Are you done with the developmental editing phase and ready to move on to polishing your manuscript? Or maybe you’re getting ready to query agents or publishers and want to put your best foot forward after some sentence-level assistance. As an editor, it is my job to make a story shine while still respecting the author’s voice and intent. Whether you need someone to find the technical errors that were missed before or want to combine that with a sentence-level focus on your prose, I’m happy to dive into the adventures you’ve dreamed up for your readers.
Both services include two read-throughs and are carried out in Word. You are in full control of your manuscript and unless we agree on making certain changes silently beforehand (such as accidental double spaces), I’ll be using Track Changes and Comments for all suggested edits so you can easily view and approve (or deny) each one. This is your story and it is important to me that the final product is one you are proud of.
To help both of us decide whether we’re a good fit for each other, I offer a free 1000-word sample. This allows you to assess my editing style and quality so you can make an informed decision before committing to a full edit.
My turnaround time varies based on the length and complexity of your story. It can also depend on whether it has been with another editor before me (such as for line editing) and how much self-editing has been done. This is another reason why a sample edit is so valuable.
Payments can be made through PayPal or Wise with 50% due before I begin and 50% when I return the document to you. For international transactions especially, I prefer Wise as their fees are lower, but either one is fine.
Fantasy and scifi are the genres I usually work on, including LitRPG and romantasy. But if you have something outside of those and really want to work with me, I’m happy to consider them on a case-by-case basis. I do have a 15% discount for the first five romance books as that’s a genre I’d like to add to my portfolio.
Proofreading
The final form of editing your manuscript should receive. This is one more chance to catch technical errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, missing or duplicated words, and more. If wanted, I’m happy to leave comments about anything that stands out to me as a reader as well. At this time, I’m only offering this service for Word documents, but check back soon for PDF proofreading!
Copyediting
This includes checking for the above mentioned technical errors as well as a more in-depth focus on style, sentence structure, flow, inconsistencies, etc. It comes with a style sheet that tracks your style/grammar choices, characters, locations, special words, and more. It also has short chapter summaries.
This is the option that I usually recommend for authors that will only have one editor after they finish up developmental editing. The extra tracking can help catch small non-technical errors that might’ve slipped through and the mild line editing can help on the sentence-level as well. For LitRPG authors, the additional attention to number tracking and special capitalizations is also valuable.
Additional Services
These can be done on their own or as an add-on to copyediting or proofreading.
- Reading previous books
- Are you thinking about hiring me in the middle of an existing series? I’d be happy to do that! If you don’t already have a thorough style sheet for your series, having me read previous books and create one for you will allow for better series continuity in regard to style, spelling, punctuation, and more. This is especially helpful for copyediting.
- Creating a series bible
- A series bible is even more in-depth than a style sheet and helps wi. Keeping up with all the details for a fantasy or scifi series can be overwhelming. Let me do that for you! I can do this as an add-on when we start a new series together or it can be combined with me reading your previous books if you want me to hop into an ongoing series as your editor.
- Already have an incredible editing team for your series but you need or want a series bible anyways? I’m happy to read your series and create one for you even if I won’t be working on it as an editor!
- Is this something you prefer doing yourself but you’re unsure of where to start? Ask me about my template!
- Other languages (incl. fantasy languages you created yourself)
- Does your book have languages other than English in it? I can proofread that as well, though there may be a small additional fee depending on how much there is. Just a little bit here and there won’t cost extra, but if I need to spend a lot of time on checking another language, that can significantly delay the return of the project if I don’t know ahead of time.
- Disclaimer: The only other language I speak fluently is German, so other languages would either need to only have basic phrases I can search online for (real languages) or come with a guide (fantasy languages).
Beta Reading
My editing experience is with fantasy and scifi, so I’ll probably be most helpful there. I have done a little bit of romance beta reading and enjoy that genre a lot in general, so I’m happy to consider that one as well. I can be pretty picky with the believability of romantic attachments, which is helpful for romance and romantasy books.
Rate: $0.001/word ($1 per 1000 words)
Questions?
Unsure of what service would be best for you? I am happy to answer any questions you might have and advise on which level of editing would be the best fit for you. If there are additional services you may need, we can discuss whether those can be added or I can give recommendations for other editors that may be a better fit.
Email: [email protected]
“Isabelle Wagner found the book I was trying to write, showed me how to make it work, and made it right for all the readers who followed her. More importantly, sometimes authors need to be a bit weird or outside the box in their prose style. She is a master at identifying your writing quirks and letting you be you.”
A.R. Witham
AI Policy
I do not use generative AI tools in any part of my process and will not upload your work to a gen AI platform. I will be the only person with access to your manuscript unless I’m told to share it with someone else (such as a PA). I do not agree with the use of generative AI in creative spaces and therefore prefer to not work with authors that knowingly use it in any part of their process, including (but not limited to) idea generation, outlining, writing, editing, artwork, or promotional material.