Services
All fees for services come from writing and editing manuscripts. I don’t provide marketing plans, or lists of publishing contacts (acquisition editors, literary agents, lawyers, public relations specialists). It is not in my interest nor yours to get needlessly embroiled with individuals who may charge you money for things you can do on your own, or should know how to do on your own to get published.
I'm a writer who delivers highly-polished, stylistically-superior work. That’s what I’ll do if we agree on my evaluation of your writing project and my strategy for implementing it. You may decide that I am not the appropriate writer for you. That is much more preferable for me (and I would assume for you) than to enter into an agreement where doubts exist between one or more parties as to whether we share the same vision of a project.
I do all my own work. Frankly, I would not "subcontract" any writing assignment to a third party simply because I would not feel comfortable with anyone handling your project other than myself. When the manuscript is finished, I can refer you to sources where you can research effective methods in writing query letters or how to find agents or acquisitions editors who may be interested in your work. I am primarily a writer, and believe that a client is better served by being pro-active in learning and making use of these resources.
I am competent in writing and enhancing fiction in nearly all genres. I have a strong educational background (M.A. from Columbia University and Ph.D. from New York University) and have done primary research in the areas of public health, communications, and education, among other areas, so I can confidently assist you with non-fiction material as well.
You are the legal owner of your work. Although you may read various recommendations about how to copyright your work, legally, you hold all rights to your work by virtue of the fact that you have written it. Of course, it’s best to obtain further protection through copyright registration (which will cost you a few dollars and the time to fill out an application to the Library of Congress).
I charge a flat fee, divisible in four increments: ¼ prior to starting, ¼ upon satisfactory completion, and two intermediary payments while the project is in progress. I keep open communication channels and you can get in touch with me by phone or e-mail at your convenience. I subscribe to "SKYPE" service, so I can make calls to anywhere in the world for a very modest charge.
The Bottom Line
I once attended a 15-week Shakespeare seminar presented by Anthony Burgess, an author whom some would say is one of the great literary giants of the past fifty years. He began his first lecture as follows (and the reason I recall it so vividly is because I taped it): "Shakespeare wrote for money; I write novels for the same end." It was quite a shock coming from the author of A Clockwork Orange.
The question asked most frequently by potential clients is "How much?" And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, my answer is "It depends." How long and complex is the work you want me to do? How much research is involved? Is there travel time required? Each project is different.
What I will do is provide you a quote that will not change over the course of the work once we agree on the terms. This will be a flat fee, usually paid in four installments. Hence, no surprises, no "watching the meter" which is what can happen if I were to charge by the hour.
At this point, you might be thinking, well, not even a ballpark figure? OK. I understand. So, I’ll present the following scenarios to give you a SAMPLE of how I might charge. But remember, these figures are only examples.
Scenario 1: You have a 200-page manuscript that requires editing (correcting for spelling errors, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure) and "polishing" (improving word choice, diction, clarity, flow) so that—mechanically speaking--it meets the standards by which a publishing company or agent would consider it "publishable."
Editing and Polishing a manuscript 200 pages @ $7.50 per page = $1,500.00 (hypothetical example only)
Scenario 2: You have a 200-page rough draft of your book or manuscript. It needs considerable rewriting. The structure and organization are confusing. The writing style may make what you wish to communicate ambiguous, even impenetrable. I will rewrite the entire work after we’ve agreed that’s what it requires. And if we both agree it needs some tweaking, that will be included in the fee.
Considerable writing or re-writing 200 pages @ $40.00 per page = $8,000.00 (hypothetical example only)
Scenario 3: You have an outline, an idea, or notes for a book, and you’d like it to be written to reflect your perspective and voice. I will ghostwrite the book (assuming you’ve given me information so that I need not to extensive research).
Ghostwriting 200 pages @ $60.00 per page = $12,000.00 (hypothetical example only)