Editorial Services

Moira King

Hi! I’m Moira, and I’m a developmental editor. My goal is to help you take your manuscript to the next level and turn it into the best version it can be.

I’ve studied fiction and storytelling for over fifteen years: academically, professionally, and personally. I have a bachelor’s degree in English Textual Studies from Syracuse University, where I focused on creative writing and craft development. I also have extensive experience working in workshops, where I’ve honed my skills for giving constructive critiques and sensitive feedback.

I began freelancing in 2015. Since then, I’ve done everything from content writing, social media marketing, copywriting, content editing, and proofreading. But storytelling is where my heart has always been.

When you work with me, you’re not just getting an experienced content editor. You’re getting someone who knows the writer’s struggle, the anxiety that comes with letting your work out into the world, and a person who genuinely cares about the integrity of your vision.

Here’s a look into the specific services I offer!

Beta Reading

What It Is

A beta reader is a test reader for an unpublished piece of literature or other written work. They give feedback from an average reader’s perspective to help the author fix issues with plot, pacing, and consistency. They also act as sounding boards to find weak spots and the emotional impact the story has.

Close friends and family don’t always make ideal test readers because they often have a hard time telling us things that might hurt us. As difficult as the truth is to hear, a great beta reader can express their genuine opinion without being too brutal.

Your ideal beta reader would be someone in your target demographic regarding age, gender, and interests who will respond to your book in a way similar to your readers. If they aren’t in your target audience, someone with background knowledge of your genre and audience can still perform as a great beta reader.

What You’ll Get

With me as your beta reader, you will be giving your literary baby to someone who truly cares about your journey and vision: someone who is not afraid to tell it to you straight and is sensitive to delivering that truth. I have years of experience in workshop settings that focus on constructive criticism. I am also a writer and novelist myself, so trust me- I get it.

My turnaround time for beta reading is 1-2 weeks depending on the length of the work. At the end of that period, you’ll receive written feedback detailing overall impressions of plot, character development, pacing, and consistency, what is working and not working, and any noteworthy tidbits I find along the way.

Pricing

$50 – Short work

$100 – Up to 100,000 words

$150 – 100,000+ words

Structural Editing

What It Is

Structural editing is exactly how it sounds. This type of edit focuses solely on the organization of your story. When someone edits for structure, they look at how specific scenes and plot points fit together and what pieces might be rearranged to better tell the story.

Edits can include suggestions for switching scenes around, utilizing flashbacks, changing points of view, rearranging timelines for flow, effectiveness of big reveals, and much more.

What You’ll Get

When I edit your work for structure, you’ll receive a detailed report of approximately 2,000 words outlining possible restructuring strategies to consider when reworking your draft. Also, you will be sent a copy of your manuscript with any general comments and changes tracked in-document

We will talk beforehand so that I have an idea of your vision in terms of story structure. That way, I can make sure you’re getting the most out of my edit. Turnaround for a structural edit is between 2-4 weeks, depending on the piece’s length and the number of edits involved.

Pricing

$50 flat rate short work

$350 flat rate long work

Developmental Assessment

What It Is

Developmental assessments are geared toward writers still in the early writing process but are looking for feedback on how to develop their story further. This type of evaluation focuses on the big picture and doesn’t include the nitty-gritty of a full report.

An ideal assessor has background knowledge of craft and story development. They can identify areas of opportunity to develop things such as plot, characters, and setting. They can be especially helpful in determining whether or not you’re hitting your intended marks and sparking the intended emotions.

What You’ll Get

Turnaround for a developmental assessment is about a month, depending on the length of the work. We’ll have an in-depth discussion beforehand about the direction and vision for your story. Doing this gives me an idea of where you are, where you want to be, and what specific issues may concern you. Then I can tailor my assessment to your specific goals to help you get there.

You’ll receive a detailed letter of approximately 3,000 words focusing on broad strokes and big picture impressions of your storyline, theme, dialogue, and characters.

It will include missed opportunities, messier plot points, weaker characters, and areas needing more development, flushing out, or clarification. I will also include advice I have on how you might go about strengthening and correcting those weak-spots.

Pricing

$75 flat rate short stories

$500 flat rate novels

Developmental Editing

What It Is

A developmental edit makes sure the content of your work is strong and vital. The goal is ensuring you have a compelling story for publishing.

A developmental edit should take place somewhere in the middle of your process while revising your drafts. This is because it’s aimed to polish your plot and storytelling. Developmental editors don’t bog themselves down with spelling, grammar, and sentence structure mistakes like copyeditors do.

Copyediting takes place after developmental editing and is one of the last steps an author takes before publishing. Editors at this stage aren’t concerned with what you’re saying, but how you say it. They cross your t’s, do your i’s, and make sure sentence flow free of grammatical errors.

What You’ll Get

What you’ll get from me in a full developmental edit combines all the services listed above. I look at your plot, character arcs, clarity, and pacing for any holes and areas that could be strengthened and cleaned up. I read your story from the perspective of both reader and writer. I also take a detailed look at scenes, what they contain, how they’re structured, and how they progress your plot. Finally, I examine your story’s overall structure and offer insight to help you fix problem areas.

In the end, you will receive an in-depth analysis (approximately 3,000 words) that covers impressions of the story as a whole. You will also receive a copy of your manuscript with tracked comments that look into the nitty-gritty content of your story, offering specific areas that could use development, unpacking, clarifying, or cutting.

It can take up to two months to finish a developmental edit, depending on the work’s length and the number of edits involved. This is because of the amount of detail I put into a full edit to help you get your content to its best possible place.