Author Services

Thorough, professional, confidential editing and stellar ad copy, for every stage of your manuscript.

My background: I have a master’s degree in English literature. I have taught English and writing, and have been freelance editing and copywriting for the last several years.

Editing: I’ll spot the problems lurking in your manuscript that keep it from being its best, and give you suggestions on how to make your story shine.

Ad copy: So many authors dread writing the copy for their books, whether they’re being published physically or electronically. If trying to distill your magnum opus into a couple of snazzy paragraphs makes you want to tear your hair out, you’ve come to the right place. I produce crisp, professional copy that will capture the essence of your story and tantalize readers. (You can see a sample of my work here — scroll down to the product description.)

Editing options: I can work with your first few pages, your first 50 pages, or your entire manuscript. Short stories and nonfiction are also welcome.

Critique: An overall response to the manuscript that points out what is and isn’t working, and what you can do to improve things. To save paper and the environment, I prefer to use Microsoft Word and leave suggestions and comments in your manuscript via Track Changes. If your work is still in its early stages, this is a good choice.

Critique plus line edit: In addition to providing a critique as described above, I will also edit your manuscript for clarity and sentence structure.

Line edit only: If a manuscript is structurally sound, it may only need a light line edit.

Copy edit: Editing for style, word choice and correctness.

Copy edit and line edit: I’m adding this because it seems to be a popular option. The mss that come to me for this often need more extensive copy editing than authors realize.

In all cases, I’ll have you send me a few sample pages for review first, and then tell you what I think will be needed before we proceed.

(Note: a page means double-spaced, with a 12-point font, approximately 250 words.)

Ad copy options: I can work from your synopsis, or your entire ms if you prefer (but if you’re confident in your synopsis, that’ll save you some money).

Rates: (Note: I may, at my discretion, discount the copy and line editing rates for those who send me a clean mss that is truly ready for that level of attention.)

Copy edit only: $1.00 per page.

Line edit only: $1.25 per page.

Critique only: $1.50 per page.

Copy edit plus line edit: $2.25 per page.

Critique plus line edit: $2.50 per page.

Jacket copy: $50 minimum, $75 per hour.

Confidentiality: I will not discuss your story with anyone, ever, until the day you present it to the world.

What clients say:

Editing

- I can’t recommend Cara Wallace enough. No matter how clean I think a manuscript is, she makes it sparkle — and saves me from ridiculous errors. A fresh eye is invaluable. She brings the eye, and the brain too. She’ll expose the weak spots in logic and syntax as well as grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

- I’ve used Cara’s services for both fiction and non-fiction projects. I’ve found her edits and feedback to be both accurate and insightful. I’d definitely recommend her services to fellow writers.

Copywriting

- I swear it’s easier to write an entire novel than to distill its essence into attention-grabbing jacket copy. If you can’t write blurbs like I can’t write blurbs — or you just don’t want to struggle with them anymore — I highly recommend Cara Wallace.

- My editor and I fielded a number of candidates for my book’s jacket copy, but none of them really struck our fancy. Cara’s suggestion came during the 11th hour, was spot-on, and made our jaws drop. I can’t recommend her enough.

- Cara quickly grasps the nuances of even the most challenging assignment and delivers concise, engaging copy that helps sell to a variety of audiences. She makes our marketing pieces, and our clients, look great.

Contact: carawallacebooks@gmail.com