Editing Services

Every writer needs an encouraging friend who’s willing to point out what’s broken and help you fix it. We’re called editors.

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What kind of editing do you offer?

In the publishing world, the word “editor” can refer to a dozen different people with a dozen different roles. To make things simple and save you a lot of anxiety, I offer two forms of editing in one combined package for one rate.

Developmental editing

As I work through your story, I look for issues with character development, plotting, pacing, setting/world building, point of view, voice and general writing craft. I’ll watch for inconsistencies and call out areas where the content of your book can be strengthened.

In addition to comments throughout the manuscript, you’ll receive an edit letter describing strengths and weaknesses of the story as a whole. This kind of editing is sometimes called a substantive edit or content edit.

Line/copy editing

I also look at the book at a copy level. Using comments and track changes, I’ll indicate issues with word usage and repetition, dialogue, clarity and wordiness. On the technical side, I’ll help with tense, spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and mechanics.

To give you an idea of my style of line editing, I offer a free sample edit of 1-2 pages (800 words max). I will not write an edit letter for these pages, but you’ll get plenty of comments or track changes to help you determine if we’re a good fit.

Pricing

Development + line editing rate:
$0.012 per word ($12 per 1,000 words)

Megan Schaulis editing services, Tasha Hackett endorsement

“Megan is the best! She offers professional edits while critiquing the story from the reader’s perspective. Highly recommend.”

— Tasha Hackett, author of Wildflower on the Prairie

“Megan has been a first reader and critique partner for my work-in-progress novels. She has an eye for catching those pesky details we all miss in our own work! She’s also a voice of encouragement as a reader engaging with your chapters, and is trustworthy and competent in all the ways you’ll want.”

— Betsy St. Amant, award-winning author of Tacos for Two and The Key to Love

Megan Schaulis editing services, Betsy St Amant endorsement

I’d love to help you take your story to the next level.

Frequently asked questions

I’ve been a professional copywriter and editor since 2015. Before that I was an English Language Arts teacher. I have a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and have had articles published in the Arizona Republic, College Times, and State Press. I’ve worked with indie and traditionally published authors of both fiction and non-fiction. My own fiction debut, a dystopian retelling of Esther, releases with WhiteCrown Publishing in 2024.

Plus, I won my school spelling bee in fifth grade.

I’m happy to work with most genres of clean or Christian fiction and non-fiction. In fiction, I have the most experience with young adult, speculative (sci-fi/fantasy), historical, contemporary, and all forms of romance.

I will NOT work with stories in the horror/paranormal genres, those containing explicit sexual content, or those outside a biblical worldview.

Please fill out the form above to start the conversation. I require a signed editing agreement and deposit on every project. Once that’s taken care of, you’ll send me your properly formatted manuscript as a Word doc and I’ll get to work! Full-length manuscript edits generally take 3-5 weeks for me to complete.

When the time comes, please send your manuscript as a Word doc, 1” margins, double spaced, in a standard font, size 12. It’s a good idea to put your last name / title in the header along with a page number somewhere. But don’t worry, I can help with that part.

You can send any continuous 1-2 pages (800 words max). As writers, we tend to spend a lot of time on the opening chapters. You can send the first two pages, but it might be more constructive to send a couple pages you know aren’t your best to see if I’ll be able to help. In that case, please give me a few sentences of context at the top of the page.

I’d love to! Fill out the form or shoot me an email for special pricing on this type of project.