edit – $1325
(150,001-160,000 words)
• Proofreading – $1325
• Copy editing – $1375
• Substantive edit – $1425
(160,001-170,000 words)
• Proofreading – $1425
• Copy editing – $1475
• Substantive edit – $1525
(170,001-plus words)
For every 10,000 words, add $100 to the rate for 160,001-170,000 words)
What is my turnaround time?
Expect about a week on a short story, four weeks on a novella, and nine to ten weeks on a 90,000-word novel. I typically return pieces much sooner than these time periods but like to give conservative time frames in case other issues arise (illness, funerals, computer motherboard fries out, etc.).
How to contract my services?
You may send a story via email or snail mail. In either case, include a cover letter specifying which level of service you desire and the word count of the piece to be proofread or edited. Multiple pieces may be sent, but note that the fee schedule listed above is per piece. So, if you send two nine-page short stories for proofreading, the total cost is $150, or $75 per piece. In addition, if you resend a piece for another edit after I’ve edited it, the costs above are applied again.
Payment must be made in advance of any services. Payment can be made via PayPal, Zelle, Google Pay, money order, personal check, or money transfers such as Walmart’s MoneyGram. Make the money order, personal check or money transfer payable to Rob Bignell. Please note that I do not offer refunds for services. I am an honest individual and will give your manuscript a thorough edit; if I believe your manuscript still needs work after my edit, I will tell you to write another draft.
You can reach me via email. Attachments are accepted only if they are MS Word documents.
If sending the manuscript via snail mail, please include a SASE with sufficient postage for the return of your manuscript. Contact me for my address.
In what format should I send my manuscript?
Use the same format as if you were sending it to a literary agent, publisher or professor. If your piece is a short story or novel, it should be typed in 10 or 12 pt. Times (or similar font), double-spaced with one-inch margins on white paper. Your use of manuscript form is part of the critique (unless you’ve just contracted me solely for proofreading) but formatting the text for printing as a book is a separate project and charge. No onion-skin paper, flash drives or handwritten pieces, please.
What does my payment buy?
I’ll provide one pass-through of your manuscript. I then check my comments and recommendations to ensure they are accurate. A manuscript almost always requires multiple drafts to take it from start to finish, and my suggestions – should you decide to follow them – usually will require that you pen another draft. Most manuscripts I receive are far enough along that the new draft just involves tightening or clarifying specific sentences rather than revising the entire plot or character arc (for novels) or reorganizing the entire book (for nonfiction). Manuscripts being edited for the first time by a professional probably will need more revisions than that.