Developmental editing | book collaboration/book doctoring | book proposal Writing & Reviews | strategic consulting
experienced.
professional.
results-oriented.
In addition to having successful self-publishing clients, my clients are represented by literary agents and have contracts with HarperCollins, Oxford University Press, TarcherPerigee (Penguin), Prometheus Books, Santa Monica Press, She Writes Press, and other high-quality independent publishers.
My clients have earned more than 55 book and writing awards; bestseller rankings, including New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon Charts; and nationally recognized media placements.
Nonfiction books I ghostwrote or collaborated on have won a NYC Big Book Award, been recognized as a 2020 Shelf Unbound Top Notable Indie, and listed by Parade Magazine as one of the “24 Best Memoirs to Read in 2020.”
My interests are broad, but I specialize in working on high-impact nonfiction with academics, medical professionals and researchers, human and animal rights advocates, athletes, and entertainers.
My personal essays, creative nonfiction, and business articles have been published by IDAHO magazine, Idaho Business Review, Unbound Northwest, and more. And I cover the vegan and film festival beat for The Boise Beat and write film reviews for The Boise Beat and The LA Beat.
My experience working with traditionally published authors and literary agents and writing for and submitting to editors at various publications gives me a deeper understanding of my client's needs, fears, and experiences. I use my industry knowledge and experience to help my clients stand out in a crowded marketplace.
developmental editing
Developmental editing is all about structure (story) and persuasiveness. I evaluate your manuscript according to my tried-and-true, genre-specific methodology, so you have confidence as you revise your manuscript and put your ideas in front of the people you want to inform, influence, and entertain.
I recommend this in-depth analysis for first-time authors.
In addition to a comprehensive editing report and in-manuscript notes, I record custom video tutorials to guide you through some of the trickier concepts and encourage you as you revise your manuscript.
I will evaluate your manuscript on four levels that include up to 11 genre-specific inspection categories:
nonfiction up to 60,000 words: $2,600
nonfiction 60,000-80,000 words: $3,500
fiction up to 80,000 words: $4,000
fiction up to 100,000 words: $4,400
Book Doctoring collaboration
This service is for aspiring authors who are looking for a proven writing professional to help them restructure and rewrite a book they're having a hard time pulling together.
My collaboration process starts with a developmental review and is informed by my education and business background and what I've learned as a published writer and when teaching and talking to aspiring authors at workshops, conferences, and business events and by engaging with literary agents, publishers, booksellers, and readers.
This service includes book proposal writing.
nonfiction up to 60,000 words: $18,000
memoir up to 60,000 words: $22,000
Ghostwriting collaboration
For busy professionals or memoirists with information to share and stories to tell but not the time or creative writing skills necessary to write a commercially viable book, I offer "as told to" services.
This service includes book proposal writing.
standard nonfiction $35,000
memoir $40,000
book proposal Reviews & coaching
If you already have a book proposal...
If you want a professional analysis and substantive editing feedback on your query letter and book proposal before submitting it to literary agents or publishers, I offer book proposal reviews (up to 60 double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font pages).
$2,000
pay-as-you-go/Hourly Rate
Consulting services are baked into my writing and editing service, but I also offer hourly rate consulting for those seeking strategic advice outside of the services outline on this page.
For Authors Who Aspire to Be Traditionally Published...
My hourly rate is a popular add-on service for authors during the revision process. We often start with a full developmental or substantive edit at a flat rate, then move to an hourly rate for follow-up manuscript review.
Contact me for my current hourly rates.
what literary agents & acquisition editors say
A literary agent recently said, "I'm glad [client] worked with you to hone the proposal because the hard work shows and cohesiveness shows." (October 2021)
According to client Steve Adelman, "The first major acquisition editor who saw my book proposal commented, 'For a first time author, this certainly is not a first time proposal.'"
"After 15+ years in publishing, I can say that Cristen sets the gold standard for freelance editing. She recently worked with us on a client's memoir proposal, including an extensive amount of co-writing of sample chapters. From the start of the process, I was highly impressed with her writing, her ideas, and just how much organization and inspiration she brought to the project. Her writing was beautiful, clear, and very true to the author's unique voice. Collaborating with her has been a joy for both author and agent. She had tremendous impact on this project, and we will look forward to working with her on many more, given our experience." --Lilly Ghahremani, JD, MBA, literary agent and co-founder of Full Circle Literary
select project portfolio
Want to learn more about how I set my rates? Read this article that I originally wrote for Unbound Northwest: The Cost of Doing Business: How Freelance Service Providers Make a Living and visit the Editorial Freelancers Association site for a table with editing services and prices.
statement of values
I am an inclusive businessperson.
I do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, country of origin, age, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, gender identity, or sexual orientation in any of my activities or operations and will not contract with any author or vendor who demonstrates a disregard for the dignity, safety, and overall well-being of any other person or group.
When working together, we agree that without intellectual integrity and respect for human dignity, our work has little value. Therefore, we place the wellbeing and education of readers in the forefront of our minds and agree to focus our efforts on providing maximum value to them.
