I've assembled some information on this page about working with me that I hope you will find helpful. 
Scroll down or jump to the following sections:

Down Under Discounts:

I'm offering  mates' rates to writers who craft uplifting stories of comfort or hope,
humor   or healing, romance or reconciliation, community or kindness !
Let me know in your correspondence if this describes you and your project! :)

BFF Process

“I’ve been on the lookout for that special pair of eyes that can catch the mistakes, the time-warps, the dangling participles, the soft spots that I can miss . . . Reliable, easy to work with, diligent, and always sensitive to your pride of authorship, Kate demonstrates that she’s as committed as you are to creating the very best version of your book.”

 -  Author Divalle Curie ​​​

Welcome to the Book Friends Q&A!

Grab a beverage and pull up a chair!

Q - I'm new to publishing. Where do I begin?

A - Editing is not a regulated profession (at least in the USA), so we all do it and talk about it differently. In order to avoid confusion and miscommunication, I recommend taking some time to peruse this website for my explanations of editing stages, process, and terminology. And while you are here, check out the listings of  Topical resources like hiring an editor, conscious language, etc. and Word Craft resources on topics such as grammatical expletives and info dumping. Feel free to reach out with inquiries via email or the Contact form.

Communication is key. I need to have things in writing so that I can go back and reference details as well as write out considered answers. But sometimes it's helpful to hear a person's voice. We can schedule a conference call either to assess our suitability as a collaborative team or to talk things through after we've started the editing process.

Q - Aren't all editors basically the same?

A - The world has as many kinds of editors and styles of editing as writers and stories. As you peruse my website and become familiar with my process and use of terminology, I hope you will find helpful information and get a sense of who I am as a person and a professional.

Contact me to discuss your project. You may know what you are looking for in an editor or have expectations for what an author/editor collaboration looks like, in which case, I need to know what those expectations and experiences are.

For instance:
  • Do you like your edits to come with a significant amount of instruction/explanation?
  • Do you prefer simple inline corrections or suggestions left in the comments?

You can let me know before or after I do a sample edit for you. Even after I'm hired and begin the agreed-upon edits, I usually send the first chapter or two back to the author so we can fine-tune the level and form of my feedback before I continue.

Q - Can I get a sample edit?

A - Absolutely. If we agree that your needs and my expertise align, I'll do a sample edit to demonstrate what I bring to the collaborative table and so that I can assess where your manuscript is in the process of writing, revising, and editing.

I may recommend that your story get more developmental editing/revision before you engage me. We can discuss that assessment, weigh it against your plans and goals, and formulate a plan for how best to go forward to make your wonderful story even better. (See my sample edit section to learn more.)

Q - What if I disagree with editing suggestions?

A - It is your responsibility as the author (especially in indie publishing) to ensure that the story looks and sounds the way you want it to. It is your name on the cover. I'll try to facilitate your process and accommodate your vision. But you make the ultimate decisions about how the story goes out into the world. I respect that. 

As we work together, I will of course offer feedback, make suggestions, and explain what I think would make the message clearer and the story more engaging. Opinions, observations, and recommendations are based on my own ear, experience, and education, and I offer that feedback for the good of your story (which is what you've hired me to do).
Honing, polishing, and tweaking the language of your story is definitely work. And having your writing scrutinized can be challenging. When you've put so much of yourself into a project, it's not fun to have someone point out ways it could be improved—no matter how kindly meant, constructive, or tactful the critique. (See inviting & dealing with critique.) Authors should be prepared to roll up their sleeves and set their egos aside for the sake of creating a better experience for their audience, which ultimately means greater success as an author.

I find the collaborative process to be satisfying and hope you will too. Though editing is not easy, it can be rewarding and enjoyable with the right attitude and company.

Q - OK, so what happens after the sample edit?

A - If it's a green light, we'll hammer out the details of service, scheduling, and payment. If we won't be working together for a while, I'll send an invoice for the $100 nonrefundable deposit to hold your spot on my schedule. (See my business policies section for details.)

Q - And then ...?

A - Leading up to the date, I'll reach out to get last-minute details, like word count, before drafting a contract for you to look over. After you sign and send it back, I'll invoice you (minus the Hold My Spot and Sample fees and any other discounts).

I'll begin as soon as you've paid and sent your manuscript in the standard format in Word (see formatting a Word Doc for how to do this) or as a PDF, depending on what service you've hired me to do.

How many rounds we do--sending the manuscript back and forth between us--depends on the service, the book, and the timeline. 
See my Services page for descriptions of à la carte, package deals, add-ons, etc.
I'd love to chat with you about your writing journey.
If you have questions or think we might make a good team,
Contact me today!

Sample Edit

​"Kate has a way of connecting with your work that enables her to spot developmental, line, copy, and proofreading issues that others might miss."

- Author Lisa-Marie Cabrelli

Sample Edits Q&A

Q - Why do we need a sample edit?

​A - Sample edits help us decide if we are a good fit. We both benefit from taking time to assess the situation (manuscript, personalities, communications styles, expectations, etc.) before deciding if we'd make a good team.
 
Not every proficient editor is a good match for your personality, sensitivity, writing style, or genre. Likewise, not every story is a good match for my tastes and expertise (see preferred genres  and discounts). The sample also affords me the chance to assess the stage your manuscript is in, which I'll need to calculate fees and scheduling.

Q - Would this sample edit be free?

A - While some editors offer a free sample edit (I used to as well), I now charge $50.

Editing is my business, and I expend ample time and effort on a sample edit and the manuscript in general, providing helpful feedback and suggestions while getting to know it. Believe me, I give value for money.

If a writer hires me, I'm happy to apply the $50 toward the cost of the editing service.

Q - How do we get started?

A - If you want me to do a sample edit, please fill out the Contact  form here on my website. ​ I'll be in touch and will provide a Google Form to get more details. Sharing information about yourself and your writing, right off the bat, saves us both a lot of time and back-and-forth emails.

Q - What happens then?

A - If I think I can help and you decide I'm the editor for you, I'll invoice you for the sample and ask that you send your manuscript in a formatted Word document (see formatting a Word Doc for how to do this). I'll look it over, getting a sense for what your story needs. Then I'll offer edits, feedback, and suggestions on 1-2,000 words.

Q - Will you be honest in your assessment of my writing?

A - Absolutely. Sometimes a story needs more work before it's ready for a line or copy edit. Some writers might benefit from working with a writing coach, a developmental editor, or a critique group. The story concept might be brilliant, but it will not work if the structure is unsound or the characters are undeveloped no matter how pristine the punctuation or lovely the language is.

I don't offer full developmental editing services or coaching, but if you are unsure if your book is ready for a line and copy edit, or if you know it has some issues, you might hire me to do an Alpha Assessment or give   Basic Beta or Beta Plus  feedback instead of a sample edit.

Q - What will the sample edit look like?

A - Using MS Word's Track Changes, I look over the manuscript and offer commentary or suggestion—both inline (right in the text) and as comments in the margin. It will not be a comprehensive edit, nor will it be “perfect” (which, of course, is not possible). This is a sampling to illustrate my style and the types of feedback I provide.

Along with this single-pass edit sampling, I will offer:
  • my assessment of what editing stage your writing is in and whether I can help (As I mentioned above, I will let you know if I think you need to take a step back and do some more revising before hiring an editor.)
  • an estimate of how much time I think it will take
  • an estimate of when I could fit the project into my schedule
  • an estimate of how much it will cost

Q - Then ...?

A - You can look everything over (dialogue is welcome) and decide:
  • if my feedback is helpful (Would you prefer  more or less  explanation?)
  • if my style of critique works with your personality (While sometimes  blunt,  I am never unkind.)
  • if you agree on the type and stage of recommended editing service  (Communicate your thoughts on this; perhaps we can work something out.)
  • if the proposed project fee works with your budget (While my rates won't change, I am happy to point out ways you can save money by doing more yourself before sending me the manuscript.)
  • if my proposed scheduling works with your timeline (I'm sometimes booked out for months.)
We may schedule a discovery call at some point along the way to help us get a better sense of whether we would be a good collaborative fit.

And if you decide I'd be a helpful and fun companion on your journey toward publication, I'll charge a nonrefundable deposit of  $100 to hold that spot on my schedule (if it is more than a month out), which will be deducted from the editing fee. 
I'd love to hear from you!
Fill out my Contact Form to tell me about you and your story!

Policies

BFF Editing Business Policy Details:

  • Author's intellectual property and data security are taken seriously at BFF Editing. See Privacy Statement for more information.
  • See rate calculations section for insight into how fees are determined
  • $50 sample edit fee applied toward/deducted from cost of full editing service
  • $100 nonrefundable fee to hold your spot on my schedule, applied toward/deducted from your service fee (I can pencil you in without it but can only hold the spot with a deposit)
  • discount on further editing services after a Basic Beta , Beta Plus, or Alpha Assessment  (if booked within six months)
  • 50% (minimum) due before commencement of services with  balance due upon completion
  • open to rate discussion for clients not based in the US
  • payments accepted internationally via Wise by preference, or PayPal (for NZ authors, bank transfer is fine)
  • $100 project fee minimum
  • $40/hour for material of less than 10,000 words
  • $20/hour consultation fee for requested conference calls or extensive correspondence
  • $30/hour spot check fee for additional or bonus material of projects I've edited
  • 10% discount off your next project if you refer someone and they hire me
  • 30% surcharge for rush work
  • revisions of manuscript  that result in more than 5% of the original word count  require a reevaluation of schedule and price
  • prior approval required to include my name/business in book credits
  • Series Security - whatever rate I quote at the beginning of your series (for a particular service—e.g., a Content Edit or Final Polish—and not necessarily including Special Deals) will continue for the duration of your series, or up to four years, whichever comes first

​What can you, as an author, do for BFF Editing?

  • Providing  a list of decisions you've made on spellings, capitalization, formatting, character or world-building details, etc. is very helpful. I'll incorporate those into the style sheet I create.
  • For my own growth and development, I appreciate post-project feedback regarding your experience of working with BFF Editing—Google form provided.
  • I'd be eternally grateful for a testimonial for my website, a review on my Facebook or LinkedIn page, and a recommendation of my services to your fellow authors.
Fill out my Contact Form!
We'll chat about your writing journey and how I might help.

Calculations

Fee calculations for specific projects:

Authors and their manuscripts are unique. I tailor my editorial services to each project and take many things into consideration when calculating estimates, such as the complexity/level of edit needed, the word count, the turnaround time, how much fact checking and consultation is likely to be required, etc.

However, the Editorial Freelancers Association in the US provides a guideline for industry standard rates, and BFF Editing fees for fiction fall within those professional editing ranges -
  • $20-30/1,000 words for a copy edit (which I refer to as a Copy Cleanup)
  • $25-40/1,000 words for a line edit (similar to my   Content Edit, which includes copy edits)
  • $10-20/1,000 words for proofreading (which I've dubbed a Final Polish)

If you are interested in getting feedback on an earlier draft of your manuscript, I offer -
See the Miscellany and Add-ons section of my Services page for descriptions of these services -
  • Book Map (added to Beta Plus service) - $15/1,000 words
  • Blurb Refurb - $30/hour
  • Consultation - $20/hour
  • Hook Help - $30/hour
  • Spot Check - $30.00/hour​ 
  • Smart Style Sheet - $ dependent on specifics of the project including genre and manuscript length
​
If none of these quite address your needs, just ask, and we'll try to figure something out.

Check out my business policies.

I'm willing to discuss payment installments. And please take advantage of the savings in my packaged services!

For clients not based in the US, let's talk about standard editorial rates in your country. I accept payments via Wise by preference, or PayPal. For NZ authors (where I live), a bank transfer is fine.

You might want to peruse the articles in the hiring an editor section of my Topical Resources Page.

Be sure to reach out sooner rather than later to ensure a spot in my schedule.

Down Under Discounts:

Life and the world can be overwhelming and dispiriting. When I feel bleak,  I turn to books.

So I'm offering  mates' rates to writers who, like me, live  in New Zealand or Australia,
or for those (especially in the US, my original home) who craft uplifting stories of comfort or hope,
humor   or healing, romance or reconciliation, community or kindness !

Each savings scheme would be negotiated to meet the
unique situation and needs of the author.

Let me know in your correspondence if this describes you and your project! :)
If you think I might be of some help as you pursue your writing goals,
fill out my Contact Form to start the discussion.