Services for Self-publishers

Do you want to self-publish your work? WritersServices offers a suite of services which help writers get their work into shape before they self-publish.

Get your manuscript ready for publication

Copy editing

We would recommend that copy editing, although not the cheapest service because of the many hours of work involved, is the most essential thing to do before you publish your book. Very few people can either turn in a perfect manuscript or see their own errors, so this vital job is one for a professional editor. Copy editing for self-publishers

Our other articles on this subject include Copy editing and Proof-reading, Getting Your Manuscript Copy edited and Divided by a common language? American versus British copy editing.

Children's Copy editing

Self-publishers of children's books should be particularly careful to get their work copy edited and WritersServices' children's editors can undertake this specialised work. As well as the standard correction of grammar and spelling, the editor will check that appropriate vocabulary for the age-group your book is intended for has been used. Children's copy editing.

Poetry Collection Editing

Get your poetry collection edited for self-publishing. Have you concluded that, given the scarcity of publishers taking on new work, it's too difficult to find a poetry publisher who will take you on? Are you ready to go ahead on your own? Do you want to make sure you know that your poetry is as good as it can be and to have some helpful suggestions about which poems to leave in and which to leave out? Poetry Collection Editing

Proof-reading

Proof-reading ensures that the text is correct and that any corrections made by the copy editor have been correctly input. If you are self-publishing you might want to skip this, but you should check the text through carefully before you pass it for press, as it will be more expensive to make the corrections later. If you can afford it, go for professional proof-reading.

Manuscript Polishing - a service for anyone who needs help with polishing their work

Are you concerned that your English may not be quite up to producing a publishable manuscript for self-publishing without some assistance from an editor? This service is designed for the many writers who intend to self-publish but may need help with getting their work up to a publishable standard, or for anyone who needs some extra help with getting their manuscript into shape. Manuscript polishing

English Language Editing service

Our English Language Editing service can polish and improve your manuscript to get it ready for publication or submission. If you are not a native English speaker but have written your book in English, or you have translated your book yourself, then you could get your translation polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker. This could be a cost-effective way of reaching the international English-speaking market. How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth).

The Writer's edit

This is a top-level service for writers who want line-editing as well as copy editing. This enhanced editing package offers you all the benefits of our expert copy editing service, plus an extra level of advice and support to help you take your writing to a new level. This line-by-line edit is specifically designed to improve your style, structure and form, and includes a set of guidance notes. The Writer's edit

The Cutting edit - a new service, just launched

So you have finished your book, but it is too long; how do you go about reducing the word count without losing important parts of your work? Our experienced editors will work with you to reduce the word count of your book while preserving the main narrative elements and your individual style and we will copy edit your book as part of the package.

Developmental editing service - another brand-new service

Writing is a continual learning process. The best authors develop their skills over time and constantly strive to improve. And there is a lot to learn: plotting; dialogue; action scenes and set pieces; character development; continuity and consistency; style, language and tone. Our developmental edit is specifically designed to help you bring your writing to the next level.

Other services for self-publishers

Blurb-writing

Are you ready to self-publish your book but can't write the back cover or jacket copy? Are you worried that it might let you down because copy-writing is a particular skill and it can be especially hard when it's your own book? A good blurb is an essential part of selling your book, both in a bookshop and online. Our skilled editors can produce your blurb for you to a professional standard.

Indexing

Are you publishing a non-fiction book which requires an index? A professional index is essential for any work of non-fiction. Readers expect to find a useful, well-presented index at the back of a book, and can get very frustrated if the index doesn't quickly lead them to the information they seek. If you are struggling to do your own index, a skilled expert can take on this job for you. Indexing.

Manuscript typing

Does the work you want to publish only exist in handwritten form? Do you need to get your material typed up, but can't face doing the job yourself? We can help with this and can provide a clean typed version of your work. Our service offers help for writers who have an old or handwritten manuscript, or audio tapes, which need re-typing before the writer can proceed with publication.

Our full range of editorial services.