Sage Words Publishing 

Editing Services

Transforming Manuscripts into Masterpieces: Book Editing Services by Sage Words Publishers

Sage Words Publishers now offers book editing services to authors seeking perfection for their manuscripts. Whether you’re an independent author, freelance writer, or one of our esteemed clients, we understand that editing can be a daunting and time-consuming task. With our team of expert editors, you can focus on your writing while we handle the intricate details. We believe every book has the potential to be a masterpiece, and we are committed to helping you achieve that goal with our exceptional quality standards and unwavering professionalism. Rest assured, our swift turnaround times ensure that your book will be edited promptly. We provide customized packages tailored to your budget and specific requirements, offering competitive pricing. Beware of inexperienced editors with lower prices, as they often lead to disappointment and harm your book’s reputation. Our skilled team is ready to collaborate with you, transforming your book into an artistic creation that will stand out in today’s saturated market. Contact us today and let us turn your masterpiece into a reality!

You may be wondering about the cost of editing services. Marketplace data from 2022 indicates that the price range for hiring an editor for a 60,000-word book is typically between $2,400 and $3,400. The specific cost of editing services can vary based on factors such as the editor’s level of experience, the type of service required, and the length and genre of your project. As an example, a copy editor might charge approximately $0.021 per word, while a proofreader’s rates may be slightly lower, around $0.015 per word.

To provide you with a reference point, let’s consider the editing expenses for a 75,000-word literary fiction novel:

  • An editorial assessment would cost approximately $1,448.
  • A developmental edit would amount to around $2,085.
  • For a copy edit, the cost would be approximately $1,665.
  • Finally, a final proof would require a budget of approximately $1,103.

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Editorial Assessment

An editorial assessment is a comprehensive review of your manuscript that offers valuable feedback on various aspects, including its structure, characterization, plot, pacing, and style. Its primary objective is to provide you with an overview of your book’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to determine if additional editing services are required. This assessment serves as a guiding tool to help you gauge the overall quality of your work and make informed decisions regarding the next steps in the editing process.

Receiving an editorial assessment can prove to be immensely valuable as it offers an initial and comprehensive overview of your manuscript by a skilled professional editor. This assessment involves a thorough reading of the entire manuscript, providing you with thoughtful and detailed feedback on crucial elements such as plot, characterization, structure, consistency, and style. The feedback garnered from an editorial assessment has the potential to trigger significant changes to your manuscript. By identifying both the strengths and weaknesses of your book, the assessment empowers you to devise a revision strategy that dramatically enhances the execution of your creative concept.

However, the challenge lies in finding a professional editor who possesses the appropriate experience in your genre, ensuring an accurate assessment of your manuscript.

An editorial assessment can prove beneficial at various stages of the writing process. Some writers opt for this in-depth feedback once they have completed the first draft. Others may seek an assessment after their manuscript has undergone multiple rounds of beta reading or even professional editing. This assessment delves into the finer details of theming, nuance, characterization, and structure, leading to significant improvements.

Even if you have already self-published a book, a manuscript assessment can hold value. With the convenience of re-publishing new editions of ebooks, authors have the opportunity to address concerns with a book that may not be selling well or receiving positive feedback. An editorial assessment can specifically address areas where critical feedback has been received. Unlike an average Amazon review, the assessment goes beyond highlighting flaws; it offers precise guidance on how to fix them. This advice is particularly valuable because it is both specific and objective, providing insights that casual readers may not be able to offer.

Moreover, an editorial assessment can assist you in determining whether your work is ready for querying. When paired with a review of your query letter, the assessment helps refine your querying package before approaching literary agents, ensuring it is polished and compelling.

An editorial assessment is a commonly chosen and budget-friendly initial step for authors, particularly those in the early stages of their rewriting process.

Rate: $8.00 per page. Our editors charge based on page count. The industry standard assumes that 1 page = 250 words.

Our Editorial Assessment includes:

  • Thoroughly read and analyze your manuscript
  • Present an evaluation in the form of a comprehensive report, encompassing all elements of the story, structure, and commercial potential.
  • Offer valuable suggestions to guide your rewriting efforts.

Developmental Editing

Developmental Editing is an important part of the creative writing process. With a keen eye for the larger elements of the book – plot, characters, themes, and tone, the developmental editor ensures that the “big picture” is strong before moving onto the finer details of each line. Rather than rushing through the editing process, taking the time to embrace developmental editing will ensure that your book is the best it can be, resonating with readers on multiple levels. Through this in-depth editing process, your work will be transformed into a powerful piece of literature. Trusting the expertise of a developmental editor will not only elevate the final product, but also provide valuable insights into the craft of writing.

The developmental editor deals with substantive revisions of the manuscript’s content and points out things such as plot holes, flat characters, pacing issues, unrealistic dialogue, point of view errors, too much “telling,” sagging middles, info dumps, or lack of conflict. Content editors look at the big picture of a story, the structure, not the words. They don’t correct spelling and grammar mistakes. The developmental editor reads the entire manuscript and then writes an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of plot and characters. They also make comments in the manuscripts, but most of them don’t make any changes in the manuscript. Many traditional publishers nowadays don’t supply content editing; they expect writers to send them manuscripts that don’t require much work.

Rate:  $10.00 per page.   Our editors charge based on page count. The industry standard assumes that 1 page = 250 words.

Developmental Editing includes:  plot, characters, and the writing craft

  • Conduct a thorough analysis of the manuscript’s structure and effectiveness
  • Provide comprehensive feedback highlighting strengths and weaknesses
  • Offer actionable advice to tighten language and focus the message for the intended audience

Copy Editing

Copy editing enhances the mechanics, refines the prose, and guarantees style coherence. If your story’s structure is sound but the actual text could benefit from improvement, this is the service you want.

Copy editing, also known as fine-tuning the “copy,” involves refining a book’s text. A thorough copy edit addresses grammatical and punctuation errors, incorrect facts, anomalies, inconsistencies, and glaring typos. The ultimate goal of copy editing is to ensure that the language effectively supports the writer’s intention, resulting in the most readable version of the book.

The copy editor checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. They might also comment on continuity errors, e.g., the character having brown eyes in chapter 1 and blue eyes in chapter 17 or do some minor rewriting for the sake of clarity, but they don’t do any major revisions of style or content. For the most part, copy editing is just following the rules; very little of it is a judgment call. Most copy editors make their changes in the manuscript, using the “track changes” feature if they do onscreen editing.

Rate:  $7.00 per page.   Our editors charge based on page count. The industry standard assumes that 1 page = 250 words.

Our Copy Edit includes:  grammar, spelling, punctuation, and small inconsistencies

  • Address any remaining plot, structure, and style issues
  • Perform sentence-level edits to enhance clarity and flow
  • Make general edits to improve grammar and punctuation

Proofreading

Proofreading marks the final stage of the editing process, involving a meticulous review of your book to rectify minor errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The primary focus of a proofreader is not to provide feedback on structural or significant editorial matters, but rather to ensure that your text is error-free before it reaches the printing stage. Their goal is to present your work without a single typo.

A proofreader plays a crucial part in the final stage of the editing process. Their task is to ensure that your book is ready for publication, whether in print or digital format. By meticulously examining your work, a proofreader will detect and correct any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and other issues that could detract from the reader’s enjoyment of your writing.

A professional proofreader possesses a keen eye for detail and utilizes effective techniques to spot every minor error in your text, ranging from missing commas to the misuse of homophones. They also ensure that your proof is free from typographical and layout issues, such as using the wrong typeface in a chapter heading or encountering awkwardly spaced lines within the text.

In essence, a proficient proofreader possesses the attentiveness of a dedicated reader and the sharp mindset of an editor, noticing every detail and leaving no oversight unchecked. However, the question remains: Where can you find a meticulous proofreader who can guarantee that every element of your book is flawlessly in place?

Proofreading is often confused with copy editing, but a proofreader is usually not an editor.  They look at the formatting, end-of-line breaks, paragraph and sentence spacing, missing italics, and other typographical errors. They also point out any misspelled words or punctuation mistakes the copy editor might have missed.

Rate:  $3.00 per page.   Our editors charge based on page count. The industry standard assumes that 1 page = 250 words.

Our Proofreading Service includes:  formatting, typographical errors, and any missed mistakes

  • Thoroughly review the manuscript to identify any lingering spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors
  • Provide suggestions aligned with the publisher’s selected style guide to ensure a consistent reading experience.

Creative Consulting

Welcome to Creative Consulting, where we specialize in guiding you towards unlocking your creativity and helping you overcome any hurdles that may be impeding your progress. Whether you are struggling with writer’s block or just need some fresh ideas to get your creative juices flowing, our team of experienced professionals are here to provide you with personalized guidance and support. Our unique approach focuses on live discussions with a real person, who will work with you to identify areas of strength and weakness in your creative process, and provide you with strategies for moving forward confidently with your novel or any creative project. With our expertise and personalized attention to your needs, you’ll soon be able to unlock your creative potential and achieve your goals. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards realizing your creative dreams! 

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Adaptation Services

The process of adapting a book into a movie or TV show is a complex undertaking. Whether it’s converting a best-selling novel into a thrilling feature film or turning a beloved memoir into a captivating series, adaptation is a crucial aspect of the entertainment industry. If you have a passion for your book and a desire to see it transformed into a successful Netflix Original, it’s vital to ensure that it can be marketed effectively to studios and producers. This is where our top-notch adaptation services come into play.

Our exceptional team of talented screenwriters specializes in converting books into compelling screenplays that captivate the audience and capture the attention of studios and producers. We understand that every detail in your book is crucial, and we make sure to consider and incorporate them into the screenplay. Our team works collaboratively with you to develop a screenplay that encapsulates the essence of your book and meets your unique needs. Our goal is to offer unparalleled adaptation services that guarantee your satisfaction and success.

In short, if you want your book to be submitted to studios and producers as an outstanding screenplay, our exceptional and tailored adaptation services are the solution that you have been searching for. So, why wait? Contact us today to learn more about how our services can bring your book to life on the big or small screen!

Cover Art and Layout Service

Are you looking for an amazing book cover that will capture the attention of your potential readers? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Our team of talented artists and graphic designers are here to provide you with the best cover art services that will make your book stand out on the shelf. We understand that first impressions matter, and the cover of your book is the first thing that readers will see. That’s why we put our creativity and skills together to deliver a visually appealing design that complements your book’s content. Our services include layout and original art concepts that will make your book look as good as it reads. Don’t settle for an average cover – let us help you create an outstanding one that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Contact us today!