If you want to publish a high-quality book, you simply MUST edit your manuscript.  Even if you plan on publishing your book traditionally by submitting it to a conventional publisher or to an agent, you really should have it edited before you submit it.  And even if you plan to self-publish it, you really should have it edited. No one will take your book seriously if it is riddled with errors.

Outskirts Press offers high-quality copyediting services for manuscripts of all lengths and types, regardless of whether you plan on publishing your book with us or somewhere else.  

Editing timeframes depend upon the length and complexity of the manuscript.   Basic editing of a typical manuscript can take up to 4 weeks, although many are completed faster.

For a clearer idea of the benefits of professional copyediting for all types of books (fiction, poetry, cookbooks, non-fiction, children's, etc.), please flip through this guidebook. You can even enlarge it for easier viewing by clicking the "Full Screen Icon" in the upper right hand corner of the gray box.

Important: Basic copyediting service is billed per word at 1.4 cents per word.  The initial $210 is a minimum deposit. The word count is determined by utilizing the "Word Count" function in MS Word for Windows on the manuscript submission made by the author. We edit only soft copy (digital files) of books, not hard copies such as typewritten pages or actual books.

There is a 15,000 word minimum, so if your manuscript contains fewer than 15,000 words, your total cost will be no more than the $210 that you pay initially. 

If your manuscript is longer than 15,000 words, we will add the additional total to your shopping cart once we conduct the word count.  You must pay the total editing fee prior to our editing your manuscript.

Works of poetry are calculated differently. If you have a work of poetry, editing services are charged on a $50/hour basis, billed in 15-minute increments.  There is a minimum initial payment of $210, which covers the first 5 hours (required).   The work of poetry is then edited to determine the time frame. Any remaining amount due is billed to you. Upon receipt of your total payment, the edited manuscript is returned to you.

By adding this option to your cart and paying the non-refundable deposit, you are ordering our editing service and are required to pay the full editing amount when billed. You can estimate the total cost yourself in advance by running "word count" on your document in Word for Windows and multiplying that number by .014. All editing fees become non-refundable once paid.

By ordering this option, you acknowledge that editors are human beings and, as such, you realize that this option is not a way to guarantee a 100% error-free manuscript.  The editor will conduct a thorough basic edit over the manuscript's punctuation, spelling, and grammar, although given the variables in accepted styles, the author realizes that some modifications, such as comma usage, can be subjective.

Due to the subjectivity of editing, the editor will not change your manuscript, but rather, will make recommendations for suggested corrections. The author receives these suggested edits via "Track Changes" in the original Word file.  It is your responsibility to accept or reject the editor's recommendations and make those changes to your manuscript. This preserves the purity of your story and "voice."

Ordering this option does not guarantee a 100% error-free manuscript. Editors are human, too, and are allowed a small margin of error (typically less than 5%). Even so, the corrections made to your manuscript will be extensive and important. A final review by you as you implement the editor's suggested changes will ensure as pristine a document as humanly possible.

Currently we edit only the English language. If any other language is within the body of your document, it will be ignored, but will still play a role in the word count calculation to determine editing cost.
 

Ordering this option does not guarantee a 100% error-free manuscript. Editors are human, too, and are allowed a small margin of error (typically less than 5%). Even so, the corrections made to your manuscript will be extensive and important. A final review by you as you implement the editor's suggested changes will ensure as pristine a document as humanly possible.