Here's how it works.

Working with me is simple, straightforward, and—hopefully—a lot of fun.

There is a $50 deposit to hold your spot. This deposit is nonrefundable and goes toward your edit. If you need to reschedule for some reason, I can hold your deposit for a future date as long as it is within the next six months.

Deluxe package - $0.014 Per Word

Bundle and save. (Booking these two edits separately would cost $0.017/word.)

You’ll get a content and line edit combined. I’ll sweep through your manuscript for:

• Plot holes, character arcs, and story structure

• Missing wounds and emotional depth

• Inconsistencies, filtering, and head-hopping

• Grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Once you've revised based on my notes, send your manuscript back, and I’ll go through it again to catch those last-minute stragglers before you format.

Gold Package - $0.018 Per Word

Three full rounds of edits. (Booked separately, these would run you $0.023/word.)

You’ll receive:

1. Content edit – Big picture notes on structure, pacing, character goals, and plot.

2. Line edit – A detailed sweep for grammar, sentence flow, voice consistency, and polish.

3. Proofread – Final cleanup for typos, punctuation, formatting glitches, and lingering issues.

Between each round, you’ll revise and send back the next version. We’ll work together to make your manuscript shine—layer by layer—until it's polished and formatting-ready.

✨ Bonus: Book this package and get 10% off formatting services.

A La Carte Editing

Content Edit - $0.009 per word

I’ll dive into your story and give you feedback on:

• Plot holes

• Structure and pacing

• Character goals and growth

• Emotional depth and theme

You’ll get an editorial letter with overall notes and in-manuscript comments to guide your revisions.

Line Edit - $0.008 per word

This is the “polish” phase. I’ll go line by line, fixing:

• Grammar and punctuation

• Redundant phrasing

• Head hopping and filtering

• Missing or repeated words

I use Track Changes in MS Word and edit directly in your document.

Proofread - $0.007 per word

One final sweep for:

• Typos

• Extra spaces

• Repeated or missing words

• Formatting issues and last-minute fixes

This round is best booked after your line edit.

Beta Reading - $0.005 per word

Want honest, reader-level feedback? I’ll read your manuscript and leave inline comments throughout, plus a detailed letter covering:

• Character likability and connection

• Pacing, engagement, and story flow

• Plot clarity and cohesion

• Marketability, tropes, and reader appeal

This is a great way to decide if your book needs deeper edits. I won’t fix grammar here, but if I notice common issues like dialog punctuation or filtering, I’ll mention them with examples.

Clean Copy Add-On – 25% of Final Edit Cost

Need a ready-to-go version of your manuscript after the edit? I offer an optional Clean Copy Add-On for 25% of your final editing fee.

This service includes:

• Accepting all tracked changes

• Removing all comments and markup

• Double-checking for leftover formatting quirks

• Delivering a polished, submission-ready file

This is perfect if you’re short on time, heading to formatting, or just want a clean version without having to sort through Track Changes yourself.

📝 Please note: This is not a second round of editing—just a clean, finalized version of the work we’ve already done together.

Editing add-on: Teasers

I’ll pull standout quotes from your manuscript that are perfect for teasers, Instagram captions, or Facebook ads. If you want graphics too, I’ve got Canva Pro, a ton of cute fonts, and a flair for design.

• 10 quotes – $60

• 5 quotes – $30

• Custom teaser graphics – $20 each

Turnaround Time:

My standard turnaround time is two weeks per round—but that’s based on average-length manuscripts (around 50,000–80,000 words). If your manuscript is significantly longer, the timeline will be adjusted to reflect the extra work involved.

Here’s a general idea of what to expect:

• Up to 80,000 words – 2 weeks per round

• 80,000–120,000 words – 3 weeks per round

• 120,000–150,000 words – 4 weeks per round

• Over 150,000 words? I’ll provide a custom timeline based on the word count, level of editing, and my current schedule.

  If you need your edit completed in less than two weeks, I offer a rush service for an additional $0.001 per word. Just let me know upfront so we can plan accordingly!

  Example:

  • 50,000 words = $50 rush fee

  • 90,000 words = $90 rush fee

Blurb Help: $100

Having trouble getting your blurb right? I can assist you in polishing your blurb so it will hook readers and convince them to buy. How does it work? Send me what you have so far, and we’ll sit down together to discuss your book’s main conflict, character wounds, and what’s at stake. This includes proofreading your blurb so it’s ready to publish on your sales page.

If needed, we can take another round where you offer feedback, like inconsistencies, and I can offer you a second version.

Your $100 fee is due up front.

Formatting Services: Starting at $80

Do you need your book formatted? I offer Vellum formatting. If you’d like to know more about Vellum, you can see what I’m talking about here: https://vellum.pub/

Note: this pricing is for a basic format with no images. There is a variety of customizations you can choose from at the website above, and your book may look similar to the image below.

ADD ON: Images inside the chapters - $2 per image

Email me your images via Dropbox or Google Drive and I’ll be happy to include them for you. (Please note that Vellum does not support full bleed images inside your chapters at this time. You may only have full bleed images at the front and back of your book.)

ADD ON: Chapter Heading Images - $2 per image

This fee is for images you provide to me. If you would like me to design your chapter headings, I’m happy to do so. There is a $10 per image fee for that service. I can provide you with images that take up the entire top half of your page for each chapter. They can turn out absolutely gorgeous.

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that Vellum is limited on what it can do. You will get a beautiful, professionally formatted book, but if you want to switch the format to something Vellum is not capable of doing, that may be an issue. That being said, Vellum is a fantastic program with many customizations available. I can add images, custom headings for your chapters, and custom scene breaks. We can add full page images of maps to your front or back matter. But it will be beyond the $80 basic format.

If you're interested in working with me, email me to check my availability at cindyrayhale@gmail.com.

Testimonials:

Author Sally Henson

"I wanted to share my experience working with Cindy Ray Hale for a content edit of my book, Kiss Me Already. The first draft of this book was over 110K words. I write YA romance and a 110K word story is way too long for this genre. I had the brilliant idea of splitting the book in two. I did that and sent it to Beta readers. The feedback was not what I wanted. I enlisted Cindy’s services to guide me through the changes that needed to be made. Boy I’m glad I did. Seriously, I’m not sure I could have done it without her. It was tough work—a big undertaking. She pushed me beyond my comfort zone and guided me in the direction I needed to go, including getting rid of extra words that didn’t need to be there. Her knowledge of story, especially the catalyst/inciting incident and the crisis took my work to the next level.”

Author Gabrielle Rosales:

“I learned so much working with Cindy that I’ve been able to increase my productivity. Cindy Ray Hale did a fantastic job with my story and me. I’d definitely recommend working with her.

I hired Cindy Ray Hale to do a content and copy edit, and I'm glad I did. She helped me tighten my story and bring my book to life. Whenever I had a question, she'd reply quickly and helped me figure out certain plot points that gave me issues. As I write my next book, her words of wisdom are in the back of my head, guiding me. I highly recommend working with her.”

Author Susan Berry:

When I was a new author, I had no idea a book needed a professional editor before self-publishing. So when I decided to change the cover years later on my first novel, Dance of the Heart, I reached out to Cindy. Her edits were spot on, and she even helped me spruce up my blurb! I really appreciated how Cindy kept my unique author’s voice of the story while she edited the manuscript. She is super easy to work with and really cares about her clients.  

Author Tess Rini:

As a new writer, I had no idea where to turn to find a good editor. After a few false starts, somehow the stars aligned to help me find my way to Cindy Ray Hale. Fast forward six books into my eight-book series and I rely on her skills and talent to help me cross the finish line. Cindy's edits have ultimately helped me be a better writer, and I constantly learn from her. I'm so happy to have her be a part of my writing career.