Novel & Novella Services

I offer beta reading, editorial assessments, and book descriptions (a.k.a. “blurbs”) of fiction 10,001–200,000 words in length, as well as editing and proofreading services. For best results, I recommend doing at least one round of self-editing and proofreading before sending your work to me.

I am most comfortable reading science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and romance/erotica for adults. If your manuscript is for children or teens, or does not fall into one of the genre categories above, please query first. For stories up to 10,000 words, visit the Short Story Services page. No poetry, please.

Note: All prices are in USD. Listed lengths assume that critiques and editorial assessments will be double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font. This is how your critique or editorial assessment will be formatted unless otherwise requested.

Author Bios

Need an attention-grabbing author bio, but hate talking about yourself? Hire me to write one for you! Each bio includes one free revision.

The turnaround time for author bios is 3 days. This service costs $15 for 100 words. Successive revisions may be purchased for $5 each.

Book Blurbs

A blurb is your book’s handshake: the potential reader’s first glimpse into your novel. These descriptions pique readers’ interest by name-dropping comparative titles and popular tropes. Each blurb includes one free revision.

The turnaround time for book blurbs is 3 days. This service costs $20 for 150 words. Successive revisions may be purchased for $5 each.

For an additional $10, I will write a 250-word blurb instead.

For an additional $5, I will include HTML formatting for your blurb.

Beta Reading

A beta reading response examines your manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses in 2 or more pages. It offers some assessment of the piece’s quality but does not go into great detail in terms of troubleshooting. If you want this response to focus on a specific aspect of your work, please indicate that in your initial email.

The turnaround time for beta reading ranges from 1–3 weeks. This service costs $40 for the first 30,000 words, plus $20 for each additional 30,000 words.

Outline Development

Outline development is a form of developmental editing. It begins with a 60-minute meeting, billed in advance at my hourly rate, to discuss your vision for the book. This meeting helps to determine whether I’m a good fit for your project. If we proceed, I’ll use your partial outline, notes, and other details to flesh out a narrative road map, which I’ll send back to you for review. We can repeat this process as many times as you feel is necessary.

The turnaround times and costs of outline developments vary from project to project. Projections and payment schedules will be discussed during the initial meeting. My rate for consultations is $50 per hour.

Plot Reviews

Plot reviews are a form of developmental editing. You provide a chapter outline, plot summary, and 500-word excerpt from the first chapter, which I will then analyze. I use Track Changes in Word to record my thoughts, questions, and suggestions, and I offer strategies to improve plausibility, pacing, and emotional engagement. These reviews reveal major plotholes, chronic errors, and other issues to avoid problems down the road. This is most useful to beginning writers and publishers employing ghostwriters.

The turnaround time for a plot review ranges from 3–7 days. This service costs $10 per 10,000 words of anticipated length, with a $50 minimum.

For an additional $25, I will perform line edits on the first chapter of the manuscript, up to 7,500 words.

Developmental Edits

Developmental edits identify large-scale problems with your novel, such as issues with plot structure, pacing, characterization, and tone. You’ll receive an assessment letter, 5–10 pages or more in length, containing detailed strategies for improvement.

The turnaround time for a developmental edit is 2 weeks on average. This service costs $10 per 1,000 words, with a $200 minimum.

For an additional $2.50 per 1,000 words, you will also receive a full manuscript markup that directly highlights problem areas.

For $35, I will complete a sample line edit that assesses the first chapter of your novel, up to 7,500 words. I strongly recommend this option for first-time clients. The turnaround time for a sample edit is 3 days.

Line Edits

Line edits dig into your manuscript to correct sentence-level errors and offer strategies to improve voice and tone, narrative flow, reader engagement, and more. These are intensive edits that strengthen your work on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis.

The turnaround time for a line edit is 3 weeks on average. This service costs $20 per 1,000 words, with a $400 minimum.

For $35, I will complete a sample line edit that assesses the first chapter of your novel, up to 7,500 words. I strongly recommend this option for first-time clients. The turnaround time for a sample edit is 3 days.

Copyedits

Copyediting prioritizes clarity and consistency, and brings the manuscript in line with The Chicago Manual of Style or another style guide you provide. Copyedits include a style sheet to ensure consistency across multiple writers, editors, and books.

The turnaround time for copyediting is 2 weeks on average. This service costs $10.00 per 1,000 words, with a $200 minimum.

Proofreading

This form of editing checks a text for surface-level problems, such as spelling, punctuation, and syntax errors. It does not make suggestions for rewriting sentences or restructuring your work.

The turnaround time for proofreading is 2 weeks on average. This service costs $7.50 per 1,000 words, with a $150 minimum.

Contact Me

To query or hire me, email† kristianediting [AT] gmail [DOT] com with “NOVEL” in the subject line. Attach your manuscript as a .docx file and include the following information in the body of the email:

  • your name
  • your PayPal email address
  • the specific services you’re requesting
  • the title of your manuscript
  • the genre/subgenre you’re writing in
  • the word count, rounded to a clean 1,000
  • a brief paragraph detailing your biggest concern about the piece

You may request more than one service per manuscript, but I ask that you query for only one manuscript at a time.

Billing & Turnaround

I endeavor to respond to all emails within 2 business days. My response will indicate whether I intend to take you on as a client or not.‡ It will also include any additional questions I may have for you.

Invoices will be sent via PayPal. The first half of the total cost is due before services are rendered, and the second half is due when the work is completed. I will not read or write anything before receiving the first payment, nor will I release my work to you before receiving the second.

Listed turnaround times are averages. The timer begins when payment is received. If you need something quicker, I am occasionally available to do rush orders for an additional fee. If you’re interested, include your preferred return date in your email, and I’ll see what I can do.

If a problem arises that prevents me from completing your work on time, I will refund your payment in full. I do not offer refunds for completed services or cancellations.

† Emailing me does not entitle you to my services. I take on clients who are respectful and kind. I will not critique or edit works that are openly and uncritically racist, misogynistic, queerphobic, eugenicist, antisemitic, anti-Romani, or otherwise bigoted. I will not critique or edit works produced with AI assistance. I will critique or edit works that contain violence, gore, and sexual content. You do not need to add trigger warnings to your piece.