Book editing services
Four levels of editing, real editors with real bibliographies. We start with a $250 sample edit so you can see the work before paying for the full pass.
from $0.018 per word
Start here · the manuscript path
You wrote it. We get it to live, on Amazon, in your name.
Editorial assessment, edit, cover, format, publish, launch. For authors with a finished or near-finished manuscript and no patience for the parts they don't want to learn.
Start with the truth
A $250 sample edit before you spend a dollar on the full one.
Send the first chapter, we edit 5,000 words of it, and write you a one-page assessment telling you which editing level you actually need. The fee is refundable against your full editing engagement. The assessment is the most honest decision-point in this category.
- 5,000-word sample edited in tracked changes
- One-page editorial assessment
- Editor named on the assessment
- Refundable against full editing fee
The stack for this path
Six services. Most projects use four.
Edit and cover are non-negotiable. Formatting and KDP setup are nearly so. Proofreading and marketing depend on your goals.
Proofreading services
A second specialist who reads only for typos, layout inconsistencies, and the final-stage errors that creep in between copy edit and press.
from $0.012 per word
Book cover design
Custom book covers designed for the Amazon thumbnail first, the bookstore shelf second. Three concepts, two revisions, all rights to you.
from $640
Book formatting
Manuscript becomes print PDF and EPUB. Working files, not just exports. Reflowable ebook that doesn't break on Kindle Paperwhite.
from $440
Amazon KDP publishing
End-to-end KDP setup and listing optimization. Your book live on Amazon US, UK, EU, IN, AU, JP, and CA. You own the KDP account.
from $890
Book marketing
A launch and ongoing-marketing programme run by named operators with real Amazon Ads spend behind them. Honest reporting, no guaranteed-bestseller theatre.
from $1,200 per month, 3-month minimum
8 weeks, finished manuscript to live listing
The realistic schedule when you bring the manuscript.
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Week 1
Sample edit + assessment
$250. 5,000 words edited, one-page assessment, refundable against the full edit.
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Weeks 2–4
Edit (copy or line)
First-pass edit. Tracked changes. You respond and approve.
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Weeks 3–5
Cover design
Three concepts, two revision rounds. Runs in parallel with the edit.
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Weeks 5–6
Format + proof
Print PDF and ebook EPUB. Both proofs ordered and reviewed.
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Weeks 7–8
KDP + IngramSpark live
Listings built, categories chosen, A+ Content uploaded. Sale-ready.
Case study
The Verdict Room
- The brief
- Deborah's manuscript was strong for 30,000 words and then stalled. She had two endings and could not decide between them. Both were the wrong ending for the book she had actually written in the first half.
- The outcome
- Self-published 73,000-word legal thriller. Earned out the editing investment in five months on Amazon. Three months post-launch, signed with an agent at Janklow & Nesbit for a two-book deal; Macmillan acquired North American rights for a 2026 hardback release.
- Agent signed Janklow & Nesbit, 3 months post-launch
- Macmillan NA rights, hardcover 2026
- 73k words delivered manuscript
- 5 months to recoup editing investment
Manuscript-stage FAQ
What we get asked the day a manuscript lands in our inbox.
I think my manuscript is finished. How do I know?
Send us the first chapter and we'll do a $250 sample edit plus written assessment. The assessment tells you in plain language which editing level you actually need. About 30% of authors who say 'finished' need only a copy edit; about 50% need line editing; about 20% need a structural pass. The assessment fee is refundable against full editing.
Can you publish my book without editing it first?
We don't recommend it and we don't operate that way. Publishing an under-edited manuscript on Amazon almost guarantees 3-star reviews about typos and pacing within the first 30 days. Those reviews stay forever. The cost of editing is less than the cost of fixing a launch in the wrong direction.
What's the fastest path from finished manuscript to live on Amazon?
Copy edit (3 weeks) + cover design (3 weeks, can overlap) + formatting (1 week, after copy edit) + KDP setup and live (2 weeks). Realistic: 6–8 weeks from delivery of clean manuscript to first sale. Rush options compress that to 4 weeks at a 30% premium.
I want to query agents instead of self-publishing — can you help with that?
Yes, partially. We do developmental and line editing on agent-bound manuscripts, plus a query letter and synopsis pass. We don't have agent placement relationships and won't pretend to. After editing we can refer you to literary-agent listings that match your category.
Ready when you are
Send us your first chapter.
$250 sample edit and a one-page editorial assessment. Refundable if you go ahead. Honest if you shouldn't.