Developmental Editing Services

Please read the details below about Haunted Unicorn Publishing’s Developmental Editing Services. There is also an option to receive a sample edit; more details below. Finally, if you want to request my services, fill out and follow the directions on this Form.

What will I developmental edit?

• Fiction only. Including short stories!
• My specialties are fantasy and horror, but I will read almost any genre. I have critiqued many different genres, especially during my M.F.A. program.
• No erotica, please, sorry.

What is included in a developmental edit?

• At least two passes of your book.
• As I read through, I will make internal notes.
• At the end, I will write up a detailed report covering the following (other categories added if needed):
  • Story
  • Character
  • Plot
  • Pacing
  • Dialogue
  • Point of View
  • Conflict
  • Setting
  • Theme
  • Tense
  • Hook
  • Conclusion
  • Book as a Whole
  • Style (minimally – only habits I see repeated often)
• Since I feel the story is the most important of the above list, I focus on logic for the most part in my developmental edits.
• Once you’ve had time to go over my suggested edits, I will schedule a time with you to meet up in a chat so we can discuss things together and I can help give other suggestions as well as answer any questions you have. If you prefer, this can also be done via email.

What is NOT included in a developmental edit?

• Copy editing, proofreading, grammar, sentence structure.
• Fact checking. This means I will not double check if any historical or scientific facts are correct. I won’t do research for you. If you need someone for this task, you may want to seek out a different editor. However, if I notice something might be wrong, I’ll note it. I don’t have a vast historical or scientific background, though, so I may not catch any mistakes in these areas.
• No rush requests, please. A good developmental edit may take me up to a month to get through, depending on the length of the book. I don’t have the time to squeeze in quick turnarounds.

Is a sample developmental edit available?

• Yes! I understand this is an investment, and you may want to make sure my style of developmental editing works well for you.
• I will do a free sample edit of the FIRST 1500 words of a book. Yes, I want it to be a beginning, nothing in the middle, please.
• Keep in mind, I likely won’t cover all of the above listed topics in the sample edit, since it’s such a short chunk.
• Only one sample edit per person.
• If you’d like a sample, please fill out the Sample Editing Request Form and follow the instructions at the end of the form to email me your sample of the first 1500 words.

What is the process for developmental editing services?

• Fill out the Developmental Editing Request Form.
• I prefer to book out farther in advance, so the sooner the better for sending a request.
• Email your document file per the instructions at the bottom of the above form. If it’s not ready, please send when it is.
• I’ll reply to your request within 48 hours. You’ll receive available time slots, and I’ll ask any other questions I have.
• Please make sure to send me your file at least 5 weeks before the completion date we decide on. I can’t do rush jobs, and depending on length of the book, developmental editing can take some time.
• After we settle on a time slot and once I have your file, I will give you a price quote.
• Once you’ve accepted the price quote, I’ll send you an invoice via Paypal for half of the cost.
• The half down must be paid before I start any work. Please pay promptly, or turnaround may be delayed.
• I’ll complete the developmental edit, email it to you, and then send you the invoice for the remaining cost, to be paid upon receipt.
• We will then either schedule a chat time or have an in depth discussion via email about my comments and ways to troubleshoot and address any problems in the book.
• Throughout the entire process, I’ll strive to keep communication open and reply to emails within 48 hours of receiving them.

What’s the cost of developmental editing?

• $0.006 per word.
• So, this means a 30,000-word book would cost $180 and a 90,000-word book $540.
• $30 minimum cost – any short story under 5,000 words will still cost $30.

Interested in hiring Haunted Unicorn Publishing to developmental edit your book? Then what are you waiting for? Fill out the Developmental Editing Request Form and let’s get started!