Fiction Editing by George Donnelly
Hi, I’m George Donnelly, a freelance fiction and novel editor ready to accelerate you towards your goals with quality fiction and novel editing at a reasonable price.
Email me@georgedonnelly.com, schedule a quick call or fill out this form to get started.
You need your story to be not just error-free, but to also read well. You need to find the problems that you don’t know about. You need it done on a schedule, on a budget and by a professional – so it’s perfect at the right time and for the right price.
You’ve done your research. You’ve got a draft or two. Now you need a writing pro to help you take it to the next level.
That’s what I do.
In a Nutshell
If you’re at an early stage in your writing, you will find my Developmental Editing helpful. If you’ve got a draft manuscript, Line Editing will clean up your prose. Almost done? Proofreading will catch and fix all of those pesky little errors that are easy to miss but critical to the maintenance of reader enjoyment.
Need a detailed reaction to your story? The Beta Read is a Developmental-Edit-Lite that includes a thorough report and a 1-hour phone conference.
I’m excited about taking any type of your writing to the next level and primarily focus on science fiction, thrillers, fantasy, mystery, romance and horror as well as non-fiction, including memoirs, academic, technical, business and health & fitness.
1. Proofreading/Copy Editing
You want a thorough examination of your manuscript to correct typos, ensure grammatical correctness and find any confusing constructions. You want it publication-ready right now. Up to two rounds of proofreading are included at no extra cost. This includes light line editing.
Rates:
| Word Count | Rate Per Word |
|---|---|
| up to 10,000 words | $0.0075 |
| 10,001-50,000 | $0.007 |
| 50,001-100,000 | $0.0065 |
| 100,001+ | $0.005 |
That’s less than a penny per word and the per-word rate is lower for longer manuscripts.
Example Proofreading Amounts:
- 10,000-word manuscript: $75
- 50,000-word manuscript: $350
- 100,000-word manuscript: $500
Get your free trial edit today, risk-free.
2. Line Editing
You want active rewriting of your prose for better flow and clarity, while keeping your voice. The proofreading is included. You will receive a publication-ready manuscript at the end of this process. Up to three rounds of line editing and proofreading are included at no extra cost.
Rates:
| Word Count | Rate Per Word |
|---|---|
| up to 10,000 words | $0.02 |
| 10,001-50,000 | $0.015 |
| 50,001-100,000 | $0.0125 |
| 100,001+ | $0.01 |
That’s 1.3¢ per word – less for longer manuscripts.
Example Line Editing Amounts:
- 10,000-word manuscript: $200
- 50,000-word manuscript: $750
- 100,000-word manuscript: $1,000
Get your free trial edit today, risk-free.
3. Developmental Editing
You need help taking your story idea from an early stage to a complete plan or finished manuscript, with an interesting, well-structured plot. My rates vary from 2¢ to 4¢ per word. Let’s talk about your project and see how I can help you.
The Developmental Edit is where I become an active partner in shaping your story from a relatively early stage.
Request a free copy of one of my novels to get a sense of my creative writing skills.
4. Beta Reading
You need a thorough reading of your entire manuscript to evaluate structure, plot, characters, tone, weak points, strong points and identify ideas for improvement. You’ll get a 5 to 10 page report detailing everything I found in my reading as well as up to a 1 hour phone conference to discuss the report and brainstorm further improvements.
$0.005 per word. Minimum $25.
Example Beta Reading Amounts:
- 10,000-word manuscript: $50
- 50,000-word manuscript: $250
- 100,000-word manuscript: $500
Feel free to also send me story outlines, story concepts – any format you like. The Beta Read is an evaluative option whereas the Developmental Edit invites me to become a highly active partner in shaping your story.
Get your free trial beta read today, risk-free.
5. Bundles
You can bundle services to satisfy your complete editing needs at a significant discount.
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The IndiePub Treatment (Beta Read + Line Edit + Blurb + Author Bio): Your manuscript is at a draft stage. You need the story evaluated on multiple criteria. That’s the Beta Read. After receiving my report, you plan to rewrite your manuscript to take it to the next level. You’ll then want a comprehensive edit for ease of reading, grammatical correctness and consistency. That’s the Line Edit, and every line edit includes a final proofreading. This is a complete package that takes you from draft manuscript to polished final product. From as little as 1.25¢ per word.
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The TradPub Treatment (Developmental Edit + Line Edit + Proofread + Blurb + Author Bio): You want the complete package for your manuscript at one reasonable price. I will accompany you in your creative process from as early as you like. I’ll provide a developmental edit that takes your story up several notches. I’ll line edit your rough draft to improve the flow and prose, up to five rounds. Then I’ll take your final draft and provide up to three rounds of proofreading. This will take you from the kernel of an idea all the way to a finished manuscript. This bundle includes phone conference time. From as little as 4¢ per word.
Want a custom bundle? No problem. Contact me and we’ll put together a custom quote to meet your precise needs.
6. Blurbs for Novels, Novellas and Anthologies
Need a tightly-written, exciting and enticing blurb for your novel, novella, short story or anthology? This is the sales description you use to sell your book on your website, on retail sites like Amazon and anywhere else.
Your blurb, along with your title and cover, is a key marketing tool responsible for selling your book to new readers.
Rates:
- Blurb Add-On: 1 concept $25. 3 for $45.
- Solo Blurb: 3 concepts for $100.
Blurb Add-Ons are available for any works I’ve edited or proofread.
Just need the blurb, not the editing? Send me the first 25% of your work and order a Solo Blurb.
Guarantee: Don’t like the first three blurb concepts? I’ll do 2 more free or your money back.
Download a sample blurb. PDF
7. Author Bio
Need a distinctive author bio that’s appropriate for your genre? I’ll take your raw material, boil it down and add some magic to make you stand out. Call-to-action included.
Rates:
- Bio Add-On: 1 concept FREE with any editing job. 3 for $50.
- Solo Bio: 3 concepts for $100.
Bio Add-Ons are available for any works I’ve edited or proofread.
Guarantee: Don’t like the first three bio concepts? I’ll do 2 more free or your money back.
8. Author Marketing
I also do author websites, website maintenance, email marketing setup and anything else you need for author marketing.
Works I’ve Edited
The works listed are all anthologies that I have organized but there is no need to credit me, much less put my name on the cover, for your works.
- Bite-Sized Stories
- Monster Maelstrom
- Christmas in Love
- Steaks, Walls and Dossiers: The Best Trump Anthology Ever
- Defiant, She Advanced
- Valiant, He Endured
This is only a small selection of the works I’ve edited.
If you’d like to be notified of future anthology opportunities, join my Author Collaboration List.
Testimonials
George has offered me incredibly incisive developmental edits and feedback on a number of fiction pieces, ranging from a 3,000 word short story, up to a 50,000 word novel. I almost always make the changes he suggests, and find the piece is always tighter, richer, and more fully-realized as a result. Highly recommended.” — J.P. Medved, author of Steampunk adventures and thoughtful thrillers.
George is a prompt, professional editor who is thorough but supportive of the author’s voice. A pleasure to work with.” — K.D McAdams, author of thriller, dystopian and horror stories.
It’s been a pleasure having you in charge, George. I think the whole project would have sunk if you didn’t take over, and it would have been a real shame. Thank you so much for taking this on. So excited to finally see it happening.” — Marilyn Vix, indie romance novelist and KBoards member.
George has been awesome to work with! He responds promptly and does a great job. I highly recommend him to anyone needing editing or formatting. His efforts to produce quality indie anthologies are much appreciated, too.” — J. Naomi Ay, author of The Two Moons of Rehnor series.
George Donnelly did an excellent edit for one of my upcoming works. Not only was he thorough in the nuts and bolts of writing, the grammar and punctuation, but he also made several suggestions that will greatly improve the story. He found areas where I needed to work on consistency and clarity and suggested a way to build more tension at chapter ends. I highly recommend George for all of your editing needs and will definitely work with him again.” — Jeanette Raleigh, author of Moon Struck: A Hilarious Werewolf Romance.
George is a top-notch editor who is fast, thorough, and accurate. Working with him is not only painless, but actually a lot of fun! His thoughtful suggestions for improving my writing were right on the mark. Having an editor with such a keen eye for detail put my mind at ease when submitting my work for publication. I can’t imagine working with another editor. George is my go-to person for all my editing and proofreading needs.” — Heather Biedermann, author of fantasy, horror, and science fiction tales.
Working with George has been an absolute pleasure. He is reliable and accurate, the two best things you need in an editor. I would definitely recommend him to anyone without a moment’s hesitation.” — Jamie Campbell, indie author
I’ve worked with George on a few projects, and have found he is very dedicated to his work. His focus on getting things properly edited and formatted surpasses many people I have worked with in the past. George has very high standards for any project he is involved with, striving to maintain high quality and marketability, and that can only help in today’s competitive publishing world. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire him in the future, should I be so fortunate as to be able to do so.” — Griffin Carmichael, science fiction and horror author.
George has been great to work with: super friendly and responsive, and his editing skills are impeccable. I would use him again in a heartbeat!” — Lincoln Cole, author of Raven’s Peak.
I’ve worked with George on several projects and can recommend him without any hesitation. He’s easy to work with and is a good communicator. He’s also well-organized, reliable, and a superb indie marketer.” — Richard B Walsh, co-author of the Adventures of Seamus Tripp.
I’ve worked with George Donnelly on flash fiction anthologies. As the editor of each anthology, he does a good job of working with several authors to get their stories into their best possible form. A writer himself, he understands the process, and his own passion carries over into everything he does. He’s also extremely well-organized, an absolute necessity for a busy editor.” — Bill Hiatt, author of young adult fantasy, including the Spell Weaver series.
My experience with George is that he’s both thorough and conscientious — both critical qualities in any professional editor. He also understands the dynamic of genre authors, and can always be counted on to be responsive in that way.” — Alex R. Knight III, author of horror, science fiction, and fantasy tales.
I’ve enjoyed working with George Donnelly as an editor in the past, and would do so again in the future.” — Frank Marcopolos, author of Almost Home: The New Paltz Novel and Infinite Ending: Ten Stories.
Quite apart from George Donnelly’s professionalism and genuine talent as an editor, working with him on a recent book project was great fun. I cannot stress the latter strongly enough because being edited is usually a stressful and damnably annoying process. How he made me want to come back for more is an act that raises him out of the ranks of muggles. I would work with George again in a flash.” — Wendy McElroy, author of Rape Culture Hysteria: Fixing the Damage Done to Men and Women.
I have enjoyed working with George Donnelly on the Bite-Sized Anthologies. He is a careful editor and produces a quality product. He is quick to reply to questions and problems. Edits are done in a timely manner. He is professional and friendly in his correspondence.” — Jaleta Clegg, author of The Fall of the Altairan Empire space opera series.
George Donnelly did a thorough and professional job of editing one of my manuscripts. He caught several grammatical errors and made a number of suggestions for moving and improving the storyline. George is a pleasure to work with and his fees are very reasonable. I highly recommend his services.” – John D. Ottini, author of A Very Furry Christmas.
I have worked with George Donnelly on two anthologies and have found him to pay good attention to detail. He gives helpful feedback in a concise and timely manner.” – Vaughn Treude, science fiction author
Get Started Today
Email me now at me@georgedonnelly.com to get started. Or fill out this form.
Send me up to 5,000 words (via attachment, Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.) for a trial edit or your whole manuscript to get started immediately. Turnaround time is usually one week or less for shorter manuscripts. For longer works, I can meet your firm deadline.
The Process
For your trial edit, I can demonstrate two editing styles: (1) I aggressively make suggestions and correct typos using a granular track changes feature; and (2) I correct typos only and make notes for anything else that merits mention. Or, tell me your preferred style and I will use that.
I prefer Microsoft Word 2021 with Track Changes enabled but can also use Pages, Google Docs, Scrivener, OpenOffice, Git or whatever you prefer to return my edits to you.
I accept payment via PayPal and Bitcoin primarily but am flexible to meet your requirements. I require payment in advance (or partial scheduled payments) in order to begin work. Once you’re happy with the terms of the editing assignment, I’ll invoice you.
I’ll meet your editing assignment where you are and take it where you need it to go. I’m not done until you’re satisfied.
Even greater discounts are available for bulk contracted editing work and there is an automatic 10% additional discount for non-profit organizations.
All prices are in USD but I’m happy to make custom, favorably-priced quotes for my Canadian, New Zealander, Australian and other friends.
Email me now at me@georgedonnelly.com to get started. I’m excited about working with you!
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Keep in Touch
Still thinking about it? Let’s stay in touch. Get news of sales and updates when I’m available – rarely more than 1 email per month. Click here to subscribe.
Please email me anytime to discuss your project. Or get a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your unique needs and goals by scheduling a quick call. Whether we ultimately work together or not, I’m certain I’ll add some value.
Email me@georgedonnelly.com. I’d love to hear from you.