It covers the developmental book editing work you’ve accepted in our proposal, along with the deliverables listed below.
We’ll use this agreement to stay aligned on what we’re doing, what you’ll send us, how feedback and revisions work, and when payments fall due. If anything in the accepted proposal and this agreement ever collide, we’ll talk it through and confirm the agreed wording in writing before we move forward.
What you get
We’ll provide developmental book editing focused on structure, scene-level craft, and a clear plan for revision, without rewriting your voice or taking control of your book. You’ll find the specific deliverables for your selected package listed under this section.
Before we start, you’ll send one complete manuscript file in Word or Google Docs, plus any notes you have on genre, audience, and comparable books. If you have a query draft, include it. Pricing assumes a manuscript length consistent with the package you chose. If the word count changes materially after booking, we’ll confirm any price change in writing before we continue.
* Manuscript assessment letter * In-manuscript comments pass * Scene list and structure map * Revision roadmap with priorities * Full outline and rebuild plan * Query package edit
Payment
To book the project, you pay 30% of the total price when the proposal is signed. That booking payment reserves your slot and lets us lock in start and handoff dates.
The remaining 70% is due when we hand over the finished work. We’ll invoice at those two points, and each invoice is payable within 14 days of the invoice date. If a payment is late, we’ll pause work and hold delivery until the account is brought current. If a pause affects the schedule, we’ll reschedule the remaining work based on our calendar at that time.
Revisions and rounds
This project includes one revision round. A revision round means this: after we deliver the developmental pass, you revise, then we review one revised manuscript version and respond at the same level we agreed for the package.
A round is tied to one revised file from you. If you send multiple versions, add new chapters, or ask us to rework the plan because the direction of the book changed, that’s beyond the included round. If you want a second round, or anything outside the selected package, we’ll quote the added scope and price in writing and get your approval before we do that work.
Who owns what
Your manuscript, your characters, your world, and your query materials stay yours at all times. Once you’ve paid in full, you can use everything we deliver for this project, including the editorial letter, in-manuscript comments, scene list, maps, and revision plans, as part of revising, publishing, and pitching your book.
We keep ownership of our internal materials: templates, checklists, frameworks, and our working files we use to produce the edit. We’re happy to hand over the agreed deliverables in common formats, but we don’t transfer our behind-the-scenes tools or processes. We also keep your files and project details private and don’t share them without your permission.
Limits and expectations
We’ll give you our best editorial judgment, explain what we’re seeing on the page, and suggest options. You still make the final decisions. Because of that, we can’t promise outcomes like landing an agent, securing a book deal, hitting a list, or receiving specific reviews.
We also can’t be responsible for losses that sit outside the scope of editorial work, like missed opportunities caused by your submission timing, platform changes, or decisions made after you revise. If something goes wrong because of a clear mistake on our side, tell us promptly and we’ll work with you in good faith to make it right within the boundaries of the project.
Ending the project
If you need to stop the project, or if we need to stop it, we’ll give notice in writing and we’ll agree the effective end date in writing. Up to that date, you’ll pay for the work we’ve completed and any non-cancellable costs we’ve already committed to for your project.
After termination, we’ll hand over what’s finished and paid for at that point, in the same kind of formats we normally deliver. If we’re waiting on overdue payment, we may hold back handoff until the account is current. If the project pauses because we’re waiting on files or answers from you, we’ll treat it as a schedule change and reset dates based on availability when you’re ready to restart.
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