Every great novel
deserves a great editor.
Here at Zero Alchemy, we don't believe editing is a one size fits all gig. We go the extra mile to pair you with the RIGHT editor for you at this point in your career. On this page, you’ll find a variety of editing options, including: (Click any link to jump straight to that section)
Bestselling Manuscript Critique (Starting at $40 per 1000 Words)
Addictive Writing Development ($15 Per Chapter)
Alpha and Beta Reading ($250 + $0.0025 Per Word)
Developmental Editing (Starting at $12 Per 1000 Words)
Line Editing (Starting at $0.012 Per Word)
Proofreading ($0.0025 Per Word)
Audiobook Proofreading ($30 Per Hour)
Learn More About
Our Turn Around Times Here
LEAD EDITOR
WITH LINDSEY
RATE: $0.018/word
Our Senior Lead Editor is available for Line Editing at $0.018 Per Word or Critiques at $0.04 Per Word.
As an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author and a former librarian, Lindsey knows story structure from the inside out. Some of her clients include New York Times and USA Today bestsellers and award winners. Some often crack the top 100 in the Amazon Kindle store. She's become so familiar with The Chicago Manual of Style that she has page numbers memorized. She's also such a frequent user of the Merriam-Webster dictionary that she knows the proper spelling of seat belt is two words, not one. Some of her favorite genres to edit are romance of all kinds with all types of pairings, including dark and/or erotic, mysteries, including cozies, urban fantasy, horror, thrillers, science fiction, and dystopian.
LEAD DEVELOPMENTAL EDITORS
WITH CHELSEA or EM JAY
RATE: $0.018/word
Our Lead Developmental Editors are available for in-depth Developmental Editing at $0.018 Per Word.
As a USA Today bestselling author and fanatic reader, Chelsea understands what a manuscript needs to make it unputdownable on a story level. Some of her clients include New York Times and USA Today bestsellers and award winners. Some of her favorite genres to edit are romance of all kinds with all types of pairings, including dark and/or erotic, mysteries, including cozies, urban fantasy, horror, thrillers, science fiction, and dystopian. She's also got a strong pen and understanding when it comes to historical romance and even science fiction (hello, alien peen).
Em Jay is a Zero Alchemy favorite and a bit of a developmental wizard! With a knack for transforming manuscripts into captivating tales, Em Jay is your go-to for fleshing out characters, smoothing plot wrinkles, and resolving major story dilemmas. Clients rave about her insightful advice and meticulous attention to detail, often returning for more of her magic touch. Book with Em Jay to elevate your manuscript, sales, and sell through!
LINE & DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
WITH HEATHER
RATE: $0.012/word
Heather will help you with grammar, punctuation, story, and style. She is also available for Developmental Editing. Turn around times are 2-6 weeks and projects are by approval only. Rush fees apply for anything that must be completed by a certain date under our 6 weeks max timeline. Projects needing more intense editing may be quoted at a higher rate before project is accepted.
LINE, DEVELOPMENTAL & COPY EDITING
WITH LLOYD
RATE: $0.012/word
Our Associate editor Lloyd will help you with grammar, punctuation, word-usage, and typos/errors. He is also available for Developmental and Copy-Editing. Turn around times are 2-6 weeks and projects are by approval only. Rush fees apply for anything that must be completed by a certain date under our 6 weeks max timeline. Projects needing more intense editing may be quoted at a higher rate before project is accepted.
LINE EDITING
WITH JANA
RATE: $0.012/word
Our Senior line editor will help you with grammar, punctuation, story, and style. Turn around times are 2-6 weeks and projects are by approval only. Rush fees apply for anything that must be completed by a certain date under our 6 weeks max timeline. Projects needing more intense editing may be quoted at a higher rate before project is accepted.
LINE EDITING
WITH MIA
RATE: $0.012/word
Mia has over a decade of publishing experience and, as an editor, she has worked with a wide variety of authors, ranging from bestsellers and award winners to first-time authors. She has an eye for detail and a passion for helping authors refine their books so they can publish with confidence. The genres she enjoys most are romance, paranormal, fantasy, women’s fiction, YA, and NA, but her family will tell you she’ll read anything you put in front of her.
LINE EDITING
WITH JAMEE
RATE: $0.012/word
Jamee Thumm loves drama—as long as it's fictional. She's edited for non-profits and businesses for over a decade, but her heart lies in polishing imaginary worlds. Focusing on style and clarity, Jamee ensures each sentence has the right tone, emotion, and flow while honoring the author's voice. While she enjoys editing a variety of genres, she especially loves anything paranormal, including urban fantasy, horror, and YA.
LINE EDITING
WITH VICTORIA
RATE: $0.012/word
Victoria loves editing as much as she loves writing. As an author and editor with a background in Creative Writing and a knack for putting pesky commas in their place, she’s dedicated to helping authors tell their story in a way that will keep readers coming back for more.
LINE EDITING
WITH MARIE
RATE: $0.012/word
Marie Corbin's background as a healthcare professional trained her to be meticulous, thorough, and professional. She loved it, but she felt like something was missing: a little magic. Marie began writing and editing stories primarily in dark romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction, though she appreciates all genres. As your editor, Marie will use her professional background to ensure that the refinement of your story matches the passion that went into its creation, and she'll provide encouragement alongside constructive criticism to empower your authorial voice.
COPY EDITING
WITH BETH
RATE: $0.012/word
Beth will help you with grammar, punctuation, word-usage, and typos/errors. Turn around times are 2-6 weeks and projects are by approval only. Rush fees apply for anything that must be completed by a certain date under our 6 weeks max timeline. Projects needing more intense editing may be quoted at a higher rate before project is accepted.
LINE EDITING
WITH CHRISTINA
RATE: $0.012/word
Christina has been line editing for authors for over 10 years, ensuring accuracy, clarity, consistency, and flow while maintaining the author's voice and style. Motivated by a passion for the written word, she loves helping authors elevate their writing and publish their best work. She earned an English degree and is a voracious reader. Her favorite genres are urban fantasy, epic fantasy, paranormal romance, dystopian, and paranormal women's fiction.
ALPHA & BETA READERS
WITH THE ZA READING TEAM
Get Feedback from FIVE readers in your genre that includes comments throughout your manuscript, end of chapter reactions, and a summary review. We'll also send them a questionnaire that includes FIVE questions (chosen by you) and a rating scale for how well you did in different areas of story development. This feedback will focus on story and character but may discover some minor editing issues along the way as well.
Aside from the pay per word, there is an additional $250 fee for this service.
Alpha & Beta Read Fee: $250 + 0.0025 PER WORD of novel.
TURN AROUND TIMES
EXPECTATIONS AND RUSH FEES
The average turnaround time is six weeks or less, as we work within industry standards. We guarantee with our edits that your manuscript will be returned to you within six weeks; if we fail to meet this, you will receive a 20% refund along with your completed manuscript when it's ready. Alternatively, you can opt for a free marketing package to compensate for the delays. Please note this applies only to edits and does not apply to critiques, as the purpose of a critique is to improve your writing overall, and is more along the lines of writing coaching versus publishing preparation. Please plan accordingly.
While many edits will be returned to you in less than six weeks regardless whether you pay a rush fee, you can alternatively opt to pay a rush fee for a guaranteed faster turn around time. The way we handle clients who are paying a rush fee is by having our editors work extra hours to complete those edits alongside their other projects. We do not put other current projects on the back-burner to do this, so if we agree to take on a rush project, this means the editor is able to work extra hours on top of their usual hours to complete the project, but do need to be compensated for working overtime.
As such, our rush fees are as follows:
1 Week Turn Around: Rate x 2
2 -3 Week Turn Around: Rate x 1.5
4-5 Week Turn Around: Rate x 1.25
You will not be charged rush fees for projects finished ahead of schedule. If our editors are able to edit faster, they will regardless. Rush fees are only to have guaranteed shorter turn around times.
ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE?
If you need help polishing your English to make it sound like your native tongue, this service is for you. It combines editing with ghostwriting while retaining your voice to ensure the highest quality final product. The rate for this service is $0.03 per word.
$12 /chapter
ADDICTIVE WRITING DEVELOPMENT
Just looking for a quick check on the addictability of your writing and potential for sell through? With this developmental "lite" package, you pay just $12 per chapter for us to assess the most important hooks in each chapter and advise on how to improve where needed. We can also recommend what type of editor you might need for a full edit or proofread based on what we see during this step, to ensure you have the best editor for your particular needs and to create the best final end product! This service is delivered within 7-10 days from booking. For a more in depth story edit, please see our developmental editing package. For a full critique, please view our Manuscript Critique Package (available by approval only.)
This feedback package is served by April, Nicole, and Jana.
$0.0025 /word
PROOFREADING
WITH LLOYD, MEG, JILLIAN, JULIE OR BETH
Looking for just a quick set of eyes to find any typos/missing words you or your editors may have overlooked? Our proofreaders can give a quick and accurate proofread, with turn around times ranging from 1-3 days on average, but almost always under a week. However, our guaranteed turnaround times are still the same as an edit. If you don't have your file back within 6 weeks of file submission, you will receive a 20% refund. Please plan accordingly.
$30 per hour
AUDIOBOOK PROOFING
Have you recently joined the world of independent audiobook publishing? One of the first things you need to do after receiving your file is to proof it! Allow our team to do that for you. We'll listen to the draft audiobook while following along in the text and look for missing words or listen for slip ups within the audio. Our guaranteed turnaround times are still the same as an edit. If you don't have your file back within 6 weeks of file submission, you will receive a 20% refund. Please plan accordingly.
To book any editing service with one of our team members, please use the button to email us for availability. Be sure to include the name of the editor and the service you are seeking!
WITH REBECCA HAMILTON
or LINDSEY LOUCKS
by approval only
$0.04 /word
With this option, you will receive a full critique of your manuscript, looking for ways to improve your story-telling, characterization, grammar, punctuation, addictability, and writing technique. Learn all the bestselling writing methods that you need to know personally to take your novel to the next level. This critique is only available for authors with a manuscript that already shows strength in storytelling and writing basics, as it focuses on advanced techniques only. Turn around times vary on average 10-12 weeks, but can be longer. Please email for approval.