FAQ
Better Writers – Better Manuscripts
The Manuscript Doctor is a freelance developmental editor, sometimes known as a book doctor. We focus on content editing that deals with the structure, characters, and other story elements that make up a successful story. We will look at your manuscript at its very first draft or later drafts to polish and prepare it for publishing.
Often, a writer’s greatest desire is to get their manuscript published. While grammar and punctuation errors are certainly a turn-off to publishing editors and agents, worse are dull opening chapters with too much info dumping and weak plots, or unlikeable and passive characters. Each of these elements are fixed by a developmental editor.
Once their manuscript is accepted, the writer assumes that the publisher will go to great lengths to polish and perfect their work for the reading public. More often, the publisher’s goal is to get the manuscript “good enough” and send it out as quickly as possible. Why? Because they are in the book selling market, not the book editing market.
Every story needs a read-through with the careful eye of a developmental editor. Not only does this make your novel more marketable, but once published, it will help your story and characters be unforgettable for your readers.
We are happy to read your manuscript at any stage of its development.
We offer content and developmental edits that will help a manuscript in its early drafts. We also offer line editing, which will rid your manuscript of typos and polish your prose.
While our editing services are one-time, one-edit fees, we also offer mentoring services. Mentoring includes meeting one-on-one with you for in-depth brainstorming sessions. These sessions can help whether you’re struggling with writing the ending of your book, or need help fleshing out an idea or outline from the beginning of a story’s conception. Monthly mentoring sessions also include editing in a more iterative manner while you write the story.
Because we are a freelance editing company, we do all the work of reading and editing. This simply means each of our editors have limited time. Our prices are set to reflect that, as well as provide compensation for the hours that your editor puts into your manuscript and the skill they bring to editing and polishing your work.
Paying for an outside edit can often feel pricey, but we promise that once you hire us, we will be your advocate and aid in helping your story reach its full potential. Even after you receive your edits, you are welcome to contact us about your manuscript, its edits, and any questions you may have.
We also reward authors who are members of writing associations with discounts, as it shows their focus and hard work as a writer. We love seeing a manuscript grow and develop, so we always offer a 15% discount for any additional read-throughs on the same project.
We are happy to read your manuscript at any stage of its development. We charge by word count and can look at whatever is best for your story’s needs or your budget. Contact us and we can figure out what is best for you and your story. We also offer mentoring services to help you complete your manuscript – even if you haven’t started it yet.
Every editing service includes a one-hour follow up to discuss the critique. Once you’ve become our client, our professional relationship includes open communication about the manuscript you’ve sent in. Often, your editor will contact you during the course of the editing process to ask you questions and get your input in shaping and polishing your manuscript.
This help is limited to the edits associated with the manuscript you have purchased services for. If you would like us to re-read your work after you’ve made corrections or updates, our fees are generously discounted by 15% for additional read-throughs.
If you feel you need more assistance or would like more constant contact with an editor, you may hire us for mentoring services which is like having a writing coach (see services for details and pricing).
If you are willing to put in the work, we are willing to keep working with you.
We love working with publishers who are committed to getting the best work out of their authors. If you find that the services listed on the website do not match your specific needs, contact our managing editor to discuss the skills we can provide: thedoctor@themanuscriptdr.com.
Our founder, Callie Stoker, loves teaching writers, meeting, and interacting with them. She has years of experience in teaching the writing craft, being a panelist and presenter at conferences, and speaking as a keynote guest. She would be happy to attend your group function, writer’s group, or conference. Just contact her with the details: thedoctor@themanuscriptdr.com
Wait time varies, depending on which editing service is requested and how long a manuscript is. The Alpha Critique is the fastest. The Total Critique is the slowest.
When you submit, you will receive a time frame according to how many manuscripts we have on deck and how long we anticipate your project will take. We have multiple editors on staff to accommodate reasonable wait times for most projects.
You will know before we enter into an agreement, or money changes hands, what timeline you can expect for completion. We work hard to never miss a deadline. We want to develop a relationship of trust, and meeting deadlines is a big part of that.
20% of the total cost of the services purchased is billed up front and is due within 10-days of requesting services. This reserves your time on our schedule. Final payment isn’t due until your edit is complete. Invoices are sent via email and can be paid with a credit card, bank card, or bank transfer online. Your edits are delivered via email within 24 hours of receiving your final payment.
Our job is to help your manuscript catch the eye of the publishers and agents you are submitting to. We can help you perfect your manuscript and help make your product marketable.
We follow–and are followed by–publishers, authors, and other professionals in the writing business, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@themanuscriptdr).
If you wish to hire us to directly help you find a publisher or agent, check out our mentoring services for one-on-one assistance through the querying process.
Our mentoring packages are a monthly renewable service that connects you with your very own editor and writing coach. It is a consistent relationship that is built between you and your personal editor who provides one-on-one writing advice. This relationship is similar to having a personal editor and a writing coach.
When you hire a mentor, you sign an agreement outlining the services provided monthly until you cancel and provide a credit card authorization form. At the beginning of each month, the money is charged automatically and you work with your mentor until you cancel.
We offer three different mentoring levels: Hobby, Semi-Pro, and Professional. Each comes with a set number of monthly one-on-one meetings and a total number of words your editor will edit each month (see services for details).
Answer two simple questions: How often do you want to meet with your editor? How many words do you tend to write in a month?
Hobby mentoring is designed for working writers who are writing in their off-time and meet once a month with their editor. Professional mentoring is for writers who have no other aspirations or are working solely as a writer with time to meet weekly with their editor. Semi-pro falls in the middle with twice a month meetings.
Submitting to get more information is non-binding and comes with no obligation, nor does it require submitting your work. Submitting through our information form opens a dialogue and allows us to explore any of your remaining questions before hiring us. We look forward to working with you.
If you prefer to speak with us to get your questions answered directly, please schedule a free consultation – available via phone or text.
We focus on education and application of writing skills.
Your time with us is an investment in your growth as a writer, not just the improvement of your manuscript (although you’ll get that too!)