Improve Overall Clarity

You can be sure that your English-language manuscript will be polished and ready for publication or submission to your publication of choice at a very reasonable rate.

TWA’s staff are comprised of accomplished and seasoned writers and editors who will make your words and story flow beyond your wildest imagination. We correct grammar, delete redundancies, fix problem sentences, and even sharpen your vocabulary. We also edit for overall wordiness, replace inappropriate words, and eliminate obvious spelling errors. To improve the overall clarity and organization of your manuscript, we even re-arrange sentences and paragraphs, if necessary.

Editing is the foundation of a solid manuscript. When editing manuscripts, we will look for:

  • Intended Audience (reading level, style, tone),
  • Literary Devices (metaphors and similes, foreshadowing, repetition),
  • Character Development,
  • Dialogue and Narrative Flow, and
  • Description (use of imagery, setting).

In addition to manuscript editing, we also edit:

  • Scripts/screenplays,
  • Manuals,
  • Magazines/Trade Publications,
  • Web Sites,
  • Term Papers, Resumes, Book Reports,
  • Business and Marketing Plans,
  • Correspondences, Press Releases,
  • And so much more.

If you are still unsure whether you need our editing services, ask yourself these three questions:

  • Has a professional editor evaluated my manuscript?
  • Have I verified my facts and references?
  • Is it original work?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, then you need us!

What form of editing does your manuscript require?

Proofreading = $3.50 per page. This service requires checking the proof against the edited manuscript; reading word for word, noting all punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, italics, and so forth and ensuring that any handwritten editing has been correctly interpreted. We will also proofread for spelling mistakes, word breaks, typeface and font, page numbering and running headers, illustrations and tables, overall appearance, adjusting page length, sense and (illogical, garbled, repeated, or missing text).

Mechanical Editing = $5.50 per page: This service, also known as copyediting, involves two processes. The first, being concerned with the mechanics of written communication, is known as mechanical editing. It refers to consistency in capitalization, spelling, hyphenation, table format, use of abbreviations, and so forth; correctness of punctuation, including ellipsis points, parentheses; the way numbers are treated; consistency between text, tables and illustrations; citation format; and other matters of style. Mechanical editing also includes attention to grammar, syntax, and usage at the most basic level. Such editing may include either preparing an electronic file according to the requirements of the production process and the medium in which the work will be published or, if the editing is done by hand, marking up the hard copy for a typesetter.

Substantive Editing = $7.50 per page: This service deals with the organization and presentation of existing content. It involves rephrasing for smoothness or to eliminate ambiguity, reorganizing or tightening, reducing or simplifying documentation, recasting tables, and other remedial activities. (It should not be confused with developmental editing, a more drastic process.

 Developmental Editing = $9.50 per page: This service addresses more radically the content of a work, the way material should be presented, the need for more or less documentation and  how it should be handled, and so on. Since editing of this kind may involve total rewriting or reorganization or a work, it should be done–if needed–before manuscript editing begins. Up to three telephone or in-person meetings of one hour each, if necessary.

Estimated Time. The amount of editing a manuscript needs depends not only on how it has been prepared but also on the audience for which the work is intended and the publication schedule. Estimating how long the editing will take, which requires looking at all parts of a manuscript and, often, editing a small sample, can be based on page count or total number of words; in either case the we will take into account any complexities in the text, documentation, or illustrations as well as the medium in which the editing will be done–on paper or in an electronic file. Editing online, which often involves certain typesetting functions such as coding or tagging, may take longer than editing by hand, but production time may be shortened. Also pertinent is information about the author’s availability, amenability to being edited, prosperity to revise, and so forth. As a very rough estimate, a 100,000-word book manuscript may take 6 to 8 week before sending to the author, plus 10 to 20 additional hours after the author’s initial review. (If an author has made substantial changes to the edited manuscript, as much as a week’s additional work may be needed.)

Stages of Editing. We go through a manuscript three times: once to do the initial editing—easily the longest stage—a second time to review, refine, and sometimes correct the editing, and a third time after the author’s review.

Also…

  • All editing is done in accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style for novels and The Associated Press Stylebook for other publications.
  • No changes are mandatory; the client always has the final say.
  • The client maintains all copyright to its work, including all creative writing conducted by TWA Solutions.

Ready to go or want more information? It’s easy!
Simply email jessica@twasolutions.com or call 202-702-7120.

Request a Sample Edit

To request an editing sample, email the first chapter or an excerpt of your choice to jessica@twasolutions.com with SAMPLE EDIT in the subject of the email. We will conduct your sample edit, and return to you within 48 to 72 hours.