In addition to working on my own novels and short stories, I’m a British Fantasy Award-winning former co-editor at the Hugo-nominated PodCastle and the SFWA blog.
When my schedule allows, I also freelance. I do developmental editing for Fantasy and Sci-Fi novels and short fiction.
Developmental Editing
$.049 USD/word
With developmental editing, I’ll help you…develop your manuscript. From whatever stage you send it in. If you feel like you’re at an impasse, you can’t figure out what’s going on with your pacing or your characters or your structure–I can help you with that and more. Developmental editing is the big picture stuff. Email me if you’d like to talk more.
Submission Packet
$300 USD
This includes a close edit of everything you’ll probably need to send to a perspective editor: a query letter, a synopsis, and the first five pages of your novel. The breakdown:
Query Letter: Making sure you hook the agent or editor from the intro to the sign-off. We’ll make sure you get the right tone for your book and show off your characters and story while staying in the tight frame of a query. Includes up to 2 revision passes.
Synopsis: Here, you get to tell them about your story from beginning to end, no secrets, no surprises. You also have a very tight word count here (1 or 2 pages, single spaced). This is a line-edit to help you boil down that 500 page novel into something succinct and intriguing. I can help you trim it down without sacrificing the spirit of your story. Includes up to 2 revision passes.
First Five Pages: Often requested as part of a query, this is where agents look to see if they’re hooked by the story–just like any other reader browsing the shelves. A line-level edit for strength of prose and to flag any potential roadblocks. Includes a single pass.
A la Carte
Query Letter Only: $75
Synopsis Only: $150
Query + First Five Pages: $150
First Fifty Pages: (Inquire)
A few caveats: a critique of your submissions material will not, unfortunately, guarantee an agent or editor will take on your project. This business is a subjective one and many factors can lead someone to decline even the most worthy projects. Additionally, an editing service isn’t needed to break into traditional publishing; there are plenty of resources to strengthen your query materials at no cost if you do your research.
Finally, I specialize in science fiction and fantasy and short-form nonfiction; I’m not the best editor for horror, romance, or long-form nonfiction projects.
Testimonials
Cherae leaves thoughtful comments that highlight the strength of a work while also adding questions to help the writer smooth out rough patches. A fantastic teacher, a patient editor, and a writer full of excellent craft recommendations for further improvement.
Cherae’s work as a developmental editor is incisive and enormously beneficial. She saw to the heart of what I wished to accomplish and pointed to both the places I succeeded and the places I fell short. I particularly benefited from her comments on character development and used them to flesh out my disaster queers even more. Her feedback on my novel draft was crucial to the next revision stage, with which I successfully queried and signed with an agent. And of course, her affinity for powerful sword lesbians aligned with my work perfectly. I feel extremely lucky and grateful for her guidance!
C. L. Clark 