Kate Melynn Editorial

Let’s make your story a great one.

I have a bachelor’s degree in English with creative writing and five years of creative writing and editing experience, including an internship with a small publisher doing manuscript reveiws. I’m passionate about helping you reach your creative potential!

Let’s polish up your manuscript.

 

Services

 

Developmental + Line Editing

 

The beginning of your editing process. I’ll look at your plot, characters, pacing, and all of those important things that make a story strong, entertaining, and engaging. I’ll also do some moderate line editing to help you strengthen character voice and tighten up your writing.

If your story is strong already, I’ll do some light copyediting to start shaping up your grammar.

Rate: $0.006/word

 

Proofreading

 

The very final stage in your editing process. This comes after you’ve done your developmental, line, and copy edits, and your story is almost ready to go out into the world. I’ll read over your story with a fresh set of eyes to catch and correct any glossed-over mistakes.

Keep in mind that if I start proofreading your manuscript and find it isn’t quite ready for this stage, I will contact you to offer you alternative options.

Rate: $0.004/word

 

Manuscript Review

 

As an editorial intern, most of my job involves reading manuscripts, reviewing them, and telling the publisher whether or not it’s publishable. Consider this service a fancy beta read with an added editor’s eye. When I’m finished reading, I’ll send you an editorial analysis exploring the strengths and weaknesses of your story and tell you what it needs to be publish-worthy.

Rate: $0.002/word

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What software do you use to edit?

    I primarily work with Microsoft Word track changes, but I’ll also accept Scrivener documents. I no longer accept Google Docs.

  • What's your turnaround time?

    That depends on your skill level. I aim for one to two weeks on every manuscript from the day I start. You’ll get an email when I’ve started your manuscript as well as updates if the timeline is longer than anticipated.

  • Will you send me any notes?

    For developmental edits, you’ll get an editorial analysis (in addition to your track changes) detailing the strengths of your manuscript, the areas for improvement, and anything else I think will be helpful to you going forward.

  • Do you offer copyediting?

    I don’t offer straight copyediting at this time. If your writing is more advanced, I’ll do some light copyediting to start you in the right direction.

  • How do I pay? Do you offer discounts?

    I accept payment through Paypal and Venmo. I require a $50 nonrefundable booking deposit to secure your place in my calendar. The rest of your balance is due before I begin your manuscript.

    Because I am currently building my portfolio and offering lower rates, I don’t offer any discounts at this time.

  • Are you on social media?

    I am! You can find me on Instagram at @k.m.higginbotham, on Facebook at @kmhigginbothambooks, or on Tiktok at @katemelynn. These pages are my combined author/editing pages, so you’ll see things about my writing there, as well.

Testimonials

 

“Kate's editing skills are sublime. She was quick, eagle-eyed, and informative. I learned so much about my story from her. I always thought I was pretty good at punctuation, but she showed me ways I could improve, especially with exclamation points. Her feedback was helpful and encouraging. She gave critique without being either unnecessarily critical and harsh or overly positive and pandering. I really got an honest review from her. I would use her services again in the future because she is skilled, professional, honest, and quick.”

— Sami Searle

“I just recently was blessed to have Kate edit my book. A couple of things really stood out and impressed me. First was how thorough and precise she was. No detail was too small for her to point out. The second was how encouraging she was. As she pointed out my mistakes she was so kind. Often she suggested much better ways to word some phrase. After reading her suggestions, I was encouraged to work even harder to improve my writing. I certainly will use her again and you would be wise to do so as well.”

— Phillip Presley

“I was astounded by Kate’s work. When I hired her, I thought my book was done and I only needed a final check, but she took my novel to the next level. The quality of her edits is right on point—she dissects every little detail that needs improvement or needs to be fleshed out without feeling nitpicky while also pointing out the things I did right. She helped me make my writing shine in parts I didn’t even know could be improved, making my manuscript much stronger. She's very professional and polite; I cannot recommend her enough. Kate is a fantastic editor and I definitely want to hire her again.”

— Marília G. Barbosa

“I've known Kate for several years and watched her grow as a writer and editor. During her internship with me, she worked on several client manuscripts and did an excellent job of finding flaws, both big and small. She has an ear for rhythm and flow. Kate has a knack for presenting her feedback in a clear and detailed way, educating the author as well as brainstorming solutions.

She is also skilled with line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. In fact, she proofread the written lessons for one of my online courses and caught some small errors I'd missed! Writers whose manuscripts she worked on were very pleased with her feedback. She is dependable and will work hard on any manuscript she takes on.”

— Stacy Juba, Editor and Founder of Shortcuts for Writers

“[Kate] has done an outstanding job during her time with us… Kate’s insight was invaluable, and we sought her consideration on the reports of other interns and on author inquiries. Her editorial aptitude and strong work ethic made her a model intern and will prove an asset in any communications career of her choosing.”

— Sheri Williams, Publisher of TouchPoint Press

Got a story? Let’s talk.

Contact me through the form below or directly at katemelynneditorial@gmail.com.

 

I primarily edit fiction—specifically fantasy, contemporary, romance, and YA genres—but feel free to reach out with whatever project you have. I’ve also edited a large number of nonfiction pieces, and I’m happy to take a look.

If you are interested, please email me with your NAME - GENRE - MANUSCRIPT LENGTH in the subject line. Include a summary of your story in the body of the email as well as what service you are interested in.

Unsure if I’m a good fit? I offer free sample edits up to 3,000 words and partial edits at the above word count rates.

Ready to go the extra mile?

Editor, author, and online course creator Stacy Juba offers great blueprints that teach you how to edit, manage your time, and bring your writing to life. If you’re ready to take that next step in your writing career and set yourself up for success, Shortcuts for Writers is for you!

Disclaimer: I get commissions for purchases made through links on this website. This is to help support my site and does not have any impact on my recommendations.

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