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Book editing and proofreading
Readers forgive a slow chapter. They do not forgive a typo on page three, and their reviews say so. An editor who works in your genre takes your manuscript through structure, sentences and a final proofread, in that order, with every change shown in tracked changes for you to accept.
Send a few pages and tell us the word count. You get a free sample edit or a written quote within one business day, and nothing is charged until you approve it.
The short answer
Columbia Publication edits books in three stages: developmental editing for structure and story, copy editing for clarity, grammar and consistency, and proofreading for the final errors. Each manuscript is matched to an editor who works in its genre, every change is delivered in tracked changes with an editorial letter, and two revision rounds are included per pass. Editing alone is quoted per manuscript within one business day; it is also included in publishing packages, with proofreading from $2,499, a full copy edit from $4,999 and all three levels from $7,500.
Prices checked October 26, 2026 · Reviewed by Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Next review November 2026 · How we check
Is this you?
You cannot see your own mistakes. Nobody can.
After the tenth read your brain fills in the missing word and skips the repeated one. Friends are kind. Spellcheck catches spelling, not sense. And the most expensive problems, a plot hole, a muddled argument, a chapter in the wrong place, are invisible from inside the book.
An editor reads it fresh, in the right order: structure first, then sentences, then a final proof. You see every change, you decide on every change, and the book that comes back still sounds like you.
Start here
Match the edit to where the manuscript is. Market rates are shown so you can compare; your own price is quoted on your manuscript.
| Edit | Market rate per word | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental editing | 2.6 to 5.3 cents | The story, structure or argument is not working yet: pacing, plot, chapter order, the thread of the argument |
| Copy editing | 2.0 to 3.2 cents | The story works, but sentences, clarity, consistency and grammar need a professional pass |
| Proofreading | 1.4 to 2.1 cents | It has been edited and needs every remaining error caught before it goes to print |
| All three, in order | Quoted together | It is your first book, or the draft has not been edited at all. This is where most first books start |
Not sure which? Apply for the free sample edit below. An editor edits your first 1,000 words and tells you which stages your book needs, with the price.
Market rates: Reedsy, February 2026. Editing is also included in our publishing packages: proofreading from $2,499, a full copy edit from $4,999 and all three levels from $7,500.
The three stages
Each stage fixes a different layer of the book, which is why the order matters. A proofread cannot fix a plot hole, and polishing sentences in a chapter that will be cut is money spent twice.
Structure, pacing, character and argument. You receive an editorial letter with specific recommendations and notes in the margin, so you know what to change and why.
Every sentence for clarity, grammar, flow and consistency, with a style sheet that records names, spellings and choices so they stay the same on page 300 as on page 3.
The final pass for typos, punctuation, repeated words and formatting slips, checked against the style sheet before the book goes to layout.
Edits arrive in tracked changes in Word. You accept, reject or query each one, and two revision rounds are included in every pass.
Not sure which stage you need? The free sample edit tells you.
Get My Editing QuoteThe math
Published market averages for a 60,000-word manuscript, beside what the same edit costs inside one of our packages, where it comes with everything else the book needs to be published.
| Edit | Market average, 60,000 words | With Columbia Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Proofreading | $840 to $1,260 | Included in Full Production, $2,499, with cover design, formatting, ISBNs and distribution to every major store |
| Copy editing | $1,200 to $1,920 | Included in Authority System, $4,999, with proofreading, an author website, keyword setup and a press release |
| Developmental editing | $1,560 to $3,180 | All three levels included in Authority Plus, from $7,500, with an audiobook, printed copies and a bestseller launch |
Need the edit on its own? It is quoted on your manuscript within one business day. See the book editing cost guide for rates by word count.
Your voice
No. The job is to make you sound like the best version of yourself, not like the editor. Your editor works inside your style: what is wrong gets fixed, what is unclear gets clearer, and what is distinctly yours is left alone.
A thriller and a leadership book are different jobs. Your manuscript goes to an editor who reads and edits in its category, so the advice fits what your readers expect.
Tracked changes show what changed. The editorial letter explains why. Nothing is imposed without a reason you can see.
Every pass is done by a human editor on our team. Your manuscript is never fed into an AI tool.
When editing is done, the same team can take the manuscript into cover design, formatting and distribution, with no handover gaps.
Real books
Three of the books we have edited and published, each live on Amazon with Columbia Publication as publisher.
Fantasy novel in ebook, paperback, hardcover and a 12-hour audiobook. Editing, cover, formatting, distribution, marketing and audio. 4.7 stars from 21 Amazon reviews. Case study
Children’s book for ages 3 to 12, 236 pages in hardcover and paperback. Editing, illustration, cover, formatting and publishing.
Christian memoir in Kindle, hardcover and paperback. Editing, cover, formatting and publishing.
The shortcut
You can, and some authors do. The risk is that readers judge a self-published book by the same standard as every other book in the store, and early reviews that mention errors stay on the page for the life of the book. If budget is the concern, a proofread is the minimum worth paying for, and the free sample edit shows you how much your manuscript actually needs before you spend anything. Read more in can you self-publish without editing.
When it is done
A stranger finishes your book and writes about the story, not the typos. The middle no longer drags, the ending lands, and every page reads cleanly. When you open the finished copy, it sounds exactly like you, only sharper.
“It turned out better than I could have imagined when I first started.”
Jason Patterson, author of City of the Gods, which we edited and published. Read the case study
Editing on its own
Each is quoted on your manuscript, with the price and schedule in writing before work starts.
Final polish
Quoted per manuscript
For an edited manuscript that needs every last error caught before print.
A manuscript that goes to print without the typos and slips reviewers quote back at you, checked line by line by a professional proofreader.
Included in Full Production from $2,499
Price My ManuscriptMost chosen
Quoted per manuscript
For a finished draft that has not had a professional edit. Every sentence, then a final proof.
Every sentence tightened for clarity and consistency, then a final proof, so the draft reads like a published book and still sounds like you.
Included in Authority System from $4,999
Price My ManuscriptEvery level
Quoted per manuscript
Developmental, copy edit and proofread, in order. The right start for most first books.
Structure, sentences and final errors fixed in the right order, so you never pay to polish chapters that later need to move.
Included in Authority Plus from $7,500
Price My ManuscriptKnow what you are buying before you buy it
Paid in full upfront once you approve the written quote. Publishing too? Editing costs less inside a publishing package, where cover, formatting, ISBNs and distribution are included.
What you can count on
How it runs
We’ve started with Editing & proofreading. Add anything else your manuscript needs, and a specialist sends an itemised quote within one business day. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Written quote within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it. 100% of your rights stay yours.
Questions
Editing alone is quoted on your manuscript within one business day. For reference, Reedsy’s February 2026 averages for 60,000 words are $840 to $1,260 for proofreading, $1,200 to $1,920 for copy editing and $1,560 to $3,180 for developmental editing. Inside our packages, proofreading is included from $2,499, a full copy edit from $4,999 and all three levels from $7,500.
Developmental editing fixes structure, pacing and argument. Copy editing fixes sentences: clarity, grammar and consistency. Proofreading catches the last errors before print. They work in that order, never in reverse.
Many first books do. A manuscript that has already been edited may only need a proofread. The free sample edit tells you which stages your manuscript needs before you commit.
No. Your editor works inside your style and every change comes as a tracked change you can accept or reject.
No. Every pass is done by a human editor, and your manuscript is never put into an AI tool.
The length, the stages and how quickly you review each pass set the schedule. Your schedule is confirmed in writing with your quote.
Yes, and it costs less that way. Full Production ($2,499) includes proofreading, Authority System ($4,999) a full copy edit and Authority Plus (from $7,500) all three levels, each with cover, formatting, ISBNs and distribution.
In full, once you approve the written quote for the stages your manuscript needs. That books your matched editor and confirms the return date.
Word count, genre and where the manuscript is. An editor replies within one business day.
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