FOLK&TALES
Editing Services
Editing, to me, is a privilege; honouring the vulnerability of your work while helping your words become the most powerful version of the story only you can tell.
Tayler Hill,
Author/Editor
Qualifications:
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Bachelor's of Creative Writing
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Bachelor's of Publishing
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6 + Years of Editing Experience
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Literary Agent Background
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In-House/Freelance Editor
What I Can Help You With:
Developmental Editing
I can help you with the "big picture." That can include plot, pacing, character arcs, themes, character motivation, world-building, and more. Developmental Editing involves evaluating and shaping the overall structure, content, and flow of the work to improve its coherence, clarity, and impact. Rather than focusing on grammar or punctuation (which is handled in copyediting or proofreading), developmental editing addresses substantial issues such as:
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Structure and organization: Ensuring that the manuscript has a clear and logical order. This could involve rearranging chapters or sections, improving the flow between ideas, and suggesting cuts or expansions.
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Plot and pacing: Examining how well the story progresses, whether the plot makes sense, and if the pacing is appropriate (i.e., whether the story drags in some places or moves too quickly in others).
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Character development: Analyzing whether characters are well-developed, believable, and contribute to the story. It also involves assessing character arcs and emotional depth.
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Theme and message: Ensuring the book's central themes and messages are clear and effectively communicated.
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Tone and voice: Making sure the writing style suits the intended audience and genre. It also involves looking at the consistency of the author's voice.
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Target audience: Assessing whether the content and style are appropriate for the intended readership, and if it resonates with their expectations and needs.
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Dialogue, subplots, and narrative style: Evaluating if the dialogue sounds natural, if subplots are effectively intertwined with the main plot, and if the narrative voice works for the genre.
I work closely with authors to provide detailed feedback and suggestions for enhancing their work. My goal is to strengthen the manuscript from a structural and thematic perspective, ensuring the final product is engaging, cohesive, and well-rounded before it moves on to the more technical stages of Editing (copyediting).
Copy Editing
Copy editing involves combing over your manuscript in search of mistakes related to:
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Grammar, spelling, and punctuation: Correcting mistakes in grammar, fixing spelling errors, and ensuring proper use of punctuation.
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Sentence structure: Improving the clarity and flow of sentences by restructuring awkward phrasing, eliminating wordiness, and enhancing readability.
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Consistency: Ensuring consistency in style, tone, terminology, and formatting throughout the document. This includes checking that the author uses the same spelling for terms, adheres to a specific tense, and maintains a consistent point of view.
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Clarity and readability: Making sure the meaning is clear and that sentences are easy to understand. This might involve rewording confusing passages or simplifying overly complex language.
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Word choice and style: Enhancing the style and tone of the writing to make it more polished and appropriate for the target audience. This could include eliminating clichés, redundant words, or jargon that doesn't suit the work.
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Accuracy: Fact-checking specific elements like names, dates, and locations, though this is often minimal in copy editing compared to proofreading or more intensive fact-checking.
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Formatting and adherence to style guides: Ensuring that the document follows the appropriate style guide (such as APA, Chicago, or MLA) and that formatting for headings, citations, footnotes, and references is correct.
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Consistency of voice: Ensuring that the author's voice and tone remain consistent throughout the manuscript, especially in collaborative works or those with multiple viewpoints.
Proofreading
I offer professional proofreading services for fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. This stage focuses on catching errors that slip through late in the writing process: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and consistency, so your book is publication-ready and polished to a high standard.
Querying 101
Before a manuscript finds its way into the hands of an agent or publisher, it first has to pass through a quieter, more uncertain threshold.
A query letter.
A synopsis.
Those first opening pages.
Together, they form the shape of your story in miniature—the voice, the stakes, the promise of what’s to come. They are often the only glimpse an agent will have of your work. And in just a few paragraphs or pages, a decision is made: to keep reading, or to step away. These materials ask you to do something difficult. To distill something expansive into something precise. To hold onto the heart of your story while translating it into a form that can be quickly understood, felt, and trusted.
That’s where careful, attentive feedback can make all the difference.
A query letter critique helps you find clarity—shaping your pitch so it feels both compelling and true to your work.
A synopsis critique brings structure and coherence to your story’s full arc, ensuring that what unfolds on the page is clear, engaging, and grounded.
A first pages critique focuses on that crucial opening—where voice, pacing, and presence must come together to invite the reader in.
And when considered together, as a full query package, these elements begin to speak to one another. They form a cohesive introduction to your work—one that feels intentional, aligned, and ready to be shared.
This process isn’t about reshaping your story into something it’s not. It’s about helping it come into sharper focus—so that when it reaches the right reader, it has the best chance of being truly seen.
Packages/Pricing
Developmental Edit and Copyedits with In-Line Comments and Feedback Letter (Novel)—$25 CAD per 1,000 words. This includes a single pass of the manuscript with in-line comments and all the details mentioned above.
Developmental Edit with In-Line Comments and Feedback Letter (Novel)— $20 CAD per 1,000 words.
This includes a single pass of the manuscript with in-line comments and all the details mentioned above.
Copyedit with In-Line Comments (Novel)— $15 CAD per 1,000 words. This includes a single pass of the manuscript with in-line comments and all the details mentioned above.
Proofreading—$10 CAD per 1,000 words. This includes a single pass of the manuscript and the details mentioned above.
Children's Book Package— $250 CAD. This includes a developmental/copyedit with in-line comments and a feedback letter. This includes a double pass of the picture book.
Query Letter Critique—$55 CAD. This includes two passes of your query letter: detailed in-line comments and summary comments on the first pass.
Synopsis Critique— $60 CAD. This includes a single pass at your synopsis (up to 1,000 words) with detailed in-line and summary comments.
First 10 Pages Critique—$75 CAD. This includes a single pass at your first ten pages (up to 5,000 words), including detailed in-line comments and summary comments.
Full Query Package Critique—$175 CAD. This includes all three of the above services (query letter critique, synopsis critique, and critique of the first ten pages).
How I Work With My Clients
Step #1: Connect - Let's meet! Tell me about your book, what you're looking for, and what you hope to accomplish.
Step #2: Book a time. We will review our schedules and devise a suitable timeline to ensure a smooth process.
Step #3: Get started. Once everything is finalized (meeting, schedule, payment), I will get started on helping you make your book the best version of itself!
