EllaMedlerEditing

FOREWORD

Over the last few years, I have made it my mission to help raise the standard of the independently published books in every way I can. There is a certain level of prejudice against non-traditionally published authors, and so it is imperative that the quality of the product you supply to your readers should be at least equal to, or even better than, a traditionally published book.

When you work with me, you will also learn - but only if you want to. I offer my knowledge in all aspects of creating a work of fiction freely, and welcome all questions, both during the time we have together and after your project has been published. However, I will not shove grammar down your throat or burden you with tons of details about plot-building until you pass out with the load. It is up to you to ask if you want to know. If, on the other hand, you want to hand me a first draft and collect a beautifully worded gem in a couple of weeks' time, I can accommodate those wishes just as easily.

I believe in preserving an author's individual voice, so you can be assured I will not suggest changes for the sake of justifying the time I spend working on a manuscript. It would be counterproductive, and I have an innate dislike for wasted time or effort.

I HAVE BEEN ASKED

1) Do you use the Chicago Manual of Style?

I use whatever STYLE the author prefers. I do not believe in starchy rules of any kind, and while you can be assured of flawless editing (my standard is 0.0025% misses), if you want to argue about the correct size of an en-dash, or whether your quote marks should be straight or curly, you need a different editor. The clue is in the name: The Chicago Manual of STYLE – not GRAMMAR.

Having said that, yes, the CMOS rules are the standard for fiction, so that is what I suggest we use unless you have a really good reason for disregarding them.

2) How long will it take you to edit my manuscript?

I would like you to take a minute to imagine the most beautiful wood carving you could ever see. That is your finished manuscript in its utmost perfection. If you give me a carving which is almost there, just needs a few details chiseled right, a few chips taken off, and a few layers of polish, we could be done in a week. If you give me a tree trunk so rough I’ll need a chainsaw before I can get near, it could take us months. I don’t have a problem with it, and my fee is the same, regardless of how much work I put in a manuscript. I can usually give you an indication, but that is not set in stone. I have been sent manuscripts with pristine beginnings, but which required a lot more work (read 'time') from chapter four onward. We could take two days or 6 months. It really is up to you. For a faster turnaround, it would be wise to go through your rough draft a few times before sending it to me.

As a general rule of thumb, use this calculation. For a 100,000-word manuscript, I need to make sure 20 words are perfect every minute of every working hour in order to finish editing in about 90 hours (that is 12 days at 7.5 hours worked daily). That does not include me writing you any comments, giving you options to choose from, pointing out inconsistencies, or fact-checking. Sure, anyone can read 20 words a minute. But you're not hiring me to read. You're hiring me to assess and improve.

3) Will my book be a bestseller?

Unlikely, without a seriously powerful promotional plan behind it. So why are you paying for editing then? Because without a near-perfect product you stand NO chance at all. There are plenty of good books out there; some are even outstanding. To beat them in the rankings, your work has to be out-of-this-world amazing. You need to have a good book to start with, and together we will make it the best it can be. It may take you several goes, but if you are a hard-worker - or incredibly lucky - you will get there.

Would you like to develop and improve your writing style? If yes, this is the service for you.

DEVELOPMENTAL COACHING FOR AUTHORS – in the most sought-upon component areas of a fiction novel writing: character development, plot, flow, suspense, dialogue and the dreaded ‘show versus tell'.

How does it work? You send me a manuscript you feel is in need of improvement. I assess your needs and get back to you with a plan of action. Once we agree on the subject of our coaching sessions, we set up an hour-long Skype/Chat/WhatsApp/Teams workshop in which I explain how the issue at hand can be improved. At the end of the session I hand you one or several exercises to complete (homework, for lack of a better description). We set a date by which this should be sent back to me and decide the date of the next face-to-face session.

Fees: GB£200 (approx. US$240) initial assessment, payable on manuscript submission. GB£200 (approx. US$240) per workshop.

DEVELOPMENTAL COACHING FOR PUBLISHERS – I will hold your author's hand throughout the drafting process, guiding them relentlessly with the aim of achieving the best first draft or rewrite they are capable of. Structure, pace, info-dumps, show vs. tell, natural-sounding dialogue, description and fight scenes that make sense, commercial viability and anything else you need.

Fees: GB£100 (approx. US$120) per week. What does it include? Assessment of work already completed, detailed notes on improvement required, with examples, re-assessment on completion of rewrites, up to a total of 6 hours per week.

E-book and paperback interior text and images formatting using VELLUM software.

INTERIOR BOOK FORMATTING
Flat fee:
GB£75 (approx. US$90) e-book. Table of Contents included as standard.
GB£75 (approx. US$90) paperback. Table of Contents, headers and footers included as standard.
Fancy caps, drop-caps, chapter headings and images are subject to additional fees. Quote on request (ellamedler@gmail.com).
Priority surcharge: GB£50 (approx. US$60).
Fees payable in advance. Please allow two days for completion.

EDITING – line, content and proof. Personal favorite: content editing. If there’s a weak point in your novel, I will find it, and I will show you a way, or several, to fix it.

FREE 2,000-word sample.
Fees payable 50% in advance, 50% on completion or 30 days after payment of the first invoice, whichever comes first.
Most edits can be completed in under 2 weeks.
Contact me directly to check for availability (ellamedler@gmail.com). Last-minute slots may become available but please note my schedule fills up fast.

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The fees below include however many passes are necessary to complete a project, be they two, or five, or ten.
Hopefully not ten. Please. Or I may need extra chocolate.
Make sure you allow time for rewrites and adjust your deadlines accordingly.
A sample edit (provided the rest of the manuscript is of the same standard) should help with our time estimate.

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Option A – basic copy-edit and proofreading, which involves looking for typos, punctuation errors, and simple grammar mistakes.
Flat rates:
GB£250 (approx. US$300) for manuscripts of up to 20,000 words.
GB£400 (approx. US$480) for manuscripts from 20,001 to 50,000 words.
GB£600 (approx. US$720) for manuscripts from 50,001 to 85,000 words. Manuscripts over 85,000 words subject to special fees.
Talk to me nicely, and I might point out weak points of your novel, content-wise, too.
Please specify whether you require US or UK English.
Priority surcharge: GB£100 (approx. US$120).

Option B – full manuscript editing – from the smallest issue to the most complex. Starting from spelling and punctuation (again, please specify whether UK or US), structure of sentences, subject-verb agreement, correct tense and word usage, order of words within the sentence, structure of paragraphs within the chapter, logic of chapters within the overall manuscript. Moving on to consistency of plot and overall readability, including clarity of thought, voice, believability, fact checking, pace and tension, cliff-hangers, secondary plots and relaxed, naturally flowing dialogue. And finally, looking at character voice and personality, authenticity and point of view and assistance with developing characters and plot where required. Studying human nature is a personal favorite of mine; I dedicate a lot of my time to observing and attempting to understand people.
Flat rates:
GB£500 (approx. US$600) for manuscripts up to 50,000 words.
GB£700 (approx. US$840) for manuscripts from 50,001 to 80,000 words.
GB£850 (approx. US$1020) for manuscripts from 80,001 to 100,000 words.
Short synopsis suitable for your back cover included in the fee.
Manuscripts over 100,000 words subject to special fees. Quote on request (ellamedler@gmail.com).

Multiauthor Box Sets Editing also available but subject to special fees. Quote on request. Please allow an average 1 week per book for completion.

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EDITOR ON RETAINER option now available. Gain access to an editor who is always there, whenever you need her.
Priority editing / Renewable 12-month contract / Easy budgeting (installments)
Please email me to discuss your needs.
(ellamedler@gmail.com)

Do you need an established voice to write your story, yet publish in your name? I can do that for you.

GHOSTWRITING simply means I will write that book for you. Or just one scene, if that is all you need help with.

For a full book, after an initial discussion on the idea, genre, style and expected length, I will need to study all the material you can provide to me (letters, video footage, diaries, etc) in order to produce a plan of action which will require your absolute minimum involvement. I do not need to see my name anywhere in your book, though a small nod in the acknowledgements would be nice. You will take all the credit. My service will be fully confidential, as will be specified in our contract.
Flat fee: GB£200 (approx. US$250)/1000 words.

The fee will be payable on achieving certain ‘checkpoints’, with the last portion payable on completion. As I am an experienced writer and editor, you can be assured of the utmost quality as regards writing style, grammar and punctuation. I take pride in my work and can provide references from authors on my list or samples of my writing, whichever you prefer.

If your manuscript is already completed but a massive mess, and you want it published, I will rewrite it for you.
Flat fee: GB£1500 (approx. US$1800). No royalty split and no mention of my name required.

Have a multi-author box set to organize? Royalty-split spreadsheets to calculate? Release schedules to keep track of?
I have years of experience.

Managing a multi-author publishing project can be time-consuming and energy-zapping. I know this first-hand. With dozens of anthologies and box sets under my belt, I am certain I can successfully manage any project. From chasing up and collating author biographies, covers and blurbs to setting up royalty-split spreadsheets (I'm an expert with spreadsheets), release schedules, promo campaigns and graphics, rounding up proofreaders, formatters and cover artists - this is all work I can do for you.

Tell me about your project (ellamedler@gmail.com). Quote on request.

Genre, plot and character development, brainstorming and writing sprints, one-to-one personal attention.

MENTORING – a custom, individually agreed method of encouraging and supporting an author to finally get that long-slaved-upon book finished. From mere ‘idea’ stage to ‘partially written', no project is too big or too small.

Option A: Story Development Stage – your book is in its incipient form, more an idea than a manuscript. You have some thoughts on where you’d like the story to lead, or what you might want to show, but are unsure on where to start and how to develop your plot. Our aim will be to create a plot development plan, with guidance points. You'll have a roadmap, with plot points, scenes, and a general feel of what should go in each scene, but you will still be writing your book, because this is what you want to do. If you'd like me to write your story for you, please refer to the Ghostwriting section. Co-authoring is another option you might consider.
Flat fee: GB£500 (approx. US$600).

Option B: Burnout Stage – you have started writing your manuscript and are quite a way through, but you’ve hit an impasse and just can't stand going through the book one more time, not on your own. You would love to be able to discuss the various options available, how to take the story forward, what would be the best way to develop your characters and what would make a satisfactory ending. Our aim will be to achieve optimal development of a novel during an initial assessment and brainstorming sitting, followed by up to twelve guidance and monitoring sessions on a schedule to suit your lifestyle.
Flat fee: GB£500 (approx. US$600).

It is likely we shall need to get in touch face to face if emails are not enough.

Warning: I know the symptoms of a procrastinator inside-out.

Ella Medler Editing - Edit With A Smile