Editing Services for Indie, Hybrid, and AI-Assisted Authors
Book Editing for Modern Creative Authors
You’ve chosen a bold path — whether indie, hybrid, or AI-assisted.
Let’s refine your manuscript so it’s ready for readers and platforms alike.
Modern publishing offers freedom, flexibility, and new creative tools. It also brings unique challenges: preparing files for digital platforms, keeping your voice strong alongside AI input, and ensuring your book meets professional standards without the traditional gatekeepers.
I meet you here — with services built specifically for today’s creative landscape. From developmental feedback to AI-aware editing and indie publishing preparation, I’ll help polish your work while respecting your vision and your path to readers.
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What I Offer
Proofreading - Final Pass
Final eyes on your manuscript
before it goes out into the world.
Surface-level corrections
Fix typos, punctuation errors, and incorrect spacing, so your pages are clean and professional.
Layout and consistency checks
Verify chapter headings, page numbers, and consistent formatting; remove widows/orphans.
Submission-ready polish
Perform final pass to ensure your manuscript is ready for contests, agents, or independent publication.
Interior Formatting for Self-Publishing
The inside of your book, done right with margins, headings, and rhythm dialed in.
Clean, standards-compliant layout
Reformat your clean manuscript KDP/EPUB styles, margins, fonts, page breaks set correctly.
Front/back matter & TOC
Create sections properly for title, copyright, dedication, acknowledgments, and other book sections; clickable TOC for ebooks.
Ready-to-upload files
Print PDF + EPUB delivered. Simple images/tables included; complex layouts quoted.
Logic and Consistency Audit for AI Writing
Low-cost diagnostic for AI-drafted text.
Flags repeats, fuzzy claims, and timeline/term drift but excludes rewriting.
Spot AI “tells”
Repeated phrases or sections, filler, generic wording while maintaining professional human writing style.
Continuity & logic check
Checking over names, dates, terms, sequence, and obvious logical errors.
Findings memo
Explains prioritized fix list with specific examples and plain-English suggestions to fix them.
Rewrite & Polish for AI Writing
A sentence-level rewrite to unify voice and flow, with light spot-checks.
Unify voice & tone
Adjust voice so the draft sounds human and consistent while keeping your intent.
Clarity & cohesion
Improve sentence flow, cut echoes, and strengthen transitions for easier reading.
Light spot-checks
Verify obvious names and dates as we go; full fact-checking is out of scope.
AI Source Verification
Verify that each cited source exists and is findable.
Open-web + client-supplied links; not a full research audit.
Locate sources.
Check that a cited source exists and can be located online or via what you provide.
Confirm link status.
Return a working URL when publicly accessible; flag paywalled / not accessible / not found. No institutional/law-library database access; please supply PDFs or paywalled sources.
Deliver a clear report.
CSV or memo with found/not found, title, date, and URL. Exact-match quote/claim checking is an enhanced service.
AI Risk Mitigation & Editorial Expertise
Reduce accuracy and continuity risks in AI-assisted drafts.
Triage high-impact claims; deeper research quoted separately.
Triage high-risk claims.
Identify assertions that need evidence, softening, or removal.
Verify critical details.
Spot-check key names, dates, and figures; flag gaps for follow-up. Not a full citation-by-citation audit.
Recommend remediation.
Provide phrasing safeguards and a prioritized plan with scope/timeline (quoted after sample).
Just curious about pricing or timelines?
No problem. You don’t have to be ready to book.
Click over here to receive an estimate based on your draft and goals. No pressure, no hard sell.
What to Expect from the Editing Process
Every editing project starts from a base of a clear scope of work including detailed service definitions, so you know exactly what to expect. There will be at least two editorial passes to ensure accuracy, consistency, and flow. For authors seeking a polished, publication-ready manuscript, there may be three or four passes. Along the way, I’ll check in with you to clarify details or confirm revisions before finalizing the work. If you’re working to a tight budget or deadline, I can adapt the process to balance speed, cost, and quality — without losing the essentials your readers will notice.
My process looks like this:
- You fill out a short intake form. Attach your manuscript or a sample of it, if you like.
- I review your needs and send back an estimate. I might consult with you first if questions come up.
- You either approve the estimate, or we refine it together.
- I send a contract that includes a retainer, a kick-off 30-minute meeting option for you, and a schedule of deliverables and payments.
- You finalize those details and send any further materials, and the project begins!
- You can expect at least one update as work proceeds.
- I send your final deliverables when the project is done, for your approval.
- You get support after approval for any follow-up questions.
Because every manuscript is unique, the ranges below are for guidance only. Each project begins with a tailored estimate and a signed contract—never a one-click purchase.
Rates for Modern Creative Authors
Your project rate is based on the type of service, manuscript length, and the depth of editing required. Below are typical ranges for Creative Author projects. Final estimates are tailored to your manuscript after a short review.
Typical Examples
Proofreading (AI-generated, ≈100K): $900–$1,600 (clean narrative; quicker for cleaner drafts).
Interior Formatting (self-publishing): $300–$700 (80K–120K); $100–$400 (10K–40K).
AI Logic & Consistency Audit: $300–$750 (40K–80K); $400–$900 (~100K).
AI Rewrite & Polish: $1,600–$2,600 (~100K clean AI draft); $2,600–$4,200 (deeper rewrite; scope-dependent).
AI Source Verification: $0.30 per citation; typical chapter $180–$400 (minimums may apply).
AI Risk Mitigation & Editorial Expertise: $3,000–$18,000 (scope-dependent; quoted after sample).
| Service | Scope & Inclusions | Typical Total Range |
|---|---|---|
| Proofreading — Final Pass | Final pre-publication pass for typos, punctuation, and small spacing issues. Not copy/line editing. | $900–$1,600 for ~100K words; complex projects may run higher. |
| Interior Formatting for Self-Publishing | Clean KDP/EPUB layout for text-dominant manuscripts; front/back matter and clickable TOC. Editing excluded; complex tables/graphics & cover design not included. | $100–$400 (10K–40K words); $300–$700 (80K–120K words). |
| Logic and Consistency Audit for AI Writing | Diagnostic read that flags repeats, fuzzy claims, and timeline/term drift; brief findings memo with priorities. No rewriting. | $300–$750 (40K–80K words); $400–$900 (~100K words). |
| Rewrite & Polish for AI Writing | Sentence-level rewrite to unify voice and flow; remove echoes; strengthen transitions. Includes a short edit memo. Light spot-checks only; not a full fact-check. | $1,600–$2,600 (~100K clean AI draft); $2,600–$4,200 (deeper rewrite; scope-dependent). |
| AI Source Verification | Confirms a cited source exists and is locatable; returns working URL when publicly accessible; report shows found / not accessible / not found. Exact-match quote/claim checks are an add-on. | Example: ~600 citations → $180–$400 (minimums may apply) at $0.30/citation. |
| AI Risk Mitigation & Editorial Expertise | Editorial triage for AI-assisted drafts: high-impact facts and internal continuity (names, timelines, terms). Edited sections + risk memo with prioritized remediation. Not a comprehensive citation-by-citation audit. | $3,000–$18,000 (scope-dependent; quoted after sample). |
For corporate or institutional clients, estimates may vary based on scope, scale, and review protocols.
Compare Services:
Standard vs. Enhanced
Every service comes in two package levels — here’s what’s included.
Estimates are project-specific. I’ll review a short sample and scope the work before we start. Most fiction and narrative nonfiction fit Standard or Enhanced packages; heavier fixes (structure/voice) become Developmental Editing.
Services
Standard Package
Enhanced Package
Proofreading – Final Pass
Surface-level correction of typos, punctuation, capitalization, and small spacing issues to prepare the file for publication. You receive a clean, publication-ready document. This does not include sentence rewrites or structural edits.
Everything in Standard, plus a second pass/quality-control sweep for small consistency items (hyphenation, numerals, captions). You receive the cleaned file and brief consistency notes. This is not copy editing or line editing.
Interior Formatting for Self-Publishing
Interior layout for text-dominant manuscripts to KDP/EPUB standards, including a table of contents. You receive ready-to-upload interior files. Complex tables/graphics and cover design are not included.
Everything in Standard, plus front- and back-matter build-out, image placement, basic ornaments, and delivery of both print and ebook outputs. You receive a print-ready PDF and an EPUB/MOBI (as applicable) with upload guidance. Advanced typography and heavy graphic design are not included.
Logic and Consistency Audit for AI Writing
A human audit that flags spelling, punctuation, repeated phrases, and basic continuity issues in names, timelines, and terms. You receive a findings report with flagged items and brief notes. This is a diagnostic only; it is not copy editing or proofreading.
Everything in Standard, plus deeper human review of factual and structural logic and tone/POV consistency. You receive an annotated report and a short sample edit to demonstrate fixes. This remains an audit, not full copy editing or proofreading.
Rewrite & Polish for AI Writing
A sentence-level rewrite that improves clarity and flow while preserving your intent, with light spot-checks on obvious facts, names, and dates. You receive a revised manuscript and a brief edit memo on voice and clarity. This does not include comprehensive fact-checking or citation formatting.
Everything in Standard, plus deeper editorial shaping for voice, cohesion, and transitions, with targeted verification of key quotes or claims central to the piece. You receive the revised manuscript and an editorial memo noting remaining risks. This is still not a full citation-by-citation audit.
AI Source Verification
Verify that the cited source exists, can be located, and has a working link. You receive a per-citation status: found or not found. This does not confirm that the citation text matches the quoted wording or claim, and it does not include style formatting.
Everything in Standard, plus confirmation that the citation text matches the quoted wording or claim. You receive corrected or flagged citations with exact-match notes. Broader context/authority checks and literature reviews are not included.
AI Risk Mitigation & Editorial Expertise
Editorial intervention to reduce risk from AI-assisted drafting. For nonfiction, focus is on accuracy, clarity, and coherence with targeted checks of high-impact facts and quotations. For fiction, focus is on factual references and internal continuity (names, timelines, places, terminology). You receive edited sections and a risk memo outlining what is confirmed and what remains. This is not plot/character development and not a full citation audit.
Everything in Standard, plus expanded spot checks on claims or figures most likely to carry reputational risk in nonfiction, or deeper continuity review across chapters in fiction (e.g., timelines, locations, recurring details). You receive the edited manuscript and an expanded risk memo with recommended mitigations. This does not include plot/character development or a comprehensive citation-by-citation audit.
Prefer traditional editing (line, copy, developmental)?
Explore our Creative Authors services →
Billing: milestone-based—≤2 weeks: 50/50 • 2–8 weeks: 30/40/30 • >8 weeks: milestone or monthly.
Estimates: calculated at 250 words/page; one within-scope revision included within 10 days.
Invoices via HoneyBook; ACH/card accepted.
Add-Ons & Options (on request)
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Plagiarism Report – A third-party scan with a brief note on notable matches (useful for peace of mind before submission).
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Source-Audit Summary Memo – A concise memo listing sources checked and outcomes (confirmed/corrected/flagged) with links, separate from manuscript edits.
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Rush Turnaround – Accelerated schedule when capacity allows, +30% surcharge.
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Writing Coaching – ICF-aligned writing coaching is available as a light-touch add-on for authors who want clarity and traction — before, during, or after editing. $75/hour or $250 for a 3-session series.
Add-ons appear as separate line items in your estimate.
I only recommend them when they’re likely to help you reach your goal faster, cleaner, or with less risk.