fix your plot, characterisation, and more
Developmental Editing of Fiction & Memoir for Indie Authors
You're tired of endlessly polishing your novel, wondering if your plot and characters work. It's time you met IndieCat Editorial.
Polish your novel with a clear roadmap for revision
You know how it is – you’ve spent so long on a manuscript, you lose sight of what’s actually on the page. You take things out and put them back in. Take them out AGAIN! It’s the Hokey Cokey with words – in, out, and shaking all about. You read, reread and you wonder if it’s hanging together. Are there loose threads you’ve lost track of? Does the plot make sense? Are the characters interesting? Are their actions credible?
Is there some gigantic plot hole you can’t see because you’re too close to the book? And might it be something obvious enough that you’d want to kick yourself if it was later picked up by an Amazon or Goodreads reviewer?
With a developmental edit or manuscript critique, you can get objective feedback designed to flag issues and provide you with an action plan to tackle your next draft.
Supercharge your plot, your characters and your writing.
IndieCat Editorial offers a number of services, including an opening chapters edit of 15,000 words, complete with track commenting in the margins of the manuscript, an editorial letter, and a list of recommended books. This is an intensive look at your crucial opening scenes. The package includes an analysis of the synopsis. I will also be trialling some additional audio feedback soon to see if clients find it helpful.
The manuscript critique is an editorial letter which looks at your entire manuscript and gives detailed feedback. These letters run to many thousands of words and include recommended reading. There are no margin comments in this package.
The full developmental edit consists of an editorial letter, track comments in the margins of the manuscript, and a reading list. It is the largest package which covers full novels and novellas. Book maps are included where appropriate.
Whichever package you choose, feedback is targeted at your overall needs and goals. At the outset of the project, you are asked to complete a questionnaire regarding your writing experience, intentions (indie publishing, traditional publishing or simply improving your writing skills), and so on.
Take a break and let a professional look over your manuscript and give you a fresh perspective.
Picture this – no more going round and round in circles, endlessly changing things and wondering if you’re making things better or worse. No more worrying that your book is never going to be quite good enough to show others, send off, or publish yourself. You will have a clear revision plan and the chance for email support and a second round of developmental editing. No book is ever perfect and even the most successful books have been through plenty of editing. You don’t have to do this alone.
You don't have to spend as much money up front as you think.
Whether you want a manuscript critique or a full developmental edit, you are looking for more than a glorified beta read. Yes, paying for a trained editor will always cost you more – and guess what, it’s worth it. But the cost can be spread, especially if the package includes more than one round of editing. For example, with two rounds, you can spread the payments over four stages. This gives you time to budget for the second round. With two rounds of editing and a final manuscript critique, you would pay in six installments. Staggered payments give peace of mind.
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Ready to break out of rewrite hell?
You’re tired of trying to figure out if your novel works or not. Check out my services. You can also contact me if you have any more questions.