Sean Williams
- Los Angeles, CA 90034 (map)
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- DOJ Smart Search verified
- Email verified
- Thumbtack reviewed
- Thumbtack Elite member
- Bronze member
Manuscript Copy & Development Editing
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Sean Williams • Los Angeles, CA • $15-50 per hour
- You'll be asked a few quick questions that will help describe your needs.
- You'll be asked to provide your contact information so that Sean Williams will be able to get in touch with you.
- You'll have the option to get competing quotes from other qualified service professionals, saving you time and money.
Finished with a first draft? Need help getting your novel where it needs to be before you send it to publishers?
I'll edit your manuscript, focusing on story and grammar, with a quick turnaround. I've been working in development for nearly a decade, and while I won't write your novel for you, I will tell you how to make it better.
Instead of charging by the hour, my rate ranges from $0.05/word to $0.10/word, depending on the services requested. This makes estimating the cost of editing simple and straightforward. My services range from simple copy editing to full development, including extensive notes both in the margins and broken down by chapter, as well as a debriefing conversation either on the phone or in person.
Question and answer
Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Really think about what you want from yourself and your manuscript, and what your manuscript needs most. Pick a provider who best fits your specific needs. If you're not sure, send a sample and ask their opinion.
Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?
A. In addition to simple copy editing, my process focuses on improving story, characters, and conflict, helping make a manuscript more interesting and engaging.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. Being able to make stories better is what gets me excited about a project.
Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.
A. I took a particularly problematic beginning of a book and helped get it to the point that it was ready for submitting to a publisher, fixing both a major lack of conflict in the story as well as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice.
Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.
A. I recently edited a 12,000-word section of a manuscript that was particularly problematic, working on both story and copy editing. It cost $1,200 and took two weeks. This quote and turnaround is fairly standard for me.
Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.
A. Simple copy editing with notes costs $25/hour. This breaks down to be about $0.05/word. Story and copy editing costs $50/hour, or about $0.10/word. It is easy to use the per-word-cost in estimating what my services will cost, depending on what your manuscript needs.
