Editing

 Wildling Press offers top-tier book editing services from experienced editors who know your genre, your readers, and how to level-up your manuscript while highlighting your book's unique voice and message.
Our editors excel in the art of language and story and know the Chicago Manual of Style like the back of their hand. 
We truly care about doing high-quality work that exceeds our authors' expectations.

We are experts in developmental and copyediting of multiple genres:
-Fiction (children's, middle-grade, YA, and adult in genres like fantasy, literary, sci-fi, speculative, horror, romance, mystery/thriller, humor)
-Non-fiction (business, self-help, memoir,  how-to/guides, cookbooks, photography, social sciences)

The most incredible thing about working with Wildling so far has been the editing process. The team obsesses over quality, communicates clearly, works meticulously, and absolutely will not let you get away with anything mediocre. In the brave new world of indie publishing, your manuscript will need this kind of tough love to shine.

--Perin Gürel, PhD professor at Notre Dame and author of Laleh and the Language of the Birds (2026)

Check out more author testimonials here.
Check out Wildling books here.

Copyediting

A professional copy edit is crucial to your book's success, and Wildling can give you a . You need a team of professional editors who have worked in the industry for a decade, who know the art of language, and who know the Chicago Manual of Style like the back of their hand. 

One of our skilled copyeditors go line-by-line to fix:

spelling, grammatical, & mechanical errors

We'll correct any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors using our expertise and industry tools like Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster's Dictionary.

word choice errors

It's our job to understand the subtle nuances of the English language so you don't have to! We'll find those funny word choices and make recommendations for improvement.

sentence structure

Nothing can ruin a great book like repetitive, boring, or awkward sentence structure. We'll find these issues and offer recommendations for smoother, more engaging writing.

awkward language

Sometimes it just doesn't sound right! Maybe you're using too many words, or not enough. Maybe the dialogue isn't exactly natural. We'll fix it!

consistency

It's hard to keep track of every little detail in your book, but inconsistency is a real turn-off for your readers. We'll make sure your language, story, and details stay consistent over the entirety of your book.

clarity

Clarity is essential in good writing. Clarity issues can be grammatical, like a dangling modifier, or stylistic, like not describing a scene in the way that's easy for a reader to imagine.

Developmental Editing

A Wildling developmental edit is more than just advanced writing technique--it's where true editing magic happens! With a Wildling developmental editor, the craft of storytelling is artfully applied (in both fiction and non-fiction!) to engage your readers from the first paragraph through the final sentence.
It takes an editing professional with years of experience, a deep knowledge of your genre, and a true talent for story to do it right. We'll help you develop and organize your book so that your story or message is clear, compelling, and impactful.

One of our skilled developmental editors will:

read your manuscript carefully

All of our editors are lifelong critical readers with education and experience in writing critique.

identify areas that need strengthening

We'll make a list of plot, character, scene, storyline, dialogue, and other big picture issues, and we'll be totally honest (but kind!) about those problems.

list actionable solutions
​& ideas

We won't just tell you what's wrong and then shrug. We're going to tell you what we'd do to fix these issues.

A great developmental edit often improves:

  • plot: What is story without a strong plot? We'll stitch up your plot holes and help you find places where the story can be neater, stronger, and/or more straightforward.
  • tension building: Is your story compelling enough from page to page to get a reader all the way to the end? Or do some of your scenes drag, regardless of how important they are to the plot? You need energy, tension, and intrigue to keep your readers engaged and locked in until the very end.
  • character development: The main thing that makes a story satisfying is character development. You don't want to read a book where the main character is unchanged at the end!
  • title: Often authors get attached to a title early on in their drafting process and need some help finding the best title for selling the finished product.
  • dialogue: A lot of authors struggle to write convincing dialogue, but it's so important to making your story feel real!
  • language use: Some authors have a hard time honing their voice, and we're here to help you find that consistent voice that matches the content of your book.
I found the editing process to be everything I wanted and more. I felt respected and challenged, and that my intentions as a writer were completely understood. My manuscript became more and more polished--and closer and closer to my ideal--with every pass. 

After 3+ rounds of careful, thoughtful edits, proofreading, design, and marketing, I am two weeks out from publication and feel so thankful that my debut novel ended up at Wildling Press. 

–-Ali Gordon, comedian, performer, and author of We Have Reached the End of Our Show

Check out more author testimonials here.
Check out Wildling books here.

Pricing

Base pricing for a copyedit is typically $0.04 per word.
Base pricing for a developmental edit is typically $0.05 per word.
Click here or the button below to receive a customized quote.

Not sure what you need?

Start by completing our literary services quote request form, and we can go from there. We're happy to help you figure out exactly what services would best serve your book, its author, and its readers!