Topiary Edits
Thank you for your interest in working together. I'm so excited to learn about your story! Before we get to the fun part, there's a little information to go through.For more information about me and my previous work, click the ABOUT section.
For specific info on my rates for each type of service and project scope, click RATES & TERMS.
For more details on each different type of edit, click EDITING TYPES.
For my terms of service and contact information, click TERMS OF SERVICE.
About Me
Hi! You can call me Frog or Cyan. I’m a 25 year old trilingual writer and editor from Scandinavia, with a degree in Intellectual History and several years of experience in academic and fiction editing, as well as indie magazine publishing. I’m an enthusiast of all things strange, crazy and outside the box when it comes to storytelling—and I would love to help make your story be the best, bravest, and weirdest it can be. I’ve worked as a freelance author for about three years, and have, besides my current day job as an article writer, published short stories, poetry, and essays (as well as copious amounts of fan fiction). I’m currently working on a dystopian sci-fi novel about psychic, sword-wielding lesbians and the body horrors of late capitalism!
My work & interests
Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and magical realism are my bread and butter, but I'm open to all genres!
I'm a big fan of the gritty, the gory, and the difficult. I love stories about imperfect people trying their best; I also love stories about awful people doing their absolute worst.
I love loove stories that tap into longstanding literary themes, historical or mythological references–anything that requires me to dive down a new rabbithole of research, I'm down. If you are the type of author who spends several months naming characters, making detailed maps, and devoting yourself to story-rich and immersive worlds, we would be the perfect match.
I am particularly interested in queer media and representation, but all stories are welcome and appreciated!
Partial manuscripts are welcome. I would ask that any submissions of partial works include a rundown of your vision for the unfinished parts; this way, I don't accidentally give suggestions which contradict the direction you want your work to take, or miss something important!
Editing Rates
| Type | Cost* / Page (275 words) | 10K Words | 50K Words | 80K Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developmental edit** (50% off) | $3.85 (1.4¢ / word) | $140 | $700 | $1120 |
| Line edit | $8.25 (3¢ / word) | $300 | $1500 | $2400 |
| Copy Edit | $7.15 (2.6¢ / word) | $260 | $1300 | $2080 |
| Proofread/Sensitivity Reading | $4.40 (1.6¢ / word) | $160 | $800 | $1280 |
| Formatting | (TBA) | |||
| Graphics | (TBA) | |||
| Printing | (TBA) |
*Table in USD to facilitate breaking down costs per word. I accept all currencies. This is a rough estimate, and more accurate pricings may depend on project length and publication type (eg. novel, short story, webtoon). Please reach out for more detail!
Bundles
10% discount on 2 services
20% discount on 3+ services
15% Newbie Discount **
50% discount on Developmental edits***
**My goal for my work is to help new authors find their footing, and the courage to put their voice out in the world. If this is your first time in publishing, you are eligible for an overall 15% discount on all services, bundle or not!***Right now, developmental edits are offered at half price and only as an additional service. Although I will gladly give feedback on your story, developmental edits are not offered as standalones. This is because while I have plenty of experience in other types of edits, I'm still looking to gain experience as a ficition editor. If developmental editing is included in your requested services, discount will be calculated separately.
If you are interested, but the prices listed are beyond your means, please reach out to me anyway with the listed information and your budget. I will follow up with any eventual questions and a quote made to fit your project at no additional cost to you. I would love to hear from you!
Editing Types
Editing can be confusing, I know. Each type of edit is pretty subjective to each editor, and can seem rather vague. This list details my approach to each type of edit, but keep in mind that each service can be adjusted and tailor-fit to your specific needs.
Developmental Edit
If you have a partial manuscript, a rough outline or just a really cool idea, this edit might be for you. Here, I will go through the very building blocks of your story, giving suggestions on ways to refine the narrative arcs, scene construction and plot dynamics. This edit goes through your story with a wide comb, making sure everything is just like you imagined it and the very best it can be.
Focus: Big picture, story structure, character arcs, plot development and pacing, story beats, lore consistency and plot holes.
Feedback: 10+- pages of written manuscript feedback evaluating your story's strengths, areas of potential improvement, as well as actionable steps for how to improve them pertaining to big-picture elements. Some marginal comments in the documents as needed (optional), including: questions, clarifications, suggestions and commentary.
Line Edit
Have the basics down, but your scenes end up feeling flat? The line edit shares some overlap with developmental edits, but focuses more on the balance and flow on the paragraph and sentence level, with an eye for consistency and style. This edit makes sure your saddest, most brooding scenes don’t sound the same as the roaring climax by cutting the run-on sentences, clarifying tone and eliminating jargon while keeping your voice consistent!
Focus: Clarity, readability, sentence flow, character and authorial voice, structure, grammar, spelling.
Feedback: Around 2 pages of written feedback on the language side of things. Marginal comments make up the majority of this edit. This edit includes everything listed in the developmental edit, but with focus on line-level elements.
Copy Edit
This edit gets down in the weeds of grammar, punctuation and spelling, fact-checking and lore, making sure each sentence is strong and well-constructed; or, if you’re breaking the rules on purpose, that you’re doing so in a way that makes sense for you and your style. This edit focuses solely on the meticulous linguistic side of things, making sure your manuscript is well-polished for publication.
Focus: Syntax, grammar, punctuation, spacing errors, double or missing words, indenting errors, spelling, dialogue and paragraph formatting, as well as eventual footnotes or other stylistic choices.
Feedback: Written manuscript evaluation as needed. Majority marginal comments, suggestions and feedback.
Proofread
Proofreading goes over everything from top to bottom, checking for any final text errors, spelling mistakes or inconsistencies from earlier versions. Most people prefer this done by a second, fresher pair of eyes. Therefore, this service comes in two alternative forms; if you or another editor already has gone over your manuscript, or if we’ve worked together, you’ve gone back to rewrite a bunch, and then come back for a final check–I’ll do the proofreading like I do any other edit. If, however, you’d like to add proofreading as a bundle to my other services after I’ve done the previous edits, I will outsource this edit to a fellow editor colleague for a second opinion, with no other changes in terms or rates.
Focus: Big or small errors in all of the above, line by line. Spelling, readability, clarity, punctuation, syntax, spacing, etc.
Feedback: Written manuscript evaluation as needed. Majority marginal comments, suggestions and feedback.
Sensitivity Read
This edit is an additional service you can add if you have concerns over representation in your story. Sensitivity reading is highly subjective work, offering a personal perspective on how marginalization affects characters, settings, and worldbuilding. This feedback includes, but is not limited to: problematic tropes, stereotypes, inaccuracies and offensive portrayals. This edit helps improve representation so that readers of these groups can avoid harm and enjoy your story. In general, I will perform this edit for characters and themes of:
Mental Illness
Self-harm
Eating Disorders
Misogny
Nonbinary or GNC characters
Queerness and/or homophobia
Suicide and/or suicidal ideation
Additionally, as I have a degree in Intellectual History, this service can also be used for fact-checking historical settings and plot devices.If you’re interested in this service, add a description of what specific character experiences or settings are included in your story, and I’ll let you know if I am able to provide sensitivity reading for that topic.
Focus: Representation, world-building, plot dynamics and conflicts, reader experience, fact-checking and accuracy.
Feedback: 10+ written manuscript evaluation, including comments, suggestions, potential reader reception etc. Marginal comments if needed.
What about ones that say TBA?
Self publishing is hard. You know it, I know it–there are a million things to be done in between a blank document and a book in the hand of a reader, and all these tasks can be confusing and overwhelming when you’re just a person trying to make a story happen. Therefore, I am in the process of collaborating with two other fantastic creators who work in graphic design and printing, so that we may offer the full range of services needed to get your book out there. These will include formatting, graphic design, cover design, as well as a range of printing options. Stay tuned for more!
I'm still confused, help!
Don’t worry. All these kinds of edits are just general tools, but each story has a unique path to greatness. If you are unsure which specific services apply to your WIP, just shoot me an email detailing your project and the scope of what you’d like to get help with, and we’ll work together to determine what kind of editing to go with. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Terms of Service
Original works only. I will not work with AI-generated or fandom-related works. Trust me–if Chat GPT wrote your script, I will be able to tell.Contracts include full cancellation details for both parties. I reserve the right to partial payment if the project is canceled partway through.When you have submitted your work to me, I will provide a 5 page sample edit free of charge (this may vary depending on project scope and type). This way, you can get a feel for my style, and whether or not we might work well together. If there is a particular section you’d like me to have a look at in place of, or additionally to, the opening section, I’m happy to do so!
If you are interested in working together after reviewing the sample edit, I will issue you a contract based on the details we will have discussed by that point (scope, workflow, eventual deadlines, number of payments, etc.). You may decline at this point at no additional cost.The most important aspect of my work is being flexible. Being a writer is hard, and I’m only here to make it easier for you. This includes whatever your preference for communication is (email, discord, etc.). I mostly work in Google Docs, but if you have a strong preference for another program (ex. scrivener, obsidian), I'm open to most!I am happy to work with 18+ content, including sexual content, violence, gore and the like.Although my main field of expertise is in long-form writing, I am open to all types of media, whether it be short stories, poetry, flash fiction, story-driven games or webtoons/comics. I love learning and doing new stuff!
Contact
If all of this seems like a good fit for you, please email me at [email protected] with the following information:
Project length (word count) and genre
Project summary
Service(s) you are interested in
Deadline (if applicable)
Project edit level (partial or full manuscript, level of self-edits, any previous beta-readings or editor feedback)
Project goals (writing for fun, self-publishing or getting ready to query?)
Any other information you'd like me to have (are you a newbie author? Any areas you're struggling with? Or just a general vibe check, etc.). Nothing is too big or too small!