Structural & Line Edit
Line by line, your story is rock-solid.
Service
Structural & Line Edit
Cost
From 4.5c per word
Details
Comments and light text edits inserted line by line throughout the draft, plus extensive audio notes.
This deep dive edit develops a manuscript on a line and paragraph level. You might have a great plot and compelling characters, but if the draft is suffering from inconsistent tenses, plot confusion, continuity errors, weak characterization, and clunky lines, your reader will be too distracted by the small stuff to remain fully engaged by the journey. Structural editing is not copy editing or grammar-checking, but fine-comb developmental work that ensures your ideas are being conveyed with maximum clarity and creative strategy.
Structural Edit FAQs
Structural edits are 4.5c per word, for works of 80k+ words.
To calculate your total, take your word count and multiply by 0.045. For example, a 90k word manuscript would be 90,000 x 0.045 = $4,050.
Shorter manuscripts of 50k – 79k words are 5c per word. (Word count multiplied by 0.05).
Epic novels (150k+ words), novellas, and short stories are quoted on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to the comments inserted throughout the draft, audio notes cover big picture feedback in greater depth than the equivalent summary report. After many years of applying this process I’ve discovered that audio notes are the best way to guide a writer through big insights and explore nuanced ideas and solutions.
Yes, in addition to voice recordings that cover general insights and recommendations, I will apply comments and light text edits directly to the manuscript. All edits are made using the tracked changes feature, so that you can see exactly what updates have been made and accept or reject them accordingly.
Before taking on a new project, I perform an Opening Hook Edit to assess the draft and advise which form of development the work is ready for. The majority of manuscripts are best served by manuscript assessment, which deconstructs the character and plot arcs on a scene-by-scene basis. Structural edits address the same issues, but on a line-by-line basis (with comments inserted directly into the draft), which can be premature if there are big picture elements that need to be resolved first.
The wait time for bookings generally runs at about 8 weeks and can be longer at certain times of the year. Once the process begins, most structural edits are completed within 14 – 18 working days.
If your manuscript is deemed to be ready for a structural edit, that’s because the initial assessment of the work has indicated the story framework, character and plot arcs are already well-developed. Once the structural edit has been applied, it’s your turn to address the comments inserted throughout and update the draft accordingly. From that point on, you should have an advanced draft that’s ready for final copy editing and/or proofreading.
After the edit has been completed, I answer your questions as needed. My top priority is ensuring you feel excited and inspired about the new opportunities presented, versus overwhelmed. If you’d like me to re-assess or edit a new draft, I categorize that as a fresh job and will offer a fee for the work.
I’m happy to develop novellas and short stories. The rates quoted above are all for long-form works of 50k+ words, so if you have a custom project feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to provide a quote.
“Brilliant feedback, thank you so much! I’ve had a quick read through your comments and edits and they look great. Actually, I think they’re better than the edit suggestions I get from the editor with my trad publisher.”
– Published Author (name withheld)
The first step is an Opening Hook Edit, where I perform a professional assessment of your opening scenes so you can determine firsthand if I’m the right editor for you. This also provides an opportunity for me to gauge what stage of evolution your story has reached, and which form of development will achieve the best results moving forward. If you want more information, you can also contact me, and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Your journey starts here.
“If you’re looking for the best there is, go no further.”
Talia Hunter, USA Today Bestselling Author
Introductory Edit Form
Now is the time to discover the full potential of your writing.
Feel free to send the opening scenes of your novel to cate (at) catehogan (dot) com, or simply start the conversation by submitting your contact details.
