Services

Are you tired of endlessly editing your manuscripts, reports, or business documents? Do you want to spend your time writing and marketing your work? Bear's Editing offers professional services in manuscript assessment, developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading.

Manuscript Assessment

New authors often make the mistake of rushing their work into editing, or even worse, self-publishing before the manuscript is ready.

Manuscript assessment is a critique of the manuscript and an avenue for offering advice on how to improve the work before it enters the editing stage. Quality of writing style, plot development, story pacing, character development, tone and voice, and audience appeal are all assessed.

You will receive a detailed report on the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript. The report will specifically identify areas where you need to self-edit and/or rewrite.

When you have self-edited your manuscript, this service also identifies the level or type of editing your manuscript requires (e.g. basic or deep copy edit, proofreading).

You may submit partially completed manuscripts, first drafts, or completed works.

Turn-around time on works less than 100,000 words is 2-4 weeks.

Flat Rate Fees:

less than 50,000 words $250 U.S.

50,000-75,000 $350 U.S.

75,000-100,000 $500 U.S.

Developmental Editing

Once the manuscript is complete to the author's satisfaction, it is ready for an initial development edit. Here, the story flow and plot, point of view and tone, scene and chapter transitions, dialogue, general structure, writing style, and character development are carefully scrutinized and critiqued. Audience appeal is also evaluated.

You will receive a detailed report on areas where the manuscript needs work. If applicable, problem areas within the manuscript will be marked.

Turn-around time for manuscripts less than 100,000 words is 2-4 weeks.

Rates:

8-10 pp/hour $40 U.S. per hour (standard)

Copyediting Services

This is the stage of editing where most authors seek assistance. Copyediting is a line-by-line edit of an established draft, including suggested revisions of word choice, grammar, dialogue, paragraph sequence, and style. Weaknesses in clarity and meaning, consistency, repetition, and paragraph and sentence structure will be identified with suggestions for improvement.

Turn-around time for manuscripts less than 100,000 words is 2-4 weeks.

Rates:

Basic copyediting $40 U.S. per hour

Deep copyediting $45 U.S. per hour

All copyediting contracts include two passes and a final proofread.

Proofreading Services

This is the last stage of editing a manuscript and requires a detailed edit for spelling, typos, punctuation, and grammatical errors, word choice, and various mechanical problems, such as speaker attributes and beats.

Turn-around time for a manuscript less than 100,000 words is 2-4 weeks

Rates:

8-10 pp/hour $25 U.S. per hour

(Note: This rate is for a 'clean' manuscript that has been professionally edited.)

Other professional services are provided to my clients free of charge. For example: critiquing query letters and synopses.