Manuscript & Book Editing
Editing for Success
Expert Editing for Publishing Success
Open Book Editors offer two levels of service. Our basic editing services provide flawless copy in terms of grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, redundancies and basic consistencies. Our premium editorial critiques analyze style, voice, tone, narrative movement, character development, and market receptiveness, in addition to basic editing. We rely on intense passion for the novel medium and years of publishing experience to help writers find success.
Writers need a publisher to be captivated by their writing, not assaulted by a litany of mistakes. Literary agents are not book editors, but they appraise your submission with a critical eye and will not submit to any publisher a manuscript that isn’t ready. An ethical literary agent will instead return it to you and suggest you retain a professional book editor.
Many manuscripts need more than error correction. Substantive editing of a fiction manuscript includes structural and organizational editing with regard to character development, plot, exposition, dialogue, and other critical literary elements. Nonfiction books may also need additional levels of reorganization or rewriting for clarity and logical flow, along with other important aspects beyond simple copyediting.
We make sure that a manuscript gets noticed for its content and quality. Being noticed for wrong word choices, fuzzy thinking, convoluted sentence structure, stiff and unrealistic dialogue, and point of view flip-flops is not the way to find the publishing success your hard work deserves.
Basic Copy Editing:
Ensures flawless grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, redundancies, and basic consistencies for a polished manuscript.
Premium Editorial Critiques:
Provides in-depth analysis of style, voice, tone, narrative movement, character development, and market receptiveness, alongside basic editing.
Substantive/Structural Editing:
Focuses on the organization, clarity, and coherence of fiction and nonfiction, addressing plot structure, character arcs, dialogue, and logical flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our basic editing focuses on correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, redundancies, and basic consistencies. The premium editorial critique includes all basic editing plus an in-depth analysis of style, voice, tone, narrative movement, character development, and market readiness.
Yes, we provide editing services for both fiction and nonfiction. Fiction editing includes character development, plot structure, dialogue, and pacing, while nonfiction editing focuses on clarity, logical flow, organization, and coherence.
If your manuscript requires feedback on elements like narrative flow, character arcs, structural organization, or market appeal, it would benefit from our premium editorial critique or substantive editing services.
Absolutely. Our goal is to ensure your manuscript is polished, professional, and submission-ready. We help eliminate errors and improve content quality to captivate agents, publishers, and readers alike.
The timeline depends on the manuscript’s length, complexity, and the level of editing required. We’ll provide an estimated turnaround time after reviewing your project.
See What People Are Saying About Us!
Shawn Inmon, Feels like the First Time
We have a special place in our hearts Shawn Inmon and his memoir about love and rock n’ roll in the ‘70s. We knew Shawn had a great story to tell after providing a manuscript evaluation, and it was clear he was targeting a specific niche of readers. What we didn’t know was how dedicated he was to completing his great story and selling the heck out of it. Shawn’s transformation from a guy writing a story into professional author has been truly incredible to watch.
Michael Robinson, The Violent Offender
Some of our best work comes from helping people with great stories to tell. Michael’s ficitionalized account of a young man locked away for ten years is a startling account of violence, abuse, and neglect. Few writers we’ve met were more determined than Michael was to get his story on paper and onto publication. He had the personal history and passion, but he lacked the industry knowledge and editorial skills. Together we fine-tuned his story, while keeping the raw edge he craved.
Randal Lanser, The 22nd Secret
One thing we’ve learned over the years is that everybody has a story to tell. But some of them take the reader on an unbelievable journey. This is definitely the case with Randal Lanser’s epic story of espionage and romance, which combines top-secret undercover operatives and futuristic computer science, with a passionate love story in the dead of an Alaskan winter. I knew Randal had a great book after the first page, and our goal was to sharpen the text and get the hiccups out of the way of the great story.