WORK WITH ME
Books may well be the only true magic.
— Alice Hoffman
— Alice Hoffman
Way better than “just” proofreading
Magic Words offers book editing for authors of fantasy and other speculative genres, specializing in revealing the magic of your words: the style, voice, flow, clarity. Can’t remember those long-forgotten grammar rules? I’ve got you covered! Whether through a professional manuscript assessment or a thorough edit of every letter and sentence, I make sure your book is free of goblins and gremlins—so you can publish your work with confidence.
The Full Editing Journey
The whole enchilada—critique to tweak. A Full Editing Journey is a long-haul trek
through your story and its words to make sure your book is the absolute best, beginning to end.
(MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT + LINE EDIT + COPYEDIT + PROOFREAD)
INVESTMENT RANGE: $.035–.055 PER WORD
A Full Editing Journey is a combination edit designed to give your manuscript the royal treatment, beginning to end. It kicks off with a Story Diagnostic, then after a round of your revisions, finishes with a Style Tune-Up: drafted, dusted, done.
THE SERVICE
- Story Diagnostic: The service begins with a Story Diagnostic, a read-through and assessment of your manuscript’s craft*
- Style Tune-Up: After your revisions, you’ll return the m/s for a complete Style Tune-Up, a line + copyedit + proofread*
- Additional option: After the conclusion of the Story Diagnostic and Style Tune-Up, one of the following is included. Your choice!
- A line edit and copyedit of your query letter and synopsis if you plan to pursue an agent, OR
- A line edit and copyedit of your book blurb if your goal is to self-publish
- Follow-up support: Answers to five questions after the Story Diagnostic, then unlimited email support after the Style Tune-Up*
*see the individual descriptions below for full details of what you’ll receive with each service in this package
PERFECT FOR
- Magic writers who want a concierge editing service without having to spend the time to find and hire multiple editors
- Budget-savvy wordsmiths who desire multiple rounds of editing, beginning to end, and want to save $$ by not paying multiple editors different fees
- Indie authors who want the traditional-publishing editing treatment before they self-publish
DURATION
The Full Editing Journey is best for finished manuscripts in final-draft form that have ideally been beta-read. A round of author revision occurs between the Story Diagnostic phase and the Style Tune-Up phase, and its duration depends on many factors, including your pace and schedule and the extent of the necessary changes. Manuscripts in anything less than final-draft form will require more time to prepare for a line edit, so the length of this service will increase exponentially. During the application process, I’ll work with you to design a timeline for the project that meets your needs. A typical timeline for a final-draft manuscript is 8–12 weeks from beginning to end.
OPTIONAL ADD-ON
Querying agents? A full Query Cleanup (below) can be added at a lower rate to your Full Editing Journey.
Style Tune-Up
A Style Tune-Up smooths anything that might jolt a reader out of your story, keeping them hooked
on your mesmerizing fantasyland and gushing about how brilliant a writer you are.
(LINE EDIT + COPYEDIT + PROOFREAD)
INVESTMENT RANGE: $.025–.04 PER WORD
A Style Tune-Up is a deep line-by-line language review of your entire manuscript for repeating words, language flow, ambiguity, wordiness, agreement, pacing, and anything else that would cause a reader to lose immersion in your story.
THE SERVICE
- Line edit: One deep pass through the language of your story for repetition, filter words, clunky flow and organization, clarity, ambiguity, awkward sentence structure, and any other line-level issues
- Copyedit: Two more passes through your manuscript for grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling; character and setting consistency; and light fact-checking
- Style sheet: A document noting my editing decisions and your style choices, as well as character/setting/language details for future reference
- Editorial letter: A summary of the edit with tips and pointers to help you self-edit future manuscripts
- Proofread: After your review of the copyedit, one last proofread of the text to prepare a final clean version for publishing or querying
- Follow-up support: Unlimited email support to answer questions about the edit
PERFECT FOR
- Magic writers who want the language of their story to flow well, who want to immerse readers in their worldbuilding and plotting without clumsy sentences or paragraphs to stumble over
- Storybuilders who have already invested in developmental edits of their manuscript—and that investment shows through a tight, well-crafted story
- Indie authors who understand language and style issues are easily noticed by critical readers but hard to fix once a book is self-published
DURATION
A Style Tune-Up is best for manuscripts that have been thoroughly beta read and developmentally edited. During the application process, I’ll work with you to design a timeline for the edit that meets your needs, but the typical project schedule is 3–4 weeks.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
Add a manuscript assessment at a discounted rate by booking a Full Editing Journey (above).
Querying agents? A Query Cleanup (below) is also available at a lower rate when added to a Style Tune-Up.
Nuts and Bolts
A Nuts and Bolts catches those slipups and typos that crept in during the arc of writing
your manuscript—you know, everything sharp-eyed readers like to point out in reviews. Oops!
(COPYEDIT + PROOFREAD)
INVESTMENT RANGE: $.0175–.025 PER WORD
A Nuts and Bolts is a straightforward copyedit (or what authors sometimes call a “proofread”) to catch mistakes, apply overall consistency, and document your story details.
THE SERVICE
- Copyedit: Two passes through your manuscript for grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling; character and setting consistency; and light fact-checking
- Style sheet: A document noting my editing decisions and your style choices, as well as character/setting/language details for future reference
- Editorial letter: A summary of the edit with tips and pointers to help you self-edit future manuscripts
- Proofread: After your review of the copyedit, one last proofread of the text to prepare a final clean version for publishing or querying
- Follow-up support: Unlimited email support to answer questions about the edit
PERFECT FOR
- Magic writers who are solidly confident in their language flow and style but need a second eagle-eyed review of grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling
- Storybuilders who have already invested in developmental edits of their manuscript—and that investment shows in a tight, well-crafted story
- Indie authors who want their text to be as polished as possible, giving their self-published books the same exceptional quality as trad-published stories
DURATION
A Nuts and Bolts is best for manuscripts that have been thoroughly beta read and developmentally edited. During the application process, I’ll work with you to design a timeline for the edit that meets your needs, but the typical project schedule is 2–3 weeks.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
Add a manuscript assessment + a line edit at a discounted rate by booking a Full Editing Journey (above).
Querying agents? A Query Cleanup (below) is also available at a lower rate when added to a Nuts and Bolts.
Story Diagnostic
A review of your story from a professional reader who knows how to point out what works and
what doesn’t without killing your motivation. It’ll get you back on track or set you on a new, better road to publication.
(MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT)
INVESTMENT BEGINS AT $750
In a Story Diagnostic, I review your finished draft for craft issues: plot, worldbuilding, character development, structure, pacing, or any other elements that concern you.
THE SERVICE
- Assessment: One read-through of your finished (and ideally beta-read) manuscript from the viewpoint of a potential reader
- Diagnostic: A diagnostic editorial letter that addresses the manuscript’s strengths and opportunities for improvements, offers writing craft resources relevant to identified problem areas, and suggests potential revisions
- Follow-up support: Answers to five emailed questions after the diagnostic is delivered to clarify anything I’ve pointed out in the letter and to help you implement my recommendations
PERFECT FOR
- Magic writers with a finished draft who want a professional reader’s opinion of their story’s craft and direction
- Wordsmiths who have gotten less-than-stellar feedback from beta readers and need a clear path to refining trouble spots
- Cost-conscious indie authors who know developmental editing would help their book but might not have the cabbage for a dev editor’s goods
- Finished, mostly polished, and ideally beta-read final or mostly final drafts
DURATION
During the application process, I’ll work with you to design a timeline for the diagnostic that meets your needs, but the typical project schedule is 2–3 weeks.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
Add a line edit + a copyedit + a proofread at a discounted rate by booking a Full Editing Journey (above).
Querying agents? A Query Cleanup (below) is also available at a lower rate when added to a Story Diagnostic.
Query Cleanup
A thorough diagnostic of your manuscript’s query letter and synopsis, addressing what will make
an agent’s eyes pop and what might get your story tossed in the “no” pile.
INVESTMENT RANGE: $350–500
Using a proprietary checklist, I’ll review your query letter and synopsis for required elements, strengths, and opportunities for improvement, then perform a deep line edit and copyedit, making sure your language is tight and your sentences sing
THE SERVICE
- Assessment: One read-through of your query package—the introduction letter and your novel’s synopsis. If I haven’t already read your book as part of another editing package, the Query Cleanup also includes one read-through of your full manuscript
- Diagnostic: A proprietary diagnostic checklist that:
- checks for the presence of required elements of a query letter and synopsis
- assesses your query’s strengths and opportunities for improvement
- evaluates your novel synopsis as an effective summary of the story
- offers query-writing resources relevant to identified problem areas
- suggests potential revisions
- Cleanup: After you revise your query materials, a line edit and copyedit of the final version
- Follow-up support: Answers to five emailed questions after the diagnostic checklist is delivered to clarify anything and to help you implement my recommendations, then unlimited email support after the line/copyedit
A Query Cleanup is available as a standalone service or as an add-on to another package
PERFECT FOR
- Magic writers who plan to take the traditional publishing route and want to present the best query letter and synopsis they possibly can
- Wordsmiths who struggle to write a concise yet thorough synopsis of their full-length book
- Authors who are confused about the most common elements of a query letter/synopsis and need some guidance before they submit
DURATION
A Query Cleanup can be purchased anytime during the process of writing your manuscript, but it’s best used after the final draft has been completed. During the application process, I’ll work with you to design a timeline for the cleanup that meets your needs, but the typical project schedule is 2–3 weeks if I’ve already read your book, 4–6 weeks if not.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
Want to be ready for your first agent request? A line edit and/or copyedit of the opening chapters of your book is also available with this service. Mention it during your application for a custom quote.
Help Me Choose
Developmental, line, copy—not sure what kind of editing your story needs?
Take the quiz and find out!
Answer a few simple questions about your manuscript and what mile marker you’re on in your writing journey, and this not-so-scientific quiz will guide you to the next waypoint on the path.
When I finished my book, I thought the hard part was over--until I started the self-publishing journey. Having Shawna as my editor definitely helped ease the anxiety and self-doubt that constantly attacked me as I figured out how to navigate through this overwhelming process. She took the time to understand me as an author, listened, responded timely, and always let me know what to expect next. She not only provided suggestions and constructive feedback on the content of my book but also prepared a style sheet for me to review usage and consistency. I'm happy to share with you that I gained both knowledge and confidence from my collaboration with Shawna.
There are many editors out there, but what sets Shawna apart is her responsiveness, her belief in the value of her craft, and her authentic desire to help you make the best book possible.
Shawna is a highly qualified copyediting expert, and my manuscript shines because of her work. She’s professional, timely, and kind. Her contributions to the writing process have improved my books. I highly recommend her services.
Shawna was fantastic to work with. Her work was prompt, professional, and perfect down to the detail. I highly recommend Shawna and will certainly be working with her again.
Shawna did an incredible job with my book. She was sharp, understood my goals, and helped me to polish it to perfection. Every step of the process was clearly communicated, and I was never left guessing about what came next. Her passion for maintaining author voice is clear, and she provided helpful, professional insight when I had unconventional questions. I could not recommend her enough as an editor!
Shawna was very professional, on time, kind, understanding, and I would highly recommend working with her. She edited my very first novel and made the process very clear and easy to follow. The edits themselves on my book were very consistent and well done.
Shawna was extremely careful and considerate, but fair. Her editing skill is very high, she did thorough work, and put together so much for a very fair price. I would recommend her to anyone. She was excellent to work with and didn't mind that I did not know what I was doing when it came to hiring an editor. She explained everything to me, and overall was a lovely pick that I will certainly be using in the future.
It was a real pleasure working with Shawna. The proofreading job she did for me was thorough, professional and affordable. She answered my follow-up questions promptly and thoughtfully and made the whole process a pleasure. I could not have asked for better and I was able to finish applying the changes and polishing my manuscript far more quickly and easily than I even dreamed. I will look forward to working with her again.
Shawna is an excellent professional with laser-sharp attention to detail, catching grammatical errors and especially my worst nightmares: echoes. It's hard as the story's writer to notice when you're using words repetitively! So it's about making sure the writing is not only error-free but a high-quality reading experience as well. Shawna really did work her magic polishing my manuscript, allowing me confidence in putting forth my work to the world. Highly recommend, and would love the chance to work with her again on future projects!
The entire editing package I received from Shawna was fantastic. Quality work that helped me develop and polish the opening of my novel for the query process. Would highly recommend her services to other writers in a heartbeat!
Shawna is an absolutely delightful person to work with, her professionalism and kindness second to none. I look forward to future opportunities to work with her again and would recommend her services to anyone seeking editorial assistance in her writing categories of preference.
If you are looking for an editor for your manuscript, look no further than Shawna. She is professional, thorough, and a pleasure to work with. She was extremely responsive to my questions (her knowledge and explanations of CMOS are second to none), gracious with her feedback, and willing to answer questions about both my writing and the publishing industry in general. After working with Shawna, I felt I had a better manuscript and a more confident understanding of the editorial process.
Shawna did a proofread for my collection. She was very helpful, taking the time to explain things on the page and beyond, like what software I needed to keep up. As a first time self-publisher, there's a short list of people I've hired that will be making the list for the next one. Shawna is on it.
Shawna did a great copyedit, on time and as promised. It's great to have such a reliable partner to fix all those little glitches.
Shawna delivered on time and did excellent work. She provided detailed instructions for accepting or rejecting changes in MS Word, as well as a letter covering the things to look out for when reviewing her work.
Working with Shawna on my manuscript was an absolute game-changer. Her edits were insightful and thoughtfully executed, enhancing the clarity and readability of my work without compromising my voice or vision. What truly impressed me was Shawna's ability to catch even the smallest inconsistencies and errors that I had overlooked. I wholeheartedly recommend Shawna to any author in need of a top-notch copyeditor and proofreader. Her expertise, dedication, and ability to enhance a manuscript are truly exceptional. Thanks to her efforts, my book is now ready to make a significant impact, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her contribution.
Shawna was a delight to work with. From the beginning, she was very communicative and made sure I was comfortable with the timeline and the deliverables. Her developmental edits were thoughtful and thorough. Her line edits brought out the best in my story and made it infinitely more readable. Throughout the whole process, Shawna sent me updates and left encouraging notes. This was an ideal editing experience! I would recommend Shawna to any aspiring author looking to take their story to the next level.
As a first-time author, the editing process was super overwhelming. That was until I met Shawna, and I knew immediately my manuscript was in good hands. From our first communication to our most recent, Shawna has been kind, clear, insightful, and just the best to work with. Upon receiving her edits, it was clear how much work Shawna put into her services, and I am so grateful I could have her talent on my story. Because of Shawna's Style Tune-Up I am certain my book is in much better condition than before, and I hope to work with her again!
I was more than pleased (delighted! invigorated!) with Shawna's query assessment and happily made the changes she suggested. I appreciate the depth and understanding of her recommendations and really believed she had my best interests at heart.
Working with Shawna was a wonderful experience. From the beginning, she homed in on what I liked about the book, which was the rhythm of the language, and she kept that intact throughout her detailed and thoughtful editing.
I felt that she was an ally as I read through the remarks, and everything she noted was valid, clear, and helpful. At every stage, Shawna is professional and present. I would recommend her to any writer.As a first-time author, I finally took the big plunge and sent my book out for editing. I can't say enough good things about Shawna and her Story Diagnostic. Not only did she help me identify the problem areas in my manuscript, but she also offered up innovative ideas for fixing them. Throughout the whole process, she was enthusiastic and responsive. I truly got the feeling that editing is a passion of hers and not just a job. I would recommend Shawna without a doubt and look forward to working with her in the future.
I was at a point in my process where I needed to know if the story I had in my head was the one that I was putting into words. Shawna’s Story Diagnostic was thorough and encouraging. It gave me the energy to carry on to the next phase of my novel. She is warm and encouraging, yet practiced and professional. I trust her feedback, her advice, and her commitment to the content she is reviewing and the relationship she in turn builds with her clients! 10/10 Would recommend!
