Edit$4,500
Copyediting and proofreading. Line-level clarity, consistency, and a final proof pass on the text. Best when structure is already sound and you need the manuscript polished before design or upload.
Author Vicinity
How book editing works at Author Vicinity
A clear path from finished (or nearly finished) manuscript to clean files, and, if you want, to live stores. Fee-for-service. We are not a publisher. You keep the copyright and royalties. You stay publisher of record.
Package map
Package map
Print-ready$7,500
Everything in Edit, plus cover and interior layout so you leave with print-ready and ebook-ready files. Best when the words are close and you still need professional design before stores.
Listed$9,500
Everything in Print-ready, plus ISBN and copyright filing support, and KDP plus IngramSpark setup in accounts you own. Best when you want files and a clean path to live stores without handing over your book to a house.
Up to 70,000 words.
You keep the copyright and royalties. You stay publisher of record.
Scroll process
Scroll process
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Step 1
Start with what you already have
Bring the manuscript as it stands: Word or Google Doc preferred, plus any style notes, series bible, or sensitivity preferences. Tell us genre, target length, deadline, and whether you already have a cover or interior designer.
We confirm word count against the Listed cap (70,000 words) and whether Edit alone is enough, or whether Print-ready or Listed fits better. No guesswork about deliverables. You get a written scope before money moves.
Gate If the draft is still a rough outline or major structural rewrite, we pause and say so. This page is for manuscripts that are done or nearly done, not for ghostwriting.
Step 2
A clear read before we touch the lines
We assess readiness for copyediting: voice consistency, chapter logic, tense and point of view stability, and whether the book can take a line edit without collapsing into developmental rebuild.
You receive a short assessment note: what we will fix in Edit, what we will not (plot redesign, new chapters, ghostwriting), and which package matches the files you need next.
Gate If the book needs developmental restructuring first, we recommend that path before copyediting. We do not pretend a copyedit can replace a structural rewrite.
Step 3
Line by line, in your voice
Copyediting covers grammar, syntax, punctuation, continuity, repetition, and clarity, while protecting your voice. We track terms, names, timeline markers, and style choices so the book reads as one finished work.
You review queries in batches. Decisions stay yours. We do not rewrite the book into someone else’s tone.
Deliverable from this stage A copyedited manuscript with tracked changes or a clean accepted file, plus a short style sheet for later proof and design.
Step 4
Your decisions, not ours
You review the copyedit. Accept, reject, or comment. We resolve open queries so the proof pass is not fighting unfinished choices.
This step protects quality. Skipping review dumps uncertainty into proofreading and design.
Gate Proofreading starts only after you sign off on the copyedit decisions we flagged as blocking.
Step 5
Final text pass before design or upload
Proofreading catches residual typos, spacing, punctuation slips, and layout-sensitive errors that appear after copyedit acceptance. On Edit alone, this is the last text gate before you take the file elsewhere.
If you are continuing to Print-ready, proof aligns to the version that will enter layout, so designers are not setting error-prone text.
Edit package complete when You hold a proofed manuscript ready for design, beta readers, or upload, with the style sheet included.
Step 6
Files that can actually go to print
Print-ready adds cover and interior layout: trim size, margins and bleed, typography, front and back matter, and ebook conversion needs. Print PDF and ebook files are built for platform checkers, not only for screen reading.
You review design proofs. We adjust within scope. You keep source awareness: final exports plus clear notes on formats delivered.
Print-ready complete when You have print-ready and ebook-ready files suitable for store upload or a printer, after Edit-level text work.
Step 7
List under your name
Listed adds ISBN and copyright filing support, plus KDP and IngramSpark setup in your accounts. You stay publisher of record. We do not trap the book in studio logins.
Metadata, categories, and listing copy are prepared to match the finished files. You approve store settings before anything goes live.
Listed complete when Files are live-ready or live on the agreed stores, with you holding the logins, and you keep the copyright and royalties.
Step 8
Clear close, no captivity
You receive a handoff pack: final files, style sheet, package checklist of what shipped, and who owns what. Questions on the delivered scope get a defined response window.
We are fee-for-service. We are not a publisher. You keep the copyright and royalties. You stay publisher of record.
On-page FAQ
On-page FAQ
How much does book editing cost?
Edit $4,500. Print-ready $7,500. Listed $9,500 (up to 70,000 words).
What is the difference?
Edit is copyediting and proofreading. Print-ready adds cover and interiors. Listed adds ISBN, copyright filing support, and KDP plus IngramSpark setup. You stay the publisher of record.
Do I keep the rights?
Yes. You keep the copyright and royalties.
Are you a publisher?
No. We are paid author services. You hire us for editing and production. You are not signing over your book to a house.
Is this hybrid publishing?
No. Hybrid means selective acquisition under clear criteria. We do fee-for-service editing and production.
What if my manuscript is not ready?
We say so at assessment. Major structural rewrite or ghostwriting is a different track. We will not sell you Edit as a fix for an unfinished book.
Ready for a scoped quote?
Send genre, word count, deadline, and whether you need Edit only, Print-ready files, or Listed store setup. You keep the copyright and royalties. You stay publisher of record.