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 critique or a complete review 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: $.03–.05 PER WORD
THE PACKAGE
YOU'LL RECEIVE
PERFECT FOR
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: $.02–.04 PER WORD
THE SERVICE
YOU'LL RECEIVE
PERFECT FOR
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: $.01–.02 PER WORD
THE SERVICE
YOU'LL RECEIVE
PERFECT FOR
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 $500
THE SERVICE
YOU'LL RECEIVE
PERFECT FOR
Standalone Story Diagnostics (i.e., not requested as part of a Full Editing Journey, see above) are on hiatus until further notice. Check back in the near future to see if they’re available again, or join The Magic of Words, the Alchemy of Editing community to be notified of their availability.
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: $200–350
THE SERVICE
YOU'LL RECEIVE
PERFECT FOR
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.
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!
