Need help with your novel? Let award-winning romance author and former teacher Sarah M. Anderson (who also writes YA as Sally Sultzman) help you learn the skills and techniques that will not only shape up this novel but will help your craft going forward!

It's a fact--no matter where an author is on their writing journey, we can all use another set of eyes to see what we're missing. Whether that's someone to point out the big plot holes or point out the missing steps in character development, Sarah M. Anderson can help. Yes, even with commas, the bane of so many writers' existences!

With humor and kindness, Sarah has been donating critiques for charity, judging contests and giving presentations on writing and craft for over a decade now. She's been a mentor for the Inclusive Romance Project and published articles in The Romance Writer's Report. Before that, she spent seven years as an English as a Second Language teacher for adults and two years teaching Composition at The Ohio State University. She's taught in classrooms from elementary school through high school and knows how to adjust a critique letter to best fit the needs of a writer to help them grow and develop.

What kind of editing does Sarah STETS do?

Most people need help with developmental editing--discussing where the plot should go, what the characters should do, what kinds of

backstory they should have and, perhaps most importantly, where that backstory should go (free tip: not in the first chapter!). This kind of editing focuses heavily on audience expectations (the dog never, ever dies!) and tropes within the specific genre of book you want to write. While I will always offer grammar and punctuation tips when I see a mistake being repeated, the purpose of these edits is not to go line-by-line over a work (known in the industry as a line edit or, for a more polished work, a copy edit), because there are frequently major revisions that need to happen before a work gets to that point. My main objective is for an author to get their work into a better place so that it can be ready for that next polishing step.

I'm most comfortable with Romance, YA, and to a lesser extent Fantasy and Science Fiction and short stories. I'm also passingly familiar with Horror, although primarily in the short story market (it's less scary when it's short!). I'm is not the best fit for Thrillers or religious fiction.

I also offer sensitivity reads for chronic pain. Contact me for pricing on this!

Okay, this sounds great! What's it going to cost me?

The overall cost depends on several factors, including how long your work is. There are three pricing tiers for Sarah STETS editing services--general, young writers and ESL/non-native speakers.

Why are there three tiers, you ask? Because I want to give people who might have trouble paying for editorial services--kids without jobs--and non-native English speakers who might feel intimidated by the process a head start. A non-refundable deposit of 30% is required to hold your slot. My time is valuable, but I know yours is as well, so if something comes up, I will give authors two times to reschedule the edits. Additionally, while I'm great and you are, too, sometimes personalities just don't mesh, so if either of us decide it's not going to work, we're all going to be mature about it and discuss either ways to adjust our partnership or agree to part ways with respect and dignity, okay? Okay!

If you're unsure if you want to commit to having your whole book edited, you can also opt for The First Fifty, which is what it sounds like--a developmental edit on the first fifty pages of your book.

 

The First Fifty: $50

Short Stories: .020 a word/up to 10K words (up to $200, but as most short stories are 500-2,500 words, the average price would be $10-50)

Novellas/Novels: .025 a word/up to 100K, an additional .015 a word for every word over 100K

.025 x (your word count) = the cost of your developmental edit

20,000 words novella: $500

50,000 words novel: $1,250

75,000 words novel: $1,875

100,000 words novel: $2,500

150,000 words novel: $3,250 (100K x .025 + 50K x .015)

The First Fifty: $30

Short Stories: .010 a word/up to 10K words (up to $100, but as most short stories are 500-2,500 words, the average price would be $5-25)

Novellas/Novels: .012 a word/up to 100K, an additional .006 a word for every word over 90K

.012 x (your word count) = the cost of your developmental edit

20,000 words novella: $240

50,000 words novel: $600

75,000 words novel: $900

100,000 words novel: $1200

150,000 words novel: $1500 (100K x .012 + 50K x .006)

The First Fifty: $40

Short Stories: .015 a word/up to 10K words (up to $150, but as most short stories are 500-2,500 words, the average price would be $7.50-37.50)

Novellas/Novels: .020 a word/up to 100K, an additional .010 a word for every word over 90K

.020 x (your word count) = the cost of your developmental edit

20,000 words novella: $400

50,000 words novel: $1000

75,000 words novel: $1500

100,000 words novel: $2000

150,000 words novel: $2500 (100K x .02 + 50K x .01)

So what do you get for your money?

Well, you get almost fifteen years' experience in the publishing industry, terrible jokes (some of which are really great) and so much encouragement because I really do want every writer to improve. In addition, you'll also get:

• Detailed notes on structure, plot and characterization as presented in either the first fifty or throughout the book
• Discussion of readability, audience expectations and how to best deliver on the reader promise for your genre
• Analysis of areas that need improvement and tips and tricks to develop your craft for the future

For a full edit, you'll also get:

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling checks (especially for Tier Three ESL writers, because English is hard!)
• Continuity checks (names, dates, characterizations, physical characteristics--i.e. has her hair always been light brown?)
• Email availability for questions and clarification with the option for a Zoom call to go over the notes together.

For young writers:

I believe that eighteen year olds are fully capable of hiring me independently of parental involvement, especially for things like short stories. However, for writers under sixteen, I will ask for parental consent, especially before they pay for a full edit. However, my client is the writer, not the parent. I will work with the writer on the story--nothing more, nothing less.

If that sounds good to you, then let's get to work! Contact me below and let's get your work on the schedule! I look forward to working with you!