The
Polishing Potion
Copyediting
Where the details align and the prose becomes seamless.
Once the structure is sound and the prose is flowing smoothly, the manuscript enters its most meticulous phase: the polish. Copyediting is the art of precision — grammar, punctuation, continuity, syntax, and the small mechanical choices that make your writing feel clean and professional.
The Polishing Potion is where I examine the text line by line to ensure consistency, correctness, and clarity, leaving you with a manuscript that shines without losing any of its original warmth.
The Transformation
Copyediting is often described as the moment a manuscript ‘tightens’ and the last distractions fall away. Misaligned commas, wandering tenses, inconsistent capitalisation, timeline slips, odd phrasing, missing words, repeated words, continuity snags… all resolved.
The result is prose that reads effortlessly, a story that feels coherent and trustworthy, and a manuscript ready for beta readers, agents, or publishing.
The PRocess
Copyediting requires precision, so I begin by creating a style sheet — a living document that tracks spelling decisions, capitalisation choices, formatting conventions, character names, dates, and any stylistic rules that emerge from your manuscript.
Then comes the careful pass through your work. Using Track Changes, I correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency errors, and layout issues. Dialogue formatting, tense usage, spacing, and continuity are checked with a methodical eye.
Any unclear or awkward areas are flagged with comments so you understand the reasoning behind the correction.
You receive:
An edited manuscript with visible changes
A clean version with all corrections applied
A copy of the style sheet documenting decisions and conventions for future drafts
A copyediting workflow document outlining each step of the process.
If anything needs unpacking once you’ve read through the edits, we can schedule a chat to walk through it together.
What’s Included
• Grammar, punctuation, and syntax corrections
• Clarity improvements that keep your voice intact
• Correction of typos, missing words, and doubled words
• Tense, point-of-view, and register consistency
• Dialogue punctuation and formatting corrections
• Continuity checks (names, dates, timelines, descriptions)
• Style-sheet creation for consistent conventions
• Track Changes across the entire manuscript
• A clean copy with all edits accepted
• A short summary note outlining patterns and choices
Price & Turnaround
Every manuscript is different, so the exact quote depends on length and scope. As a guide:
Price:
Copyediting for fiction is €0.02 per word, including full Track Changes edits and a detailed style sheet.
Turnaround:
Most projects are completed within 2–3 weeks, depending on length and density. Manuscripts over 100k words may need a little more time for accuracy and consistency checks.
Rush timelines can sometimes be accommodated — just ask.
FAQs
Does copyediting change my writing style?
No. Copyediting preserves your voice and style while removing distractions such as grammar slips, syntax issues, and inconsistencies. The goal is to make your writing clearer and more professional without altering your natural tone.
Can I request focus on certain recurring errors?
Yes. If you’re aware of recurring issues in your writing, I can pay particular attention to them during the edit.
Is copyediting the same as proofreading?
Not quite. Proofreading is the final pass, catching typos and formatting errors. Copyediting goes deeper, addressing grammar, syntax, and consistency to ensure professional polish.
What genres do you accept?
All fiction: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, mystery, YA, historical, and literary.
Writers usually tell me that copyediting makes their manuscript feel ‘stable’ for the first time. The distracting errors are gone, the formatting aligns, and the text reads cleanly from page to page. The Polishing Potion brings order and consistency to the surface of the story.
