Non-fiction book editing and design

You’ve got a full draft of your non-fiction book, and you’ve taken it as far as you can on your own.

But you can also tell it’s not quite there yet. It’s not as clear, structured, or readable as it needs to be to hold a reader all the way through.

That’s the point where most authors get stuck.

It’s also the point where I come in.

I offer two ways of working:

Standard
I read your manuscript and give you clear, detailed guidance on how to improve it. You implement the changes.

Done-for-you
I read your manuscript, identify what needs to change, and make those changes for you.

Here's how it works ...

Non-fiction book editing

1. Manuscript read (required first step)

Every project starts here.

I read your manuscript in full and assess:

Whether the book delivers on its core promise
What’s working and what isn’t
What level of structural work is required

You’ll receive a detailed report outlining my assessment and the recommended next steps.

Cost: $200 per 10,000 words.

2. Structural re-write

This edit is where I:

Reshape chapters and sections
Reorder ideas for clarity and flow
Tighten and rewrite sections where needed
Resolve inconsistencies and fill minor gaps

You can choose how this is delivered:

Standard - comments and markup for you to implement
Done-for-you - I make the changes directly in the manuscript

This stage suits full drafts with strong raw content that need reshaping to become clear and cohesive.

Cost: Quoted after manuscript read

3. Granular structural edit

This is a done-for-you edit.

Once the big structural issues are resolved, this phase focuses on flow and readability. It's where I:

Clean up transitions between paragraphs, sections and chapters
Improve pacing and readability
Ensure headings and structure are clear and easy to navigate
Fine-tune how ideas are delivered to the reader

Anything that might confuse the reader or break their momentum gets fixed.

By the end of this phase, your manuscript reads cleanly from start to finish and is ready for: Final line edit > Design > Proofread > Publish

Cost: 6c per word.

Book Design

Who do you want to design your book? Someone who is not just a designer, but an avid reader themselves.

Kelly is skilled in producing book designs that:

Are aesthetically pleasing
Deliver a great reading experience
Ensure the author’s ideas are clearly communicated, not just in their words, but also in how those words are presented

Kelly adores working on book designs, particularly for books she has edited.

Her favourite part of the process is seeing authors hold their book babies for the first time.

COST: Each book needs to be quoted individually, as different books require varying levels of design. But as an indicative cost, a typical business book (where the interior pages are typeset rather than individually ‘designed’) costs ~ $650 for cover design and ~ $1100 for interior design.

Consulting

So you’re writing a book and want to self-publish, but you’re not sure what you need to do to take your book from the manuscript stage to 'published'.

Kelly has self-published three books of her own, and assisted many other authors in taking their books to the world. If you’re not sure where to go from where you are right now, she can help.

COST: $250/hr for the initial call/consultation. $150/hr from there on.