Editorial services

I offer four different services (see below). But first, it might help to read this:

Agents receive literally hundreds of submissions a week, so if you want them to notice yours, it’s not enough for your novel to be good – it needs to be super-strong. If your first three chapters shine but thereafter your novel sags, it’s likely to be rejected. The same if your concept is great, but your character arcs are weak or the writing wanders into too much exposition. Do you drift from present tense to past tense and back? Are your characters convincing? Does your plot have holes in it? Does your timeline add up? Does every scene move the story forward? Can every character justify their existence?

Basically, if an agent thinks your novel “needs too much work”, it’s likely to be rejected. So if your goal is to get a full MS request followed by an offer of representation, you need your novel to be the strongest it can be. For this reason, it helps to view spending money on an editing report as an investment in helping you to get closer to your goal. I will flag up all your novel’s strengths, weaknesses and potential issues, while providing as much explanation as I can – the aim is to help you see what you need to do in order to make your novel watertight, and therefore way more likely to attract an agent’s interest.

Testimonial: Philip Kavvadias, author of Mission Microraptor (published by Chicken House)

"I met Tasha as part of the WriteMentor programme, where she became my mentor. Tasha critiqued my 41k manuscript and produced an incredibly useful nine-page report, covering many aspects from presentation to plot development to characterisation to the actual writing itself. Her detailed report was accompanied by thorough side-notes on my manuscript. My renewed script has, at the time I'm writing this, attracted the attention of three agents. I would highly recommend Tasha for her professionalism, thoroughness and attention to detail. On top of all that, she has a friendly, easy-going personality that makes her wonderful to work with."

Here are my four different editorial packages. If you have any questions, please get in touch via the contact form below and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.

Submission Package Report
(First three chapters/10K words, cover letter & synopsis)

£195
Price includes annotations in margin and feedback report. (You can choose to book a 45 minute video call for an additional £45.)

When you’re ready to start querying agents, you’ll need to have the first three chapters or first 10,000 words of your MS ship-shape and ready to go, along with a query letter and a sharp, one-page synopsis. As well as doing a developmental* edit of your first three chapters/10,000 words, I’ll also advise you on how to tighten your synopsis and write a strong query letter.

* A developmental edit is where constructive advice on story and structure as a whole is needed. A ‘line’ edit is more about honing and sharpening up the finer details.

Turnaround time: no more than two weeks.

Mini Submission Package Report
(First 3,000 words & synopsis)

£110
Price includes annotations in margin and feedback report.

The same as above but a cheaper option. Turnaround time: no more than two weeks.

Full Manuscript Developmental Report

£8 per 1,000 words
(eg: A 50,000 word MS will be £400)
Price includes annotations in margin, feedback report and optional 45 minute video call.

A “developmental” edit means I’ll go through your full MS flagging up any potential problems, from minor inconsistencies to major plot holes. As well as highlighting issues in the margin, I’ll provide a detailed report that covers plot development, pace, characterisation, “showing vs telling”, tone of voice, consistency, timeline issues, presentation, marketability and advice on how to make your novel altogether stronger and tighter.
Turnaround time: no more than four weeks (possibly longer for MSS over 90,000 words).

Please note, if you’re writing for middle grade children (8-12), your story should be in the 30-50,000 word range. If you’re writing YA (12+), then it’s generally around 60-70,000.

Mentoring

£250 per session
A session consists of submitting 10,000 words of your work-in-progress and I will provide a feedback report, annotations in the margin of your WIP, suggestions on ways to hone your skills, and a one hour video call once you’ve had a chance to digest the written feedback.

Three sessions spread over six months is recommended. However, if you’d rather not commit to all three up front, you can take it one session at a time. There’s no obligation to continue if your circumstances have changed.

Please note:

After discussing your editorial needs, if you decide to go ahead with any of the above services, I’ll require full payment before I begin work. However, with a Full MS Developmental Report, which is more expensive, I’ll require just 50% of the payment up front, and the balance upon completion.
I sometimes ask to see the MS/first 3 chapters to ascertain whether it needs line or developmental editing before either of us commit.
I’ll make all my suggestions both in the margin of your MS Word doc and/or in my report. I won’t make any changes to your actual text.
Providing feedback on revised work is not included in the price.
If your budget won’t stretch to a Full Manuscript Developmental Report, then another option is to choose the Submission Package Report and apply my feedback to the rest of your MS.
None of the above include proofreading. As you’re likely to make changes to your work after receiving my report, there’s no point in proofreading it yet.
I do not use AI to write my reports or identify the issues in your work.