Below are guidelines designed to make us all happy. At the end of the day, I want to deliver a final project that exceeds your wildest expectations, and clear communication is a big part of that. On this page I outline information on minimum advance notice of deadline, payment schedules, and cancellation and rush fees.
In fairness to your needs and my other client obligations, all projects carry a minimum advance notice of deadline. Projects received less than the minimums incur a rush fee of 30% per project, and need to be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Line and copyediting and proofreading both presume prior editorial work. I will tell you if I feel your manuscript (mms) is not ready for a particular step.
In practice, I am booked ahead and recommend you contact me to discuss your project at least a month in advance of when you wish to start editing. (Coaching tends to have a shorter lead time.) This also allows us time for a discovery call to make sure our partnership is a good fit. Please visit the appropriate Services page to begin the process.
Except for coaching and rare instances such as the back cover, I bill by the project, not by the hour or word. In this way, you will never be surprised by fee totals.
Coaching, including the intensive, must be paid in advance. I require a deposit before editing work begins, typically one-half the project fee, depending on the scope of the project. Editorial work comprising several stages is usually broken into multiple payments, with interval payments due at the start of each stage. Single stage editing projects are paid as deposit/balance.
Dates for submission, interval payments, and revision schedules will be outlined in our agreement before project kick-off. It is your responsibility to review these and make sure they work for you.
Editorial work takes time and has value. Be sure you wish to proceed before you sign a contract and make your first payment. Cancellation fees apply based on the size and scope of your project, as well as the amount of work completed. Projects cancelled after work is completed are payable in full.
Projects that require less than the minimum advance notice shown above are considered “rush” and incur a fee of 30% per project. If multiple editorial stages are rush, each stage is subject to the rush fee. Rush jobs must be discussed and approved in advance.
For any service, be sure your book meets the genre guidelines.
As always, please reach out to me with any of your questions or concerns. My goal is to help you put your best words forward.