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Non-Fiction Book Editing

You’ve poured your heart, time and energy into your writing. Now you might be too close to it to see it clearly—or you simply know that a professional editor can help your manuscript become the best version of itself.

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My most common genres include:

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  • Mind/Body/Spirit — health and wellness, spirituality and religion, self-development and empowerment

  • Business and Marketing

  • Life Story and Memoir

 

I offer several types of manuscript editing, each providing a different level of focus—from big-picture (macro) to detailed (micro). All prices are in Australian dollars and GST-free.

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Macro Editing

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  • Manuscript Assessment (Appraisal or Critique) — from $559

A professional overview of your manuscript’s structure, content, tone and audience engagement. You’ll receive a detailed report highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and practical suggestions to guide your next draft.

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  • Substantive / Developmental Editing (Content & Structure Editing) — 5c per word

For in-depth guidance on structure, logic, clarity, tone and flow. I’ll work through your manuscript to help you refine your ideas and bring cohesion to your message.


(Please note: I currently do not offer macro editing for memoir.)

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Micro Editing

  • Copy Editing — 4c per word

A detailed check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency, and phrasing to ensure a smooth and professional read.

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  • Copy + Line Editing (Comprehensive Edit) — 5.5c per word

A deeper edit that polishes both the technical and stylistic aspects of your writing—improving rhythm, word choice and readability while preserving your unique voice.

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  • Proofreading — 1.5–2.5c per word

A final quality check to catch typos, formatting issues and minor errors before publication or submission.

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How We’ll Work Together

The relationship between editor and author is a creative partnership built on mutual respect and open communication. I offer all feedback thoughtfully and respectfully, and I ask that you remain open to critique and revision—especially during the macro-editing stage.

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You don’t have to carry the weight of your manuscript alone. You’ll have someone on your team who cares deeply about your work and wants to see it flourish.

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All editing considers your voice, style, message, target readership, and purpose for publication. I can apply Australian, UK or US English standards as requested.

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Once I review your submission, you’ll receive a personalised quote based on your manuscript’s needs and stage of development.

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WHAT WENDY'S AUTHORS SAY

"Wendy, I have sworn at you so many times! You just didn't hear me while I ranted at my screen through this editing process. 'Go deeper,' you say...Ugh! Thank you for pushing me and helping me through this healing journey. Thank you for your hard work, your incredible words, and guidance and friendship. Thanks for your patience and prayers and, more than any of those things, your incredible insight."

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—  Kelly Humphries, Author of "Unscathed Beauty"

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line editing

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Copyediting

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Manuscript Assessment
(Non-fiction only)

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A Manuscript Assessment takes a big-picture view of your writing and provides valuable feedback and guidance to help you strengthen your work. It highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript through a detailed, thoughtful evaluation.

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What You’ll Receive

Your assessment report will address the key elements of your manuscript in the context of:

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  • Your subject matter and core message

  • Your goals as the author

  • Your intended audience

 

No hands-on editing is performed at this stage, except for brief examples or minimal comments within the manuscript. Instead, you’ll receive a comprehensive written report outlining:

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  • What’s working well

  • What could be improved

  • Practical suggestions to guide your next draft

 

A Wendy & Words Manuscript Assessment focuses on writing quality and development, rather than marketability to publishers or agents.

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When to Request an Assessment

This service is best suited for an early draft—not necessarily your first, but before you invest in full editing. The report may suggest:

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  • Rewriting sections for clarity or flow

  • Filling content gaps

  • Reorganising material before moving to hands-on editing

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The Process

Your editor (that’s me!) will read your manuscript several times while preparing the assessment to ensure a deep understanding of your content and intent.

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To begin, you’ll need to provide:

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  • Your full manuscript (or chapter)

  • A short synopsis

  • A completed Wendy & Words Author Questionnaire

 

These help me understand your purpose, audience, and goals so your feedback is tailored specifically to you and your work.

Areas addressed​

  • overall structure, flow, logical development

  • clarity, consistency and repetition

  • gaps in content

  • word count

  • book title and subtitle

  • chapter headings and sub-headings

  • appropriateness to target readership 

  • language, style, tone and voice

  • recommendations for improvement

  • alignment of content with author goals and intent

  • use of research

  • accuracy, authenticity and credibility

  • editing requirements

You will receive

  • a report of several pages long with examples

  • selective and illustrative (examples) feedback

  • comments and perhaps sample edits

  • minimal mark-ups on manuscript

  • author decides what and how to revise, based on editor feedback.

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Cost Guide ($AUS)​

Manuscripts up to 20,000 | $459

20,000 to 40,000 words | $579

40,000 to 60,000 words | $689

60,000 to 80,000 words | $802

80,000 to 100,000 words | $912

100,000 to 120,000 words | $1022

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"Wendy's feedback on my manuscript assessment was amazing! She gave me great direction and constructive advice. I feel empowered to rewrite and create a book I can gift the world." 

- Julie Capri, Author 'Awakening'

Substantive / Developmental Editing
(Non-fiction only)

A Substantive (Developmental) Edit focuses on the big picture of your manuscript—the overall structure, flow and content. It ensures your writing is cohesive, logical and engaging, and that its structure, tone and presentation all suit your purpose and readership. 

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What This Edit Involves

This is a hands-on, in-depth macro edit of your entire manuscript. It may include some reworking and reshaping where needed to improve flow and strengthen your message. During this process, I’ll look closely at:

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  • Clarity, tone and logic

  • Structure, organisation and flow

  • Consistency and cohesiveness

  • Presentation and readability

  • Style and alignment with your intended audience

 

Substantive editing helps bring your ideas into sharper focus and ensures the manuscript functions effectively for its chosen medium and target reader.

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This stage is best suited to early drafts, before you move on to line or copy editing.

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The Process

This is one of the most complex and time-consuming forms of editing, and it’s a collaborative process between editor and author.

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I’ll read through your manuscript twice during the editing process. The first pass identifies the main issues and areas for improvement; the second ensures the suggested rewrites or structural adjustments work cohesively before returning the first round of edits to you.

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Together, we’ll refine and strengthen your manuscript so that it reads with clarity, balance and confidence.

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Areas addressed​

  • gaps in content, missing parts

  • superfluous, redundant or irrelevant text – noted but not corrected

  • pacing, ‘bogged down’ or too light

  • message: mixed? appropriately weighted? information and arguments presented clearly and relevant?

  • factual errors and inconsistencies

  • tweaking or re-writing of content for clarity and tightening

  • advice on text presentation e.g. tables, bullet points, illustrations, activities, summary or other reader aids to improve message delivery.

  • structure, sequence, flow and logical progression of ideas – sections, chapters and paragraphs

  • relevancy of book chapters titles, subheadings and chapter length

  • alignment of book content and style with author’s goals

  • consistency and appropriateness of author’s voice, style and tone

  • general copyright or referencing issues​​

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You will receive
 In some cases, a mini-editorial report

  • Your manuscript with detailed trackchanged revisions and comments for improvement. Paragraphs and sentences may be moved, adjusted or re-written to help communicate suggested changes. 

  • Editor will check any new re-writes by client in a second run and then will return 1 x clean copy of manuscript 

  • 1 x 30 minute-phone or Skype follow-up

Cost Guide

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5c  (AUS) / word  (min. $150) 

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depending on document length and complexity and whether combined with another service

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Minimum fee for editorial services is $150. Bundled rates available on request.

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Copy Editing

A Copyedit is a detailed, word-by-word micro edit that fine-tunes your manuscript for accuracy, readability and consistency. It’s applied once your content and structure are sound—often after a line edit or substantive edit.

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This stage ensures your writing is clear, professional and publication-ready, removing distracting errors and polishing your language so your message shines through effortlessly.

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What This Edit Involves

During copyediting, I carefully review your manuscript to check for:

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  • Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation (including dialogue marks, hyphenation and capitalisation)

  • Typographical errors and formatting issues

  • Repetition, wordiness or irrelevant content

  • Basic sentence structure and phrasing

  • Consistency in style, tone and terminology

  • Formatting details such as bullet points, italics, numerals and spacing

  • Logical flow and internal consistency

  • Clarity and appropriateness of word choice, avoiding clichés or awkward idioms

  • Headings, subheadings and contents lists

  • Referencing accuracy and potential copyright issues

  • Consistent presentation of visuals, diagrams and tables

  • Use of technical or specialised terms, abbreviations and units of measurement

  • Functionality of hyperlinks (for digital content)

  • This stage also acts as a final check for ambiguous statements, factual inconsistencies or potential legal risks before the proofreading phase.

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Optional Add-On

Copyediting can be bundled with line editing for a more comprehensive language polish—ideal if your manuscript needs both technical accuracy and stylistic refinement.

You will receive

 

  • Your manuscript with detailed trackchanged revisions and comments for improvement. 

  • Editor will check any new re-writes by client in a second run and then will return 1 x clean copy of manuscript 

  • 1 x 30 minute-phone or Skype follow-up

Cost Guide

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4c / word  AUS. 

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depending on document length and complexity and whether combined with another service

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Minimum fee for editorial services is $150. Bundled rates available on request.

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Comprehensive Micro Edit
Copy Edit +Line Edit

Wendy’s signature Comprehensive Edit is her most popular service, combining both Copy Editing (see column to the left) and Line Editing (see below). This dual approach ensures your manuscript is refined for both accuracy and expression. Any major structural issues that remain will also be highlighted for your attention.

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​What is a Line Edit?

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A Line Edit focuses on the creative content, writing style and language use at the sentence and paragraph level. It looks closely at how you use language to engage your readers — bringing order, flow, smoothness and consistency to your prose. Think of it as a language facelift for your manuscript. This edit may include rewritten examples or suggestions to illustrate improvements.

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A line edit not only strengthens your current manuscript,  it can also help develop your writing craft for future projects.

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It explores questions such as:

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  • Is your language clear, fluid and enjoyable to read, or awkward and clunky?

  • Do you have run-on sentences, dangling modifiers or redundant phrasing that might confuse the reader?

  • Does the tone convey atmosphere, emotion and intent?

  • Are your words precise, or do they rely on generalisations and clichés?

  • Are metaphors and idioms used appropriately?

  • Can paragraphs be tightened to improve pacing and flow?

  • Are there redundancies or unnecessary repetition?

  • Does the content digress or lose clarity?

  • Are your characters or key ideas consistent throughout?

  • Are you using the strongest words and phrasing to communicate your meaning?

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You will receive
 

  • Your manuscript with detailed trackchanged revisions and comments for improvement. 

  • Editor will check any new re-writes by client in a second run and then will return 1 x clean copy of manuscript 

  • 1 x 30 minute-phone or Skype follow-up

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Cost Guide

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5.5c /word AUS

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depending on document length and complexity. Minimum fee for editorial services is $150. ​

Proofreading 

Proofreading is a precise, detailed micro-edit of your final proof (PDF or eBook) designed to catch lingering errors and ensure consistency and accuracy before publication. It is the final quality-control stage, applied once your manuscript has been copy edited and typeset, to ensure it’s ready for print or digital release.

It focuses on:

  • spelling and typographical errors

  • punctuation, including exclamation and question marks, dialogue marks, and hyphenation

  • basic grammar

  • repetition

  • format consistency

  • bullet points and numbering

  • headings and subheadings

  • referencing and citation accuracy

  • capitalisation

  • numerals

  • hyperlinks

  • table of contents

  • headers and footers

  • page numbers

  • drop caps

  • paragraph, line, and word spacing

  • layout and design consistency

  • placement of illustrations, images, and captions

  • copyright and publishing details

This is your last opportunity to ensure your book or document goes to print in its best possible form — polished, consistent and error-free.

You will receive
1 run only

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  • 1 x copy of manuscript showing detailed trackchanged revisions and comments for improvement at the word and sentence level
     

  • ​1 x copy of manuscript with no trackchanges

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Cost Guide

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1.5c per word for books already edited by us prior to design (bundled rate)

 

2.5c /word for unseen works

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Use these prices as a guide only, not a formal quote. Pricing will also depend on the quality and complexity of the manuscript. Minimum fee for editorial services is $150. Bundled rates available on request.

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10% discount for concession card holders

Bundled packages are available. Quote upon request.

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WANT A SAMPLE EDIT? You can receive a sample edit of your work. A minimal quote will be provided depending on the type of edit

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