The Age of eBooks and its Impact on Quality
Kindles. Nooks. Sony Readers. iPads. Smart phones.
Today, you can open a book just about anywhere on any device.
The ease of publishing on Amazon or the various other options now out there has made it easier than ever to bypass the critical steps of proofreading and editing. [Heavy sigh.]
I love my Kindle, and I read on it voraciously. As a result, I’ve met a variety of authors who have been successful in the realm of digital publishing, but admit to having skipped a step or two to get their books online. These very authors are my best and now my most loyal clients.
What type of editing do you need, and what is offered by Holloway House? To get an idea of what level of editing services you might want, you can review my Editing Services.
Beta readers: Some of my authors have friends and colleagues who will beta read their manuscripts, offering plot and character comments, and even initial editing feedback. This is a great thing, but be forewarned that when people beta read as a favor, they are more focused on the story than the details of grammar, word choice, punctuation, etc. A good yarn is a good yarn, and when your friends read yours, they will likely get caught up in it, and forget to focus on the details. That’s a good thing. It means you’ve written something worth reading! Just know their feedback will likely be substantive on your story, but short on the details.
Added Value: Formatting for Digital Publishing
In addition to offering my editing, proofreading, and research services, I am able to extend my services by offering formatting for Kindle and epub.
After we have a final, approved document upon completion of the editing process, I convert and format the file, then provide the author with the appropriate files for their publishing needs.
The added value of this service allows the author to have a single resource for any future changes to the manuscript. An author can come to me for editing changes, and I can make the changes and have a new eBook file formatted and returned, usually within 48 hours. That gives me the ability to have accountability for the entire process, while also giving the author peace of mind.
Pricing for Formatting
The pricing for the formatting isn’t a matter of the book’s length. Pricing is based on the styling of the book’s content (i.e., table of contents, number of chapters, subheads, use of images, special formatting). I can provide an estimate once I receive the manuscript. It doesn’t have to be a final draft, but it does need to have all the bells and whistles anticipated.
When my clients use my formatting services in addition to the editing service, they receive two specific benefits:
1. An extra round of editing: During the formatting process, additional fine-tuning can take place. We must continually improve the manuscript.
2. Reduced fee: Less time is required to develop the format structure, special CSS, etc., because of familiarity with the file, chapters, images, special formatting, etc. These elements can be identified during the editing process for easier style application during formatting.