Editing is when an editor reads through your book and makes suggestions and recommendations for improving it. These can cover many different areas, including the structure, language and characterisation. An editor will also point out anything that is unclear or inconsistent, aiming to make the book as engaging and readable as possible. When editing a non-fiction book, a historical novel or a memoir, the editor will check facts, dates and details, and mention anything that is incorrect or could be misinterpreted or misleading. Most books undergo two rounds of editing before proofreading.

Proofreading is carried out after the final round of editing has taken place and the author has updated the manuscript. This produces a final draft, which needs to be checked during the proofreading stage. Usually, only minor errors, such as missed commas or full stops, will be picked up during the proofreading stage.

All traditionally published books are edited prior to publication. Therefore, all self-published books also need to be edited. As writers, we often don’t see the errors and inconsistencies we make, and it is therefore very helpful to work with an editor who will point those out in a respectful way. Since you are so close to your book, it’s sometimes hard to look at it objectively. That’s why it’s important to gain an objective, outside view of your book, so that you can make changes that will make it a more engaging and readable book when it is published.

It is impossible to say. Some books need only one round of editing, while other books require two or more rounds of editing before a final draft is produced. RA Book Editing will give you an assessment of how many rounds of editing you will need based on your first chapter. We’ll then provide you with a sample edit of the first 500 to 1,000 words and a personalised proposal, which will state the type(s) of editing your book needs and the estimated cost.

No, as the author of the book, the decision to accept or reject each suggestion or amendment is entirely yours. Of course, it would be a good idea to accept amendments of spelling and grammar errors but, if you disagree with any suggestions for changes, you are free to reject them. If you’d like to discuss any of the suggested amendments, we’re happy to do that too. We want to collaborate with you to produce a book you’re proud to publish, so please don’t think you have to accept all the suggested amendments. At the end of the day, the book is your own work, and we want you to create a final draft that you are 100% happy with.

Pauline Thompson, an independent author and one of our clients said, “I did wonder if I may find the editing process slightly tedious when I had to amend each chapter, but I am actually enjoying it. You are extremely thorough, which is making everything in the book flow much better. Also, I appreciate how responsive you are to emails. You've given me a lot of helpful advice and I feel that I am learning a lot from you.”

The sample edit will give you an idea of what it is like to work with us. This is provided free of charge and without obligation, so if you don’t think that working with RA Book Editing would be a good fit, you have nothing to lose.

Absolutely! We’re happy to work with you whether this is your first or 100th book or whatever your native language is (although we only edit and proofread books written in English). Previous clients have included first-time authors, authors with English as a second language, and authors who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. We firmly believe that everyone has a story to tell and our job is to help you tell yours and help you produce the best book possible.

Copyright violation is when you copy words directly from another book, newspaper, magazine, website or any other source, put them into your book, and use them as if they were your own. Although copyright law allows for ‘reasonable use,’ this is open to interpretation, and it is best to err on the side of caution and ensure you don’t use anyone else’s words at all. This also applies to graphics, illustrations, trademarks and other intellectual property – you are not allowed to copy any of these and use them in your book without the written permission of the legal owner.

To avoid copyright violation, ensure that all work is your own. If you use sources, be sure to blend them with your own analysis and make sure that you don’t use the same words. In a non-fiction book, you may include footnotes and references to refer to the sources you used but you must still ensure that you haven’t copied from them directly. To verify that you haven’t committed copyright violation, you can run your work through an online plagiarism checker.

Yes, that is possible. Many of our clients find that paying in instalments is a convenient way of spreading the cost over several months. Full terms and conditions for paying in instalments are included in your proposal under the heading, ‘Payment by Instalments.’ If you choose to pay in instalments, we will divide the editing work into a number of equal sections. Payment of each instalment will be required before work can start on each section.

No, of course not. You’re free to self-publish the final manuscript yourself or, if you prefer, we can help you self-publish your book on Amazon KDP. Many of our editing and proofreading clients go on to use our self-publishing service but the choice is 100% yours. We’re happy to provide a proposal and quote for self-publishing and answer any questions you may have. You can also read our frequently asked questions about self-publishing.

As an alternative to self-publishing, you may wish to approach publishing companies to see if they would be interested in publishing your book under a traditional publishing contract (see What’s the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing?). If you’ve written a fiction book, you may also wish to approach agents to see if they would like to represent your book.