Apply for Editing

Apply for editing

Welcome! It takes courage to make enquiries online, let alone to find an editor for your book. It's a big step and I understand how nerve-wracking it can be to entrust your manuscript to a stranger. You definitely have courage because you are here. It shows you are taking your book seriously and treating it professionally as you explore your options in seeking expert advice. I'm Ruth, a trained and experienced editor. In editing your work, I focus on enhancing the reader's experience of your writing. I ensure that your text is accurate, consistent, and correct and reflects your voice. This application form will help you decide if you feel you can trust with me with your work and it will help me to decide if I have the capacity to help you.
You want to find out what's possible

You've likely only just become aware that I exist. Naturally, you don't want to commit to my service before you are ready but you are also keen to find out what's possible. You are doing the right thing to take this first step towards applying to work with me.
Topics and genres I don't work with

Best to let you know right up front, I do not work with sexual or violent content; or with polemics, or writing fuelled by hatred; and I am not an editor of poetry, or screenplays.
When you press "Submit"...

... your answers come straight to my inbox. I treat everything you tell me with the utmost confidence. I review your answers and email you to let you know if my editing service could be a good fit for your book. If it might be, I may provide a sample edit on your pages together with a suggested timetable, scope, and my quote.
So dive right in!

Tell me about your book and what you want from editing. By reaching out to me, you are doing the most important thing by your book. You are treating it with professional respect.
Name*

First NameLast Name
Best email for me to reach you on*
How did you hear about me?
If someone suggested you contact me, would you mind sharing their name?
This is so I can thank them.
What's your book's title?*
What would you like to be edited?*

A book for general reading (not a scholarly or academic work)A book proposal and sample chaptersA scholarly or academic workFictionNonfictionMemoirNone of these
If you ticked "None of these", this is your chance to tell me more...
Do you know what level of editing do you believe you need at this stage? If you think you need multiple levels, choose the level you want done first. If you don't know what the differences are, please don't worry: I will be able to advise you on your options after I have performed your free Sample edit.

Line EditingCopyeditingProofreading (pre-layout stage)IndexingDevelopmental Editing/Manuscript Assessment
If you have any questions so far, let me know here. Maybe you came straight to this form and haven't seen my website? Take a look: Did you see my website? ruthbullivant.com/editing-services
Please upload a few pages (max. 1,000 words) of your manuscript in MS Word. If I have capacity to accept your editing job, I will provide you with a suggested timetable, and a quote, and I will perform a Sample edit so that you can judge whether I will be of service to your book.*

Select your file from your computer and upload it here. That will make a link so I can access it. If you are worried about confidentiality, I should tell you I have been a practicing lawyer for nearly 40 years and I am still an officer of the Supreme Court, and a member of the Law Society, of England and Wales. If I breach your confidentiality, by discussing your book with other people, or plagiarising it, they will think of more inventive ways to hurt to me than by just killing me.
Cancelof
How many words does your manuscript contain?*
To the nearest thousand: e.g., 40,000, 53,000, 120,000.
What's it about?*
Who do you want to read it?*
What do you want from the editing process?*
Does your manuscript presently contain:*

illustrations or photographs or other graphics?footnotes or endnotesa bibliography or book listsidebars or other text-box insertsa table of contents set at two or more levelsmultiple in-text references to other worksmultiple MS Word Stylessupplements in .pdf form that need to be edited and incorporated?nothing more complicated than ordinary text
If your manuscript contains footnotes or endnotes, how many are there?
Would you like an Index to your edited nonfiction manuscript? (I quote a separate timetable and cost for this.)

Yes pleaseI don't know yet but remind me, if we end up working together.No thank you - my book does not need an index.
I can edit variants of the English language. Which market are you writing for, and so, which type of English do you want your book to be edited in?*

US EnglishCanadian EnglishUK EnglishAustralian English
Do you have a preference for a particular editorial style?

New Hart's Rules (UK)Chicago Manual of Style 18th Ed, 2024 (US)Relying on you to tell me what is appropriateSomething else
If "something else", what?
If your book contains references, do you have a preference for a particular referencing style?

No preferenceNo referencesNew Hart's Rules (UK)Chicago Manual of Style 18th Ed, 2024 (US)Harvard Referencing Style (US)Something else
Have you written a book before?*

Yes.No.I've written a book before but not published it.I've published multiple books.Not relevant - I'm project managing someone else's book project.
Do you enjoy writing?

To be honest, it's a bit of a chore.I love it: when I'm in the flow it's all I want to do.It depends. It's easier if I know what I need to write.I love that feeling of diving in and just writing until I hit something good.Not relevant - I'm project managing someone else's book project.
My book is written in MS Word (not in Pages, or Google Doc) and consists of one file. There is nothing more I want to add to it.*

YesNoIt's not that simple. Let me explain...
If you ticked "Let me explain", here's your chance:
I do not guarantee your book will be published.

Even though I am a great editor (and modest with it), my editing will not guarantee you success in publishing of any nature. It will make your book look more polished and professional. Nor can I guarantee you will make any money on your book, let alone enough money to cover the cost of my editing service. For 99% of authors, there is very little money to be made. The purpose of writing your book is to write the book you feel you HAVE to get out into the world, and not to swell your bank balance.
How do you hope to publish?*

Creative control of my book project is important to me so I will self-publish.I intend to seek traditional publication.I have a contractual relationship with a publisher/agent.A good friend has promised to introduce me to their publisher/literary agent.I intend to apply to a selective hybrid publisher.I have no idea yet how I want to publish.
Do you have a publishing contract with a publisher?*

YesNo
If you have signed a contract, what's the deadline for submitting your manuscript?

MonthDayYear
Pick a date on the Calendar.
Have you pitched this book, formally or informally, to agents or publishers?*

YesNo
Have you worked with another book coach, literary agent, or editor, on this book?*

YesNo
If you have, may I ask, who and in what capacity?
Do you use:*

a PCa Mac
How familiar are you with MS Word's Tracked Changes feature?*

Very familiarI think I know what you are talking about.What?
Tell me the date on which your manuscript will be ready to email to me:*

MonthDayYear
Pick a date on the Calendar.
Do you want emails from me that encourage you to keep writing?*

No thanks. My inbox is too full already.I already get your 'Letters from a Book Coach' and love them.Yes please.
Let's talk about money

If you got this far, you've already demonstrated significant commitment to your book. And you will have got a feeling for the amount of care I put into our working relationship. You are also exploring the possibility of making a substantial investment to secure my editorial input. I'm going to make a wild guess that questions about how much this is going to cost you are pushing their way to the front of the queue. I will give you an accurate quote if I have capacity to take your job on (I will email you with details) but it may help to know that for a Copyedit of a text-based manuscript with minimal footnotes and call-outs and sidebars, of between 50,000 and 75,000 words, I may charge $2,700 inc VAT. This isn't 'set in stone', so don't be put off from reaching out.
Payment in advance

I require payment of a 50% deposit in advance of any editing job so that you can secure the time in my schedule for your job. The deposit is nonrefundable and payable by credit card before your slot is secured.
Ready money

I never, EVER, enter into contingent fee arrangements nor do I agree to wait for funds to be raised by crowd-sourcing or sponsorship.
Tax. One of the two certainties of Life

I am based in the UK and being registered for UK VAT (GB239376182) I'm required by law to collect it from UK (or EU) clients and US companies (LLCs). VAT is a sales tax of 20%.
Are you:*

Based in the US and hiring me in your individual capacity?Based in the US and hiring me through an LLC?Based in the UK or the EU?Based somewhere else in the world.
While I am being super-boring and Lawyer Me, we need to talk about AI. Any of these tools, Co-Pilot, Chat GPT, etc, are great for prompts and brainstorming and so on, but it's not healthy to write your actual book with them. So, can you confirm that no text in your book has been written using generative predictive text (GPT)?*

Yes - I confirm I have not used GPT to generate text for my manuscript.No - I can't confirm I haven't used GPT to generate text for my manuscript.
Sorry to go on and on, but this one's really important. Please confirm you have taken a look at my legal terms. (ruthbullivant.com/legal)*

YesNo
Do you have any questions for me?
Thank you for answering all these questions. You have saved yourself a lot of work, and possibly frustration and disappointment, in the long run. Your answers will come straight to my inbox. I'll read them carefully and email you to let you know if I'm in a position to offer you a quote for this job.
Should be Empty:

Apply for editing

You want to find out what's possible

Topics and genres I don't work with

When you press "Submit"...

So dive right in!

I do not guarantee your book will be published.

Let's talk about money

Payment in advance

Ready money

Tax. One of the two certainties of Life