What Happens When You Hire a Book Editor

If you've never worked with an editor before, the whole process can feel a bit mysterious. You've spent months (or years) writing your book, and now you're supposed to hand it over to a stranger who's going to pull it apart. That's a daunting thought.

But it really doesn't need to be. In twelve years of editing, I've worked with hundreds of first-time authors, and the number one thing I hear afterwards is "that was so much easier than I expected." So let me walk you through exactly what happens, step by step.

Getting in Touch

It starts with a message. You can use the contact form on my website, or email me directly. Tell me a bit about your book: the genre, the word count, and what kind of editing you think you need. Don't worry if you're not sure about that last one. Most first-time authors aren't, and I'm happy to advise.

I reply to every enquiry within 24 hours, usually much sooner. I'll give you a clear quote with no hidden extras, and I'll be honest about my current turnaround time so you can plan ahead.

Try Before You Commit

This is the part that surprises people. Before you agree to anything, I offer a free sample edit of up to 500 words. I'll edit a section of your manuscript so you can see exactly what my feedback looks like and decide whether my style suits you.

There's no obligation after the sample. Some authors go away and think about it, some come back months later, and some book straight in. Whatever works for you.

The Editing Process

Once you've decided to go ahead, you send me the full manuscript (Word documents work best) and I get to work. I use track changes throughout, which means you can see every single suggestion I make. Nothing happens to your book without your knowledge.

Track changes shows deletions, additions, and rewording in different colours. I also leave comments in the margins to explain my reasoning. If I've suggested cutting a paragraph, I'll tell you why. If I think a scene needs expanding, I'll explain what I think is missing. You're never left guessing.

The important thing to understand is that you have full control. You can accept or reject every individual change. It's your book, your voice, your story. My job is to make it the best version of itself, not to rewrite it as something else.

What Kind of Feedback to Expect

This depends on which editing service you've chosen. With In-Depth Editing, I focus on grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, clarity, and consistency. I'll catch the typos your spell checker missed, fix awkward phrasing, and make sure your tenses aren't wandering.

With Developmental Editing, I go deeper. I look at plot structure, character development, pacing, point of view, dialogue, and whether the story holds together as a whole. You'll get detailed comments throughout the manuscript plus an editorial letter summarising the big-picture feedback.

Either way, I'm thorough. After 1,600+ completed projects, I've developed a pretty good eye for the things that trip authors up.

The Final Proofread

Here's something that catches people off guard (in a good way). Once you've worked through all the changes and finished your revisions, I do a final proofread at no extra cost. This is a clean pass through the manuscript to catch any last typos or errors that crept in during revisions.

It's included as standard because I think it matters. You shouldn't have to pay twice to get a polished result.

Timelines and Communication

I'm always upfront about how long the edit will take, and I stick to my deadlines. If anything changes on my end, you'll hear about it straight away. If you need to push your deadline back, that's usually fine too. Life happens.

During the edit, you're welcome to ask questions any time. I don't disappear into a cave for six weeks and emerge with a marked-up manuscript. If something comes up while I'm working, I'll flag it early rather than save it all for the end.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're thinking about getting your manuscript edited, the hardest part is sending that first message. Everything after that is straightforward. Get in touch here and I'll come back to you within 24 hours with a quote and a plan.