Book editing priced per 1,000 words, before your pages are set.
- One price per 1,000 words, written down before you pay.
- Line edits arrive as tracked changes in your own Word file.
- You keep 100% of the rights and every file.
- DistroCode LLC, Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Book editing at Clean Page Press is priced per 1,000 words, and each edit has its own turnaround. A manuscript assessment is $12 ($199 minimum) in 7 business days. A line edit is $30 ($149 minimum) in 10. A developmental edit is $35 ($299 minimum) in 15. Those days cover a book up to 80,000 words.
Which edit does my book need?
The edit your book needs depends on what is wrong with it, and most authors don't know yet. That is what our manuscript assessment is for. It is a written report of 8 to 12 pages, at $12 per 1,000 words with a $199 minimum. It tells you whether the book works before you pay for a full edit.
- Manuscript assessment: you want to know whether the book works before paying for a full edit.
- Developmental edit: the structure, the pacing or the argument needs work.
- Line edit: the book works, but the sentences need tightening.
If the spelling and punctuation are all that is left, you need a proofread, not an edit.
What does an edit look like?
An edit looks different at each depth. A line edit comes back as tracked changes in your Word file, for rhythm, clarity and word choice. A developmental edit is margin notes plus a written report on structure and pacing. An assessment is an 8 to 12 page report on what works, with no edits in the text.
What does book editing cost?
Book editing with us costs $12 to $35 per 1,000 words, depending on the depth. A manuscript assessment is $12 with a $199 minimum, a line edit $30 with a $149 minimum, and a developmental edit $35 with a $299 minimum. For a book up to 80,000 words, that takes 7, 10 or 15 business days.
$12 to $35 per 1,000 words
| Edit | What you get | Price | Minimum | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuscript assessment | A written report of 8 to 12 pages on what works and what doesn't, with no edits in the text | $12 per 1,000 words | $199 | 7 up to 80,000 words (longer books: days set with your quote) |
| Line edit | Sentence-level edits for rhythm, clarity and word choice, as tracked changes in your Word file | $30 per 1,000 words | $149 | 10 up to 80,000 words, plus 2 per started 20,000 over |
| Developmental edit | A written report on structure, plot or argument, pacing and character, plus notes in the margins of your manuscript | $35 per 1,000 words | $299 | 15 up to 80,000 words, plus 3 per started 20,000 over |
| Copyedit | Includes the proofread | $24 per 1,000 words | No minimum | 10 per 50,000 words |
| Proofread | Spelling, punctuation and typos | $16 per 1,000 words | No minimum | 5 per 50,000 words |
What would my book cost?
Your book's cost is its word count, divided by 1,000, times the rate for the edit you pick. If that comes out under the edit's minimum, you pay the minimum instead: $199 for an assessment, $149 for a line edit and $299 for a developmental edit. We write the price down before you pay.
A 70,000-word novel: an assessment is $840, a line edit is $2,100 and a developmental edit is $2,450. A 10,000-word short guide: the line edit works out at $300, above its $149 minimum.
For a sense of the market, Reedsy's posted ranges are $0.026 to $0.053 a word for developmental editing and $0.018 to $0.029 for an assessment, and Damonza charges $0.034 a word for a developmental edit of fiction (both read 2026-10-11).
Why edit before formatting?
We edit before formatting because every change after the pages are set can move a line, and a moved line can move a page end. Line edits and developmental edits change the words themselves, so we finish the words first. Formatting, at $249 for ebook and paperback, is then done once on the final text.
We set the pages once, after the last edit. When you order editing and formatting together, the editing days come first and the formatting days start when you approve the edited file.
How does an edit work?
An edit runs in six steps, from your first message to formatting, and you decide on every change. It all happens by message and in your own Word file, with no call unless you ask for one. You keep 100% of the rights and every file, and the book stays yours.
Send your manuscript and your word count by message.
We tell you which edit we would pick and why, with the price and the dates.
You pay by payment link.
You get the report, the tracked changes, or both.
You accept or reject each change in Word. The book stays yours.
When you are ready, we format it: $249 for ebook and paperback.
Who is this not for?
This is not for authors who want someone to rewrite their chapters. An edit works on the words you have already written. It is also more than you need if only spelling and punctuation are left. That calls for a proofread at $16 per 1,000 words, or a copyedit at $24 that includes the proofread. Pay by the 1,000 words: order a proofread or order a copyedit, and set the quantity to your word count in thousands, rounded up.
What else do authors ask?
How much does a book editor cost?
At Clean Page Press, a manuscript assessment is $12 per 1,000 words ($199 minimum), a line edit $30 per 1,000 words ($149 minimum) and a developmental edit $35 per 1,000 words ($299 minimum). A proofread is $16 and a copyedit $24 per 1,000 words.
What is the difference between a developmental edit and a line edit?
A developmental edit looks at the whole book: structure, pacing, plot or argument. A line edit works sentence by sentence on rhythm, clarity and word choice. Most books need the developmental edit first.
What is a manuscript assessment?
A written report of 8 to 12 pages on what works and what doesn't in your manuscript, without edits in the text. At Clean Page Press it is $12 per 1,000 words, with a $199 minimum.
How much does it cost to edit a 70,000-word book?
At Clean Page Press, $840 for an assessment, $2,100 for a line edit or $2,450 for a developmental edit. A proofread of the same book is $1,120.
Should I edit before formatting?
Yes. Every edit after the pages are set can move lines and page ends, so we edit first and format once.
What comes after this?
Format
Files that pass the Kindle Previewer and KDP print checks.
Ebook and paperback formatting
Up to 80,000 words. Checked against KDP's print specs. Fixed free until KDP accepts.
Want to talk it through first?
Tell us about the book by message and a person answers. No call unless you ask for one.