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Office Desk

Editorial Services

About Me

Having been on both sides of the writer/editor relationship, my editorial approach is to be kind and supportive while always remaining honest.

 

I have more than 15 years of editorial experience working for newspapers, magazines, and as a freelance book editor, and I am an author with three novels of historical fiction published by a Big 5 publishing house. I know firsthand what it's like to pour your time and heart into your writing, and how daunting the path to publication can feel--whether your dream is to self-publish or to land a literary agent and a deal with a major publishing house. 

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But you have already done the hardest part: you've written a book! Let me help you take your manuscript from finished to published.

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What I love working on:

Fiction, including: 

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  • Literary

  • Historical Fiction

  • Fantasy

  • Romance

  • Book Club Fiction

  • YA

Non-Fiction, including:

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  • Memoir

  • Biography

  • Travelogues

  • Personal Essays

  • Query Letters

These are not a good fit for me:

  • Middle Grade

  • Picture Books

  • Thrillers

  • Horror

  • Academic Books

  • Poetry

If you are not sure whether your work fits with what I edit, don't hesitate to reach out and ask!

POLISHING YOUR  QUERY LETTER SO IT STANDS OUT FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.

Query Letter Critiques

$150 

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What's Included:

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  • A line-by-line reading of your query, ensuring it is genre-appropriate, tightly written, flows well, and, above all, that it has a strong hook. 

  • A second pass once you have incorporated the suggested changes to ensure it is ready to go out to agents. 

AN IN-DEPTH ASSESSMENT OF YOUR FIRST THREE CHAPTERS

(UP TO 10,000 WORDS.)

First Chapters Package

$400

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What's Included:

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  • A close reading for grammar, voice, and  sentence flow, along with pacing, character development and motivation, and overall structure.

  • Line edits using MS Word's Track Changes 

  • Edit letter detailing both what I think you did well and the big-picture issues I noticed, along with suggestions to improve them

  • Email follow-up to answer any questions you may have

  • Additional words in the first three chapters beyond the included 10,000 will be charged at 4¢/word.

CONSTRUCTIVE EDITORIAL FEEDBACK OF YOUR ENTIRE MANUSCRIPT.

Manuscript Asssessment

2.5¢/word

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What's Included:

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  • A careful reading of your entire manuscript. This means developmental edits, not line edits - think big-picture changes to structure, character arc, narrative flow, themes, etc. rather than tweaking each individual line. 

  • Edit letter detailing both what I think you did well and the big-picture issues I noticed, along with suggestions to improve them

  • Email follow-up to answer any questions you may have

MY MOST COMPREHENSIVE EDITORIAL OPTION: A DEEP LOOK INTO EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR BOOK - BOTH THE FOREST AND THE TREES.

Full Editorial Package

4¢/word

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What's Included:

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  • Line edits, which involve a close reading of each line for style, word flow, and obvious errors of spelling, usage, punctuation, and grammar. 

  • Developmental edits, which look at elements that affect the story as a whole. This means tightening prose, clarifying character motivations, strengthening the plot, and ensuring themes carry through the entire book. This also involves suggestions regarding the overall structure, from point of view to making sure the story has the strongest possible opening.

  • Line edits using MS Word's Track Changes 

  • Edit letter detailing both big-picture and page-specific issues

  • Email follow-up to answer any questions you may have

How it Works

Step One 

CONTACT ME ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

Contact me using my Editing Contact Form to start the process! Give me the details of your project and ask me any questions you have. I will respond as quickly as I am able--generally within one to three days--with pricing, a timeline, and to discuss your editorial needs. 

Step Two 

SIGN A CONTRACT AND PAY DEPOSIT

Once we have agreed on terms, I will send you a contract to protect your work. When we have both signed, I will invoice you through PayPal for 50% of my fee up front and 50% once I have completed the work. For query letters and shorter projects (25,000 words or fewer) my fee will be taken up front in its entirety. Once the deposit is paid, you will receive a confirmation of payment and your spot in the queue will be reserved.

Step Three 

SEND ME YOUR MANUSCRIPT

Send your manuscript to me as an attachment. The manuscript should be in Microsoft Word and should include your name, the work's title and genre, and the word count. Your manuscript must be formatted according to industry standard: double-spaced in 12 pt, Times New Roman font. If you have chosen a package that includes line edits, those edits will be done in MS Word's Track Changes. 

Step Four 

CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT

Once I have your manuscript, I will send you a confirmation of receipt via email. You are now on my calendar, and I will get to work making your writing shine!

To get started, please click here to fill out the editing contact form.

Testimonials

"I began writing my book over ten years ago. I ended up with a book with my targeted message, but I knew it needed more to stand out. After editing it several times myself, I still found it arduous to read. Then entered Molly Greeley! What she did to my book was amazing, to say the least. Molly was able to shorten it quite a bit without compromising my message. She was easy to work with, and we quickly became a strong team; she cared deeply about my work.

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"When I read her edited version, it brought tears to my eyes, as this is what I had worked for so long and so hard to create. Molly gave my book grace, dignity, and power." - Jill Lynch, memoirist 

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