What to expect when you choose Editing By North Star
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Whether you are self-publishing or working toward traditional publishing, you’ll find my style collaborative, supportive, informed, and enthusiastic.
It’s important to know what to expect. Below is a step-by-step guide. If you are new to publishing or working with an editor, this will offer some insight. Want to know a little more? Check out the-efa.org for more information on working with editors! If you are comparing, you’ll find my approach fairly standard with a little extra time built in for each project.
If you are seeking a Beta Reader, you’ll find more information further down this page.
EDITING BY NORTH STAR COPYEDITING
How I approach copyediting your manuscript or other writing project
Every member of your team should be right on board with your project. The first step is to communicate so we can discuss your manuscript or other writing project, review timeline and rates and determine if it’s the right fit. Expect 20-30 minutes. I find that this initial interaction really offers a chance for get to know a little about each other, how we communicate, I’ll get to hear your passion or what prompted you to create your manuscript, and I can ask a few questions about the project. You can also find out who’s behind the keyboard and if you’re a go! I also benefit from hearing your voice directly and how you are most comfortable communicating. It’s the starting line.
After we agree to terms and I receive the signed agreement, we begin!
Review: Full, cold read of presented manuscript/material.
Editing Pass 1: Copyediting and light line editing using Microsoft Word tracking changes, Merriam-Webster.com, Chicago Manual of Style 18th Edition, and any additional style guides needed to specifically and effectively edit your work.
Queries to the author and comments are found in bubbles on the right margin. You will need to read and consider each query, then accept (agree to suggestion and give okay to implement), decline (leave it as is – make no change or STET), or mark for follow up discussion. It’s not always cut and dry. Some suggestions are important to discuss for clarity and options. The query may prompt you to want to revise something else.
Some simple spelling, typos, minor punctuation, spacing, cut and paste errors will be done silently, meaning, those simple corrections that have no significant impact on the content and are not queried are made.
Discussion: We can meet virtually as needed to review the changes suggested and share any other issues that became apparent during the editing process. Protecting your unique voice and style of writing is paramount to the success of your manuscript and I work diligently to keep your voice clear and consistent.
I do not use AI to assist in my work. The Author’s Guild recently shared guidance on best practices for the use of AI in writing. Their clarification for best practices is that many AI developers used volumes of copyright-protected materials in the large language based models that generate responses to user inquiries. Using generative AI to write or wholly edit or re-draft your work opens your work to potential copyright infringement issues. The Author’s Guild suggests that authors should require editors, ghost writers, and others involved in the final edition of your work to protect your work, as well, by not uploading to AI models. Here is a link to their best practices: https://authorsguild.org/resource/ai-best-practices-for-authors/
Editing Pass 2: I integrate the changes you respond to in the query bubbles (STET, Accept change, Insert alternative edit, Delete) as you note back to me. We can review this in a meeting, if you’d like. I love what I do and am not offended by difference of opinion. I’ll provide for you why I suggested a change if you would like so that those changes are consistently applied throughout.
A clean copy with the incorporated changes agreed to in the above actions will be sent to you for final review. At that time, you should review in careful detail. This is a very good time to read your manuscript out loud to yourself. You’ll also need to re-verify links, tables, titles, captions, and citations. Saving your self big headaches ahead include appropriate citation and permissions should you include someone else’s writing in your manuscript, including song lyrics, poems, and excerpts. Should you make an additional change or find that an accepted change is not working for you, Editing Pass 3 will be made.
Editing By North Star does not provide recalculations of advanced equations and will only do a cursory pass of simple calculations for accuracy and query for your review. Editing by North Star will not accept responsibility for errors in advanced calculations.
Final Draft Provided: Upon final acceptance of the draft after Editing Pass 2, or if needed, Editing Pass 3, you will be provided a final clean copy. A backup copy of each of the above passes will be maintained for one year in a password protected file accessible only by Editing By North Star (North Star Editing, LLC).
Gentle Words of Advice
Writing your manuscript is one of the most monumental achievements in your career. I respect that and I respect your expertise, hard work, and the research you did to create your manuscript.
In the query bubbles, I try to keep it short and to the point. We can always discuss further so we are on the same page (yuk yuk). My approach to your manuscript is with the reader in mind and making certain that your work reflects your intentions with clarity.
I see my job as a partner in your success!
New Authors and Indie Authors are Welcome!
My rates for copyediting are per word following the-efa.org rate chart.
What an honor! This is new and old hat for me simultaneously. In reviewing hundreds of contributors submissions for Walloon Writers Review, alongside reading dozens of books annually, I have a strong sense of the readers perspective.
BETA READING BY EDITING BY NORTH STAR
Here is what to expect:
We agree to work together and I will forward a short work agreement to you. Upon acceptance, you’ll forward your manuscript in .pdf or Microsoft Word format.
I’ll read your manuscript, provide feedback on my thoughts as a general reader. You’ll receive a one to three page response within the agreed timeline via email.
Please note that Beta Reading is not editing. It’s reading and providing feedback. It’s like workshop without suggestions on how to make it better,just the good stuff, like what worked great, how reading this made me feel, what was exciting, what didn’t work for me.
My rates for Beta Reading are $1.50 per 1,000 words. Deposit depends on the length of the work. FYI, your manuscript is yours and I will not hold a copy beyond 30 days.
Contract Terms
Deposit, Scope, Duration, Cancellation
My rates are guided by The Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart (the-efa.org) 2026 and swing to the lower end as I have not yet copyedited for a large publishing company. Expect per page (250 words per page).
Sample edits are available without charge but I prefer to read an entire excerpt, then edit the three – four pages as determined by the author for comparison. Reminder: No AI – this includes very popular platforms that have made updates to include use of AI automatically. We are aware of manuscripts being flagged for complete AI written and rejected.
Deposit: I require a 20% deposit to start.
Scope: My services are: full cold read of your work, copyediting guided by Chicago Manual of Style 18th Edition, Merriam-Webster.com dictionary, and other required style guides; grammar, punctuation, tense, tone, flow, clarity, and correctness. Some light line editing reduction of repetition of phrases, word usage, and for clarity of intention are included. A review of headings, chapter titles, tables, images, captions, citations, along with bringing to your attention any immediately recognizable copyright issues; and providing a final clean copy, integrating all of the above described actions you’ve agreed to (or provided substitution for) into your original manuscript within the agreed timeline.
Upon receipt of your final clean copy, please do a final review and respond to me within the agreed amount of time. If you have questions or an unforeseen interruption, please email me.
Duration: We agree to a timetable, adjustable if needed to extend no more than fourteen days beyond the initial agreement. Should we agree more time is needed, we will agree via email to amend the contract.
Cancellation: Should you decide to cancel the contract, you will forfeit a percentage of your deposit based upon time already spent on your manuscript. Cancelling after responding to the first round of edits can incur additional invoice of billable activity.
Professional Conduct: Editing by North Star will not disclose your name, title(s) or any information or content from your manuscript or work. Your original, Pass 1, Pass 2, (3 if needed) and Clean Copy will be held in a password protected DropBox file for one year after the date of completion.
If you receive the first pass edited version and disappear or refuse to reply or block communications, you will be held contractually responsible for a portion up to all of the contracted amount. If you choose to disengage after we begin, you may lose a portion of your deposit.
Should I determine after my first cold read that I am not able to be of assistance, I will notify you immediately and I will provide a prompt full refund of your deposit and refer you to another editor that can be of assistance.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my services.
Click on Let’s Connect and get started!
Best Regards,
Jennifer the Editor
Please click Let’s Connect to schedule a no-commitment, no-cost introductory meeting and provide a brief description of your project.
Editing By North Star welcomes all authors however, limitations are in place on hate speech, discrimination based on race, gender, religious convictions, status, and intentional marginalizing of others. Editing by North Star reserves the right to reject manuscripts.
Editing by North Star 