- Get Carried Away Editing®, LLC

How I can help you

Authors (rightfully so!) are caught up in the important work of developing their story and often miss crucial details while revising over months or years of writing. That’s where I come in. With a fresh set of eyes and a method of analyzing your book, I will provide specific, actionable suggestions to polish your story.

How I approach editing

I’m here to support you. I make suggestions using Google Doc’s tracking changes function for your review. I do not make changes directly in your manuscript because you are the owner of your work; you are the best person to bring your book to life! Rather than critique and leave you wondering what I’m thinking or how to adjust the work, I ask questions, offer actionable suggestions, and often rewrite segments for your consideration. Following the edit, I provide full collaboration support. I stay available during the revision process to brainstorm ideas, reread sections, and review changes (considering the effects on other parts of the story). Feel free to use bits or all of my ideas!

I seek to understand the author’s voice and purpose, and consider what is appropriate in each situation. I have enormous respect for the author’s craft.

Let’s collaborate!

(Continue scrolling to see a list of the services I provide)

All of my services include:

A complimentary video call to get to know each other and discuss your book and your goals.
A review of the blurb and excerpt of your book to understand your writing style. I will then provide a quote.
Or if you’d like, I can complete a sample edit for $50 USD. The sample would be based on 5% of your manuscript up to 3,000 words.
Communication with video calls, phone calls, email, and collaboration within your manuscript using comment boxes and tracked changes.
Personalized editing plan based on our discussion of your goals, with periodic updates and further discussion as needed.
Multiple read-throughs to ensure I fully understand the breadth of your work.
Priority acceptance of your subsequent work.
A written contract outlining each of our rights and responsibilities. This includes a confidentiality statement for your protection.
I will post a complimentary reader’s review of your book on Goodreads and Amazon or other bookseller. I love to recommend great stories—I’m exuberant and truthful in my reviews because I only work on books that I enjoy.
I appreciate your referrals. For those that result in a new project, I’d be happy to support you with additional complimentary services.

Beta reading plus:

I call this beta reading “plus“ because I don’t have the capacity to do the minimum! I always get a little carried away with additional story analysis. My service includes:

Play-by-play reactions from a cold reader’s perspective, in the form of tracked changes with in-line comments on your document.
Comments on how the story makes me feel, if I’m invested in the characters and the message, if I can picture the world you’ve created, etc.
I leave comments during my first read and during my subsequent reads (identified with “SR”) so you can see my initial reader’s experience and thoughts after I understand the whole story. This allows us to ensure the plot and details make sense overall.
Notes on what works well, specifically:
- Fiction: plot development, narrative flow, character arcs.
- Nonfiction: outline and thesis cohesion, chapter progression, clarity of message.
- In both: I watch closely for errors, plot holes, or anything that appears unclear from a cold reader’s perspective.
I provide comments in the document discussing overall strengths, what I loved, ideas for your consideration, and potential areas of improvement. However, the beta read plus does not include a comprehensive write-up. Please see my developmental editing services for an in-depth analysis.

The investment in a beta read plus is the lesser of $0.013/word or $20/hour.

A quote specific to your project’s beta read plus will be provided. In the meantime, a rough estimate for an 80,000-word book is $600–$1,040 USD.

Developmental editing:

The purpose of the developmental edit (also called structural editing or content editing) is to study the plot, structure, and character arcs. I look for plot holes, inconsistencies, redundant or wandering passages, unclear elements, and other “big picture” issues that affect overall clarity and reader comprehension. As such, my developmental edit will include:

A thorough analysis of the book’s structure and voice, paying special attention to the starting “hook,” pacing, and conflict resolution (fiction) or conclusion and summary of main points (nonfiction). The analysis will include:
- Fiction: themes, plot, subplots, backstory, character development, point of view, setting, etc.
- Nonfiction: thesis, message, main points, comprehensive conclusions, chapter outline.
Coaching on the craft of writing and assistance with the development of skills, if desired.
Detail tie-out and clue hunting. I will search for any loose threads, contradictions, and plot holes so your readers don’t experience them.
You will receive tons of comments in-line in your manuscript as well as a report with:
- Character notes and main character arc analysis. This will include relationships, goals, internal struggles, obstacles to overcome, growth, and how they intermingle with the plot.
- A deep dive into the story and all its necessary plot points. This analysis will be based on the five-act structure or on the Save the Cat methodology.
- An outline of sections of the book as necessary, to compare to your own outline/intentions and ensure cohesion.
- A list of potential improvement ideas for your consideration and what I loved about the book.
- Elements of the beta reading plus reactions and comments.
In addition to performing developmental edits after the draft is completed, I also love to partner with authors earlier in their process. We can work together from project conception, outlining, and during all stages of writing. I am happy to provide editorial feedback on a chapter at a time, drafts of the whole book, and your plans (documented or through discussion). This coaching and brainstorming can be invaluable as you develop your best story more efficiently. This service is especially beneficial for authors who would like accountability and moral support.

The investment in a developmental edit is the lesser of $0.035/word or $40/hour.

A quote specific to your project’s developmental edit will be provided. In the meantime, a rough estimate for an 80,000-word book is $1,800–$2,800 USD.

Line + copyediting:

The purpose of line editing + copyediting is to correct sentence-level issues to improve reader comprehension and ensure that you present your book to the world as the professional work it deserves to be. My line + copyedit includes:

Grammar, syntax, word usage, tone, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, style, tense, point of view, fact-checking, paragraphing, chapter organization, and page layout. I track all suggestions in Google Docs for your review.
With Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and the Chicago Manual of Style as my foundation, I retain the flexibility to express the writer’s purpose and to ensure clarity for the reader.
I leverage grammar-checking software and its reports to consider which suggestions make sense for your project.
You will receive the style sheet I’ve created specifically for your book(s). This will ensure consistency of spelling, chosen conventions, items unique to your books, etc., as well as accuracy throughout. This resource will be important in your subsequent books for continuity purposes.

The investment in a line + copyedit is the lesser of $0.03/word or $36/hour.

A quote specific to your project’s line + copyedit will be provided. In the meantime, a rough estimate for an 80,000-word book is $1,600–$2,400 USD.

Review of the physical draft book:

Among the last steps before publishing (how exciting!) is having another keen eye on the physical book in draft form. My review includes:

A look at the general appearance, fonts, spacing, indents, margins, justification, running heads, chapter headers, section breaks, diagrams, etc., to ensure they are consistent and pleasing to the eye.
A formatting check for unique elements (song lyrics, text messages, call-outs) to confirm they stand out visually.
A consideration of the dedication, acknowledgments, about the author and website, additional books by the author, and calls to action (such as a request for readers to post reviews, sign-up for your mailing list, download free stories, view media, etc.) sections.

The investment in a review of the physical draft book is $150 USD.

Other things to be aware of:

Short-form content such as articles, picture books, short stories, outlines, and marketing materials are charged at the hourly rate.
Rates are noted in USD. For everyone’s convenience, invoices will be through PayPal. A 33.3% deposit will be collected upon booking to guarantee your time slot, 33.3% will be collected after sending the write-up, and 33.3% will be collected after sending the updated manuscript. Payments are due upon invoicing. I remain available for questions, brainstorming, and rereading sections while you revise because it’s important to get the book right.
By invoicing based on the lesser of the rate per word or rate per hour, I’m able to provide a discount for polished work or subsequent engagements that require less time.

For more information, check out my FAQ page.

You and your readers deserve to get carried away with your book!

Contact me here.