2022 Editing Prices

My regular website (CynthiaShepp.com) is undergoing maintenance and will be back up soon.
Thank you, Cynthia Shepp

I have worked with best-selling authors such as Sawyer Bennett, Melissa McClone, Marquita Valentine, Juliette Poe, Jennifer Anne Davis, LB Gilbert, and Jasmine Walt (just to name a few), as well as up-and-coming authors such as Katie French, Rene Folsom, Jason Brant, Sonya Loveday, and Candace Knoebel, along with countless others.
ADDITIONAL INFO IN DOWNLOADABLE FILE

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Proofreading starts* at .0075 a word*

Proofreading is done on a final draft and includes line-by-line correction of spelling and grammar. Each proofread receives only one pass before being sent back to the author. This package does not include second edit after author reviews changes.

It is extremely rare that I accept a manuscript for proofread only, and almost never for new clients. If manuscript has been copy edited by a reputable editor, I will consider it.

Package fees are baseline fees. Please be aware that books that need excessive editing outside of the package picked may lead to extra fees. The fees will be discussed with the author before any work is done.

Anything over 5,000 but under 20,000 words is automatically $150 (or above).

Copy/Line Editing starts at .0085 a word

Copy Editing is done on a final draft and includes detailed, line-by-line editing for sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and, if needed, other issues that do not require major changes, such as plot consistency, character analysis, and style. Each detailed copy edit receives at least two passes before being sent back to the author. This package does not include second edit after author reviews changes.

Anything over 5,000 but under 20,000 words is automatically $170 (or above).

Detailed Copy/Line Editing & Proofread Package starts at .01 a word

(Recommended)

This is the package recommended for every author, as well as the best-selling and best-value package. It also includes a free blurb edit ($50 value). The Detailed Copy/Line Editing and Proofread Package combines both services. This package has multiple steps. First, Detailed Copy/Line Editing (including light developmental, if needed) will be completed on the manuscript via track changes and returned to the author. The author will then make all the changes they need to based on offered suggestions. Once the author has finished this stage and returned it, a thorough Proofread will be done on the finished product. After that, it is sent it to an additional beta proofer (paid for by the editor) to find any pesky leftover missing words or small typos. When that is completed, it goes back to the author with the editor’s part finished completely. Authors then go over any changes made, incorporate them, and carry on with their publishing plan. Blurb edit/critique can be completed and returned before/during/after editing process, but blurb must be turned in with manuscript. This is the most cost-effective package if the author desires both a detailed copy edit as well as a final proofread after suggested changes have been made. This package gives the most-polished end product.

Anything over 5,000 but under 20,000 words is automatically $200 (or above).

Total Manuscript Tense and POV Change

First person present to third person past. Third person past to first person present. Price quotes available on request.

$50 for Blurb Editing & Critique

Need help making your blurb great? Need a fresh pair of eyes to check for errors and readability? This is your option. This is a flat-rate service with a five-day turnaround. (plus $2.50 processing)

Need it Sooner?

Three-day turnaround: $52.50 + $20 = $72.50

One-day turnaround: $52.50 + $50 = $102.50

$50 Flat Rate for Small Jobs

Almost anything 5,000 words and under, such as query letters, expanded synopses, and chapter samples. (plus $3.00 processing) Please contact the editor to see if material to be edited is accepted under this package.

Press Releases, Expanded Synopses, Chapter Samples, Website Material, Articles, and any other Non-Fiction Works over 5,000 Words – (I do not edit non-fiction books)

Price will need to be discussed on an as-needed basis.

Facebook Groups PA Service and Review Wrangler Service: (LIMITED AVAILABILITY)

Want your books posted in the multitude of book groups on Facebook, but don’t have the time to do it? I am a member of over 115+ Facebook book groups, and adding more every day. These range from Kindle Unlimited to Erotica to Dystopian to Romance to Reviews and everything in between.

$30 : ONCE A MONTH/No review Wrangling

I will post your preferred promotional material in at least 25 relevant book groups once a month (25 posts). 3 and 6-month packages available. Includes multiple promotional posts on Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp’s Facebook and Twitter.

$150 : 75 POSTS A MONTH WITH REVIEW WRANGLING

Prices listed are limited-time promo prices while service is new and getting adjusted. Subject to change.

I will post your preferred promotional material in at least 25 relevant book groups, number of posts spread throughout the month (75 posts) as well as coordinate any review copies/reviewers if review seeking is your goal from group promotion–which includes seeking reviewers, communication with reviewers, and follow-ups to attempt to get them to remember to post their reviews. 3 and 6-month packages available. Includes multiple promotional posts on Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BEST PACKAGE!

Price will need to be discussed on an as-needed basis. Monthly prices available based on number sent out.

Author Group for Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp

Feel free to request access to the group for current clients and authors interested in learning more about or becoming a client of Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp. It is the best place for information about the latest editing news and exclusive group editing discounts/promotions, as well as to have a place to ask questions and read posts about editing tips and tricks.

*PayPal fees are calculated and added to final bill.* http://thefeecalculator.com/

Updated terms and conditions available upon request. They will be available online when regular website is back up.

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR AUTHORS:

Effective January 1, 2019, there will be an increase in editing rates on all packages and updates to the terms and conditions. Please read carefully as they have changed.

SCHEDULED spots per month are limited. Once they are booked, no others will be accepted until the next opening. A $52.50 fee will be charged at time of scheduling to book a spot. If slots are cancelled or submissions are late, the fee will not be refunded. If scheduled date is met, fees will be subtracted from final invoice. Fees pertaining to missed scheduling dates will be strictly enforced.

All submissions will have up to an eight week (see below [¹] ) completion period, and any submission accepted with less than an eight-week completion date will be considered a rush with a rush fee depending on the amount of time given to complete.

Submissions with set preorders will not be accepted if less than eight weeks from scheduled editing date or six weeks with prior approval.

⬆On rare occasions, exceptions may be made concerning completion dates and preorders—for established clients only—if approved by the editor beforehand.

[¹] Eight weeks is fifty-six days. It may sound like a lot, but it is less than two months. Since I (try to) no longer work on weekends, this equals out to forty workdays for me. This does not include blackout dates for holidays or vacations. (Example: If New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day fell during your fifty-six days, you would add two extra days to completion time for a total of fifty-eight days.)

HOWEVER, not all edits require the full amount of time for completion. The deadline is simply set in place to allow for ample time in case of a full schedule, unexpected delay or circumstance, sickness, or any other happenstance. IF an edit is completed before the deadline, it will be delivered to the author early. Just in case, always expect an edit could take the full amount of time, but know the editor works diligently to complete projects sooner.

MANUSCRIPTS must be submitted in Times New Roman, size 11 font, and 1 1/2 spaced. If they are not, I will change them. It makes the editing process cleaner and easier.

I DO NOT edit non-fiction books. However, I will edit non-fiction articles, website material, press releases, and other such subject matter. I am also not familiar with UK grammar. I will edit UK books, but only if they are being completely Americanized. If you want to keep some UK tone, (colour instead of color, sayings, etc) that is fine. You just have to make sure to tell me. However, any and all grammar related issues that I do recognize will be Americanized.

GRAPHIC and/or gratuitous RAPE scenes are not accepted. Books containing them are subject to IMMEDIATE return without refund or completion.

HOWEVER, books that contain rape are not an automatic no. A girl trying to get over being raped, a fade-to-black rape scene that is integral to the story, a book about rape that inspires hope in victims, a crime book that manages to impress the violence without making it graphic and pleasingly sexual, etc… would all be considered and most likely accepted. Please just explain the scenes to me beforehand.

Erotica books that use rape as something pleasingly sexual, or any book that does, or any book that describes rape in graphic, violent, sexual, scene-by-scene detail, will NOT be accepted. If in a book I accepted without my prior knowledge, it will be returned with NO REFUND OR COMPLETION. (Rape Clause Added October 20, 2015)

AUTHORS are responsible for getting their books to me by the date agreed upon. Scheduled submissions that miss their scheduled date and wish to stay on the schedule will be charged an additional late fee (starting at) $52.50 and will be rescheduled to the next available slot. Late or cancelled submissions that have occurred three or more times will no longer be accepted.

RUSH JOBS, which I rarely take and usually only from established clients, will incur a fee. It will depend on length of the manuscript and amount of time given to finish. The base amount of a rush is $150, and it goes up from there. Any submission with less than an eight-week completion date will be considered a rush with a rush fee depending on the amount of time given to complete. The less amount of time given to complete the edit, the higher the rush fee.

Rush jobs are hard on me, so while I do not mind occasionally taking them, please respect the amount of pressure it puts on me and not make a habit out of it. I do understand there are times when there are no other choices and life happened, but always try to schedule in advance.

Rush submissions will need to be preapproved and will require at least five business days for completion, unless approved by the editor in advance.

⬆An occasional emergency exception may be made for established clients.

PLEASE be aware that books that need excessive editing outside of the package picked may lead to extra fees. Submissions turned in that do not meet approved price-based sampled standards will be returned to authors to have them brought up to standards, or they will be charged a fee of up to 20% of invoice to be brought to standards by the editor.

Manuscripts are only taken at packages they are ready for. If authors request a proof or detailed copy edit only, it must be in a condition that will assure a quality final product.

My name is my brand. Please understand finalized products attached to my brand reflect on my services.

FACT-CHECKING is not included in any package. As a courtesy, if I notice anything that does not sound right, I will look it up and point it out. However, if your book has excessive fact-checking that needs to be completed, it should be addressed during the developmental editing stage, which I am not responsible for.

PAYMENT is accepted up front, with the scheduling fee of $52.50 invoiced on day submission is scheduled. When submission is received on or before the scheduled date, an invoice will be sent through PayPal. No work will be done until invoice is paid in full. PayPal fees are calculated and added to final bill. If slots are cancelled or submissions are late, the scheduling fee will not be refunded. If scheduled date is met, fees will be subtracted from final invoice. Fees pertaining to missed scheduling dates will be strictly enforced.

Editing is not a hobby; it is my livelihood. Cancellations leave me without the paycheck I counted on when the author reserved a time slot, and last-minute cancellations are hard to fill. Please be courteous and respect my time as I make every attempt to do yours as well.

HOLIDAYS, holiday weekends, and vacation days DO NOT count toward the estimated amount of time given to edit your manuscript. Those times are spent with my family. We always take a vacation during the week of Thanksgiving, a week at the end of March, a week in the summer—usually in July—and I take a week off at Christmas—usually December 20-27th. Please be respectful of those times. If any of those fall during your time period, please be aware of this.

Example: If you are given a time period which includes December 20-27, please be aware you will need to add an additional 7 days to completion time for a total of 63 days.

I no longer work on weekends unless it is an emergency. I have to have at least one to two days a week off. Please remember this is now factored into scheduling. (see above [¹] )

Times given are estimates unless completely firmed up with me by way of a preorder publication date. Two-week turnarounds on copy edits are no longer automatically given. Submissions are given six week turnarounds [¹] unless approved by the editor in advance. Several manuscripts are in my hands at all times. I work for multiple publishing companies as well as freelance.

Manuscripts are given my complete attention and are turned over in as timely a manner as possible. Sometimes, life happens and a manuscript may be delayed, though never more than a couple of days. Please be patient. This rarely happens. Also, I am a night owl. If a book is due to client on (example) the 26th, any time before is 5AM on the 27th is considered on time.

***I am NOT a developmental editor. I am a final-draft editor. If you are a FIRST-TIME AUTHOR who needs extensive help with plot, character development, and flow, I would recommend you hire a developmental editor to work with you through the different stages of pre-editing before you contact me.***

I reserve the right to refuse any and all manuscripts at my discretion. I also employ a contributing freelance editor who does occasional copy OR proof for me. Every manuscript, however, makes it way through me for first and final edits.

Contact Details:
To contact me about availability, questions, or to submit your manuscript, please email me at cynthiashepp@yahoo.com. Please be aware that my schedule fills up quickly. A 4-6 week pre-schedule and manuscript acceptance procedure is necessary to guarantee a spot.

However, do not hesitate to contact me about sooner availability. It is always possible that I have open spots.

(No Refunds… No Exceptions.)
I always recommend that authors send the manuscript to betas after editing. No manuscript will ever be 100% perfect. Betas can help find those stray errors before publication. They are a valuable asset. I have three beta proofers who occasionally do third-glance proofreads for me, but only after initial edits and proofreads are already done. They are more of a second-set-of-eyes part of the process. If, for any reason, you do not want this extra (Free to the author–I pay for it.) addition, please let me know. I just like to make sure manuscripts are given the best treatment. One more set of eyes never hurts; it can only help.