All manuscripts submitted to MidTown Publishing must have been edited by an independent editor; however, for those authors who wish a more complete editorial review of their work, we provide advanced editing services that are outlined below. If your manuscript is accepted for publication by MidTown Publishing, none of these services are mandatory.
Once our work on your manuscript is complete, prior to conversion to e-book or print, we proofread it and require that you proofread our work product, as well.
Some authors want a comprehensive overview of their work before they consider an edit. For a fixed price of $275.00 our editors will conduct a Detailed Editorial Assessment. The particulars are as follows:
Detailed Editorial Assessment: The editor will read up to thirty-five double-spaced pages of author’s manuscript and prepare a multipage report that offers critical feedback intended to enhance the publication potential of the author’s work. For a fiction manuscript, the editor will offer commentary on character development and motivations, point of view (a key concern with most new and developing fiction writers), scenes, plot, tension, dialogue, tone, diction, syntax, and overall clarity and readability. For nonfiction, the nature of the feedback will vary greatly, depending on the author’s manuscript. For creative narratives such as memoir, personal essays, or biography, many of the fiction elements will apply. Fact-checking (for nonfiction and fiction) remains the author’s responsibility, but obvious concerns will be noted in the editorial review. For all genres (fiction and nonfiction) the editor will point out sample proofreading errors involving spelling, punctuation, syntax (grammar), and formatting. The author will receive a wide range of feedback. In many cases, the editor will recommend an editing service for the author to consider right away. In other cases, the editor will make recommendations for the author to consider before resubmitting.
Editing Levels
Midtown Publishing can provide several levels of editing to is authors. They include:
- Developmental Edit. This edit includes character development, plot, [fiction] consistency/standardization, sentence clarity, word choice, redundancies and/or inaccuracies in text, maintenance of tone/voice, content organization, flow/transitions, evaluation of sentence structure, and presentation; however, the Developmental Edit is not a comprehensive Line Edit. Instead, the editor does a Line Edit of only five percent (5%) of the manuscript.We recommend a Developmental Edit for most manuscripts that have not otherwise been edited. It provides a substantial cost savings, and it gives the author a road map of where the editor believes the author should go to improve his or her work.
- Copy Edit. This includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. It does not include syntax, compression, clarity, or other issues that are addressed in the “Developmental Edit” and the “Line Edit.”A Copy Edit assumes that the content is set and the manuscript needs only a fine-tuning of language. A Copy Edit will ensure consistency of style and elimination of errors, and it is usually the appropriate editing level for a manuscript that has already been revised and vetted for content.
- Line Edit. A detailed, line-by-line process to correct errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In addition, the editor will make recommendations to improve syntax and word choice.This approach is most appropriate for manuscripts that are otherwise ready for publication. For authors struggling with point of view, plot, clichés, scene development, tone, and a host of other issues, the Developmental Edit should be addressed first. One of our senior editor’s concerns is this: “Why line edit a manuscript that needs to be blown up in revision? That’s not the best use of the author’s resources.” Of course, as is always the case, our independent editors will work with each author to satisfy his or her requirements.
- Comprehensive Edit. An analysis of grammar, syntax, and spelling, plus an in-depth review of the work’s character development, content, and flow. The editor works closely with the author.Our editors recommend a Developmental Edit prior to this edit level. However, for authors wanting a more in-depth review prior to determining a roadmap after initial evaluation, this edit is available.
Editing Fees
- Developmental Edit.
$.04/word. Communication time: About 90 minutes (roughly 30 minutes at the front end and 60 minutes upon completion). - Copy Edit.
$.02/word. Communication time between author and editor (up to 30 minutes, primarily at the conclusion of the Copy Edit). - Line Edit.
$.03/word. Communication time between author and editor (up to 60 minutes, primarily at the conclusion of the Line Edit). - Comprehensive Edit.
$.05/word, Communication time between author and editor: up to two hours, with approximately 30 minutes prior to the edit and up to 90 minutes upon completion.
To utilize these services, click on the “Advanced Editing” icon in your Authorlog™ Account.