Book Editing Services
Book editing is included in Harmony Publishing's packages from Complete at $1,299: Complete ($1,299), Premium ($2,499) and Rockstar ($4,999) each add a deeper edit, from proofreading up to a developmental and editorial review. Authors keep 100% of their royalties and rights, and a full package takes 4–6 weeks.
Book editing gets your manuscript ready for readers. We edit for self-published authors at four levels: a developmental review, line editing, copyediting and proofreading. Editing is part of our publishing packages: proofreading from Complete, copyediting and proofreading from Premium (up to 60,000 words), and a developmental and editorial review from Rockstar (up to 80,000 words). These manuscript editing services come with the package you choose: see the publishing packages or read our book editing guide.
Editing is included in our publishing packages
We don't charge by the word. Tell us about your manuscript and we will recommend the package that fits, or compare the packages and prices.
Get a quoteProfessional book editing: the types we do
Developmental review
What it fixes: The big picture: structure, argument or plot, pacing, gaps and what a reader will struggle with.
Choose it when: Your draft is complete but you are not sure it works as a whole.
Included from Rockstar (up to 80,000 words)
Line editing
What it fixes: How the book reads, sentence by sentence: flow, clarity, rhythm, tone and word choice.
Choose it when: The structure is right but the prose feels flat, wordy or uneven.
Ask us for a quote
Copyediting
What it fixes: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency of names and facts, and one house style throughout.
Choose it when: The book is finished and you want it correct and consistent.
Included with proofreading from Premium (up to 60,000 words)
Proofreading
What it fixes: The final check of the typeset pages: typos, missed words, and layout slips before printing.
Choose it when: Always, as the last step before your book goes to print.
Included from Complete
What editing each package includes
| Package | Price (USD) | Editing included |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $699 | No editing listed for this package. |
| Complete | $1,299 |
|
| Premium | $2,499 |
|
| Rockstar | $4,999 |
|
| Legend | $9,999 | No editing listed for this package. |
What does a book editor do?
A book editor reads your manuscript the way your readers will, and removes whatever stops them: a structure that wanders, sentences that trip, inconsistent names and dates, or a typo on page 212. Good editing is invisible. Readers simply find the book easy to trust and hard to put down.
Editing happens in order, from the biggest changes to the smallest: developmental work first, then line editing if the prose needs it, then copyediting, and proofreading last, on the laid-out pages. Doing it in that order means no one polishes a chapter that is later cut.
Which edit does your manuscript need?
| If this sounds like your book | Start with |
|---|---|
| Readers say the middle drags, or the argument loses its thread | Developmental review |
| The story or argument works, but sentences feel clunky | Line editing |
| You are confident in the writing but want it correct and consistent | Copyediting |
| The book is laid out and ready to print | Proofreading |
Not sure? Tell us about your manuscript when you ask for a quote and we will recommend the edit and the package.
How much does book editing cost?
Independent editors typically charge about $200 to $3,000 to edit a 50,000-word book, depending on the type of edit: proofreading is the cheapest and a developmental edit the most. We don't sell editing by the word. At Harmony Publishing editing is part of a publishing package, as the last column shows.
| Type of edit | Typical market cost (50,000 words) | At Harmony Publishing |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental editing | $1,500 – $3,000 | Included from Rockstar (up to 80,000 words) |
| Line editing | $800 – $1,600 | Ask us for a quote |
| Copyediting | $500 – $1,200 | Included with proofreading from Premium (up to 60,000 words) |
| Proofreading | $200 – $500 | Included from Complete |
Market ranges are the 2026 figures in our book editing costs guide; they vary with the editor, the genre and the state of the manuscript. See what each edit does on types of book editing, and our packages for what is included at each price.
How editing fits into publishing your book with us
- Send your manuscript (Word .docx): any genre, any length.
- We edit it at the level your package includes, and format it into a professional interior.
- We design your cover and assign the ISBN and barcode.
- You approve the final files, and we print your copies and publish your eBook.
A full package takes 4–6 weeks standard; occasionally up to 8 weeks. After editing, see book formatting and cover design.
Novel editing services: what a novel needs
A novel is edited in layers. A developmental review looks at plot, character arcs, pacing and point of view across the whole book. Line editing works on voice, dialogue and how each scene reads. Copyediting checks grammar and consistency: names, timelines, places and details such as eye colour from chapter to chapter. Proofreading is the last pass on the typeset pages. Do them in that order, because a structural change makes the line edits on the cut material wasted work.
Our publishing packages include proofreading from Complete, copyediting from Premium (manuscripts up to 60,000 words) and a developmental review from Rockstar (up to 80,000 words); a longer novel is quoted individually. See developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading, our professional book proofreading services, or compare the packages.
Editing Christian and faith books
We edit devotionals, Bible studies and ministry books, and we can check the Bible verse references in your manuscript so each quotation matches the passage it cites. If you quote a modern translation at length, read our guide to Scripture permissions, and see Christian book publishing.
Authors in the UK, Canada and Australia
Editing happens online, so where you live doesn't matter. In the UK, Canada and Australia your finished book prints on demand through Amazon KDP and IngramSpark; we don't run local print shops there. Country guides: UK, Canada, Australia.
Some of the books we've published
Love Lessons & Group Chats
Shajuan Connell
Vitamin D: Kingdom Leadership
C.C. Giambrone
Knowing Your Knowing
L. Anthony Loman
Leading from the Heart as A Social Worker
Ionica Moldovianu
Beyond the Cross
Jonathan Fajembola
What Love Left Unfinished
Esther Okuru
See every title in our author gallery.
What authors say
- ★★★★★
“I was very pleased with my end product! My book looks amazing and exactly as I had envisioned. The quality is excellent and my website is also very professionally done. Id recommend Harmony Publishing for any new author starting out on their writing journey.”
Shajuan Connell, United States · Sep 15, 2026 · Verified
Read on Trustpilot - ★★★★★
“As a first-time author, I am truly grateful for my experience with Harmony Publishing. They helped make the process of publishing my first books both successful and rewarding. … Whenever I had questions, the Harmony Publishing team was very responsive and always provided thorough, helpful answers. … I would gladly recommend Harmony Publishing to other first-time authors who are looking for guidance and support in bringing their books to life.”
C.C. Giambrone, United States · Sep 5, 2026
Read on Trustpilot - ★★★★★
A Meaningful Start to My Author Journey
“Harmony Publishing helped publish all three books in my Vitamin D collection: Daily Doses of Faith, Kingdom Leadership, and Military Edition. As a first-time author, seeing my words become published books was a meaningful milestone. I also appreciate their help with promoting my books and making them available online, giving more readers the opportunity to discover them. I’m grateful for their role in helping me share messages of faith, encouragement, and leadership. — C.C. Giambrone”
Book editing FAQs
What does a book editor do?
A book editor reads your manuscript as your future readers will and fixes what gets in their way. Depending on the edit, that means the structure and pacing (developmental), how each sentence reads (line editing), correctness and consistency (copyediting), or the last typos on the typeset pages (proofreading).
How much does a book editor cost?
We don't sell editing by the word. Editing is part of our publishing packages, and the cheapest package that includes it is Complete at $1,299. Complete ($1,299) includes proofreading; Premium ($2,499) includes professional copyediting & proofreading; Rockstar ($4,999) includes comprehensive developmental & editorial review. Every package keeps 100% of your royalties and rights.
What kind of editing does a novel need?
Most novels need four passes, in order: a developmental review of plot, characters and pacing; line editing for voice and dialogue; copyediting for grammar and consistency of names, timelines and details; and a proofread of the typeset pages. If beta readers are happy with the story, you can start at line editing or copyediting. Our packages include proofreading from Complete, copyediting from Premium and a developmental review from Rockstar.
How much does it cost to edit a 300 page book?
A 300-page book is roughly 75,000 words. Scaling up the per-type ranges in our editing cost guide (published for 50,000 words), that is about $300 for proofreading to $4,500 for developmental editing, depending on the type of edit. Harmony does not sell editing by the word: copyediting and proofreading are included from the Premium package for manuscripts up to 60,000 words, and a developmental review from Rockstar for manuscripts up to 80,000 words, so a longer manuscript is quoted individually. Ask us for a quote with your word count.
Can ChatGPT edit a book?
It can help with a first pass: catching typos, flagging repeated words and suggesting alternative phrasings. It cannot judge whether your structure works, it can change facts or your voice without telling you, and it misses inconsistencies across a whole manuscript. Use it for rough clean-up if you like, and have a human editor do the copyedit and a proofreader check the typeset pages before you print.
Is it legal to use AI to edit a book?
Yes, there is no law against using software to help edit your own writing. The rules that matter are the retailers'. Amazon KDP's content guidelines ask you to say when text, images or translations are AI-generated, and treat AI-assisted work (editing or refining your own content) differently. Check KDP's current guidelines before you publish, and make sure you hold the rights to everything in the book.
What's the difference between copyediting, line editing and proofreading?
Line editing works on how the prose reads. Copyediting makes it correct and consistent. Proofreading is the final check of the typeset pages before printing. Most books need copyediting and proofreading; line editing helps when the writing itself needs work.
Do I need developmental editing?
Get a developmental review if you are unsure the book works as a whole: the structure, the argument or plot, or the pacing. If early readers are happy with the shape of the book, start with copyediting instead.
Can you check Scripture references in a Christian book?
Yes. We can check the Bible verse references in your manuscript as part of editing, so each quotation matches the passage it cites.
How long does it take?
A full publishing package takes 4–6 weeks standard; occasionally up to 8 weeks.
Do I keep the rights to my book?
Yes. You keep 100% of your rights and royalties.
How do I choose a book editing company?
Ask which kind of edit you are buying (developmental, line, copyediting or proofreading), what is delivered (a marked-up file with tracked changes, a style sheet, a summary of the main issues), how many passes you get, and who edits your genre. Ask for a sample edit of a few pages before you commit, and check that the company does not claim to guarantee sales or reviews. At Harmony, editing sits inside our publishing packages, so the same team can carry the book on to cover design, formatting and printing.
Where can I find and hire a book editor?
Ask any editor for a sample edit of a few pages, what each pass covers, the turnaround, the price and who owns the rights, all in writing. A good editor will also tell you which kind of edit your manuscript needs before you pay for one. With us, editing is part of the publishing package (see what each package includes above), so you do not hire a separate editor.
Ready to publish your book?
Compare what each package includes, or send us your questions on WhatsApp.