J.D. Cunegan

Need an Editor? Don’t Want to Break the Bank?
Look, I get it. You want someone to edit your manuscript. No, you need it. You might have America’s Next Top Novel on your hands, but you’ve read it so many times, your eyes cross. But every editor you come across is outside your price range.

I’m an indie author myself, so I understand better than most the cost that goes into taking your manuscript and turning it into something worth public consumption. Which is why I offer other self- and independently published authors a variety of editing services, with prices tailored to tight budgets.

“What Kind of Editor Are You?”
The good kind.

No, seriously… I offer three different types of edits: line editing, copy editing, and proofreading.

“But J.D.,” you say, “aren’t those all the same?”

Not necessarily. To wit…

Line Editing
A line edit is where I go through your manuscript, line by line (natch), to clean up tone, your writer’s voice, consistencies of detail (i.e., your hero has green eyes on page 4, but they’re blue on page 27), and fact-checking.

Copy Editing
A copy edit involves going through your manuscript and cleaning up spelling, grammatical errors, double words, as well as stylistic inconsistencies and tensing issues. This is what most people think of when they think of editing.

Proofreading
This is the final pass-through before publication. Once your manuscript is formatted, one last edit is performed. Similar to a copy edit, a proofread is like going through your hotel room one last time before check-out.

What if I Need More Than One Type of Edit?
I offer bundles in case you want one more type of edit completed. I also offer an all-in-one option. Please note, however, bundles take longer to complete, as I will then be doing more than one pass through your manuscript.

The $64,000 Question…
(Don’t worry, that’s not my rate.)

The below rates are for a standard manuscript up to 150,000 words. For manuscripts longer than 150,000 words, add $50 to the list price for every additional 50,000 words (Ex: a copy edit for a 200,000-word manuscript would be $450 instead of $400; for a 250,000-word manuscript, the rate would be $500).

Copy Edit: $400
Line Edit: $500
Proofread: $500
Any Two Options: $750
All-of-the-Above: $1,000

Payments are due upon completion, and within 30 days of invoice. If you need to establish a payment plan, let me know before you receive my invoice; we can work out a two- or four-payment plan, depending on your needs.

Payment is owed regardless of whether your book is ultimately published.

Disclaimer
I do not utilize AI in the editing process. Every comment, note, and edit comes solely from my own mind and efforts. At no point will I take your content and feed it into some word-hungry algorithm.

Anything Else I Need to Know?
I will provide a one-chapter sample edit before we reach a formal agreement, so you can see whether or not I would be a good fit for you as an editor. If you receive the sample edit and decide to go elsewhere, you’re under no obligation. If you decide to use my services, I will complete the job in question within the agreed-upon timeframe.

I ask all manuscripts to be submitted in Word format or over Google Docs. These are the easiest formats for me to make, and track, changes and suggestions within the manuscript.

All genres are welcome! I only ask that if your manuscript’s subject matter contains potentially triggering content (such as sexual violence, abuse, discrimination, among others), you communicate as such up front. I reserve the right to reject a project if I feel you haven’t handled the subject matter in an appropriate way (I am more than happy to discuss this in-depth prior to accepting or turning down a manuscript; as always, communication is key). If I reject your project at any point prior to completion, I will not invoice you for payment.

How Do I Get in Touch With You?
Email me at jdcunegan@gmail.com.