Misty will be happy to lead a workshop or seminar tailored to the needs of your organization, library patrons, writing group, or students. Rates range from $30-$50 an hour for lively instruction that will involve lots of hands-on work with craft techniques, peer workshop, advice on process, and building a writing community. Ask Misty about customizing a course for you
This is your editing need if you’re in the early stages and want to make sure that all the important elements of the piece are in place. An evaluation will look at high-level elements, assess what’s working in the piece as a whole, and make recommendations for the next steps toward making the work publishable. You can arrange for an evaluation of a portion of the MS or the whole. Rates are determined by page count:
For billing purposes, a page is considered the industry standard of a 12-pt font, 1″ margin, double-spaced typed sheet, approximately 250 words. Contact Misty to get feedback on your draft
Developmental editing looks at the high-level aspects of your MS and how it works as a whole. A developmental edit will contain specific suggestions for improvement and questions to help develop the story or message of the piece.
For fiction and creative nonfiction, a developmental edit considers content like plot, character development, scene, conflict and tension, dialogue, theme, and language. For other nonfiction, developmental editing looks for appropriate support for research, use of sources, architecture, message, and language.
A developmental edit pays close attention to structure and pacing, making sure all the big pieces are in place. Feedback on a developmental edit will be directed toward aspects that will bring out the best shape of a book.
Developmental editing rates start at 2 cents a word. A one-on-one discussion to discuss feedback and next steps are included in the fee.
Line editing pays attention to each paragraph and sentence to make sure the language is clean, strong, clear, tight, stylistically coherent, and readable. This is the level of editing to choose after developmental work on the story has been done and it is time to make the language as clear and engaging it can possibly be to make a book the reader can’t put down.
Line editing fees range from 3-4 cents a word.
Copy editing is the last stage of editing after the line edits are done and before you submit your MS and makes sure your book is error-free. Proofreading looks at the printed proof to catch everything that wasn’t caught before.
It’s best to use a different editor for the copy-edit and proofreading stage than you used for the developmental and line editing. A copy edit will catch grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors and also ensure stylistic consistency, factual accuracy, and correct formatting and citations. A proofread will make sure the final book is ready for the reader’s hands.
Copy editing rates range from 1-2 cents a word. Proofreading rates are 1 cent/word
Have a book you want to see in the world but need professional help to write it? Misty will work with you to capture book material through interview and discussion, draft chapters for your feedback and review, and prepare and revise a manuscript that you can put into publication. You provide the ideas and the ghostwriter provides the words. Rates vary per book but start around $10,000 for nonfiction and $12,000 for fiction. Contact Misty to turn your idea into a book.
For $25/page, get professional feedback on your personal statement, query letter, synopsis, book proposal, children’s book, college application, website text, grant application, or jacket copy for your book. For billing purposes, a page is considered the industry standard of a 12-pt font, 1″ margin, double-spaced typed sheet, approximately 250 words. Consultation and written feedback are included in the fee. Contact Misty about your project.
Need help in the drafting stage of your book? Maybe you’re writing your first novel and need some craft advice to get you through. Perhaps you want to write that memoir or self-help book but aren’t sure how to put the pieces together. For $30/hour, you can arrange for personalized coaching, writing instruction, and specific, supportive feedback that will help you map the path forward to a work you can be proud of. Contact Misty to talk about your project.
If you’re looking to self-publish but need help with the interior files of a book, Misty can help with layout for most prose projects. Rates begin at $40 an hour.
Misty also has experience with publishing through the boutique presses Pearl City Press and Canty Dames. Schedule a call to talk about your book and what publishing options might be right for you. Coaching begins at $30 an hour.
