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Author: Rachel Grosvenor

Categories
Coaching Publishing

How Much Does a Developmental Edit Cost?

How much does a Developmental Edit Cost?

Money. It’s a difficult subject. But come on, let’s get into it.

Imagine you’re in need of a Developmental Edit (someone to review your structure, narrative, character development, and more) for your 80k word novel. You reach out to an editor (or more than one!)…

What can you expect in terms of cost?

Based on various factors, you should expect a range between*:

$2200/£1650 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3160/£2360

(Disclaimer: there will, of course, be instances that go lower and higher.) *Based on EFA and Reedsy standard rates

What are the factors that impact this?
  • Experience (someone more experienced will likely charge more)
  • Time in business (someone with a newer business may offer lower rates while they gather testimonials)
  • Complexity (if your work is complex, it may take longer)
What does it include?

Well, that depends too. Editors offer different services. For example, I offer a ‘Live Developmental Edit’. That means, in my Dev Edit package, I charge £0.020 per word, provide a workbook, in-text notes, an editing summary, and include 9 hours of coaching time to go through the edits. Some editors charge more per word and offer a report, so you might find that though we cost the same for a project, we provide different styles of feedback.

How are these costs figured out?

Editors charge differently. Here’s the average:

$0.028-$0.040/£0.021-£0.030 – per word

$50.00–$60.00/£37-£45 – per hour

$7.50–$10.00/£5.50-£7.50 – per page

Why is it so expensive?

Yes, hiring an editor can be expensive. Here are some of the reasons why:

  • The task is demanding, and as editing takes such intense focus, we can only spend a limited amount of time a day on it. It also requires time to think about the issues and the best step forward.
  • It requires specialist knowledge. For example, I studied in higher education for 8 years and have worked in this field for over 10 years. Experience costs money.
  • Most editors are running a small business. That means that there are lots of costs involved, including tax, office equipment, and bills to run them, websites, training, marketing, memberships, and much more. There’s also the stuff outside of that, like food and family responsibilities.
Anything else?
  • Most editors offer payment plans, so don’t be afraid to ask.
  • Be prepared to put down a deposit to ‘save your spot’!
  • Contact an editor well ahead of time, as we book up far in advance.

At the start of this year, I raised my prices in line with my expertise and experience. Still, I’m not near the top regarding charging per word, etc., but I am comfortable with my current rates. Between 2020 and 2024, I was charging below industry average. This often happens when someone starts a new business, as you need those all important testimonials and gaining a client base. I’m sharing this information for two reasons:

1: If you are looking at this slideshow and worrying that you won’t find someone within your budget, look around. You may find someone (like me over the last few years) who is qualified and experienced but working for a lower rate for a period of time to grow their new business.

2: To share an awareness of the industry pricing standard and what goes into it so that you can make more informed decisions in your search for an editor.

I hope this has been helpful!

Looking for a similar read?

What Does It Mean to Edit for Genre?

 

Categories
Craft

An Easy Way to Characterise Your Setting

Characterise Your Setting

Writers and readers often discuss setting as a character, which usually means that the setting impacts a story or the character to such an extent that it becomes lifelike.

The setting and environment play an active role in the story, like the marsh in Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens). The marsh, the creatures that live within it, the way it impacts the tension in the novel (doing my best not to give away any spoilers here), how it works with the main character and the plot, turns into more than a setting: it is a living character in the story.

But how do we characterise our setting?

Let’s break it down and make it simple, using Where the Crawdads Sing as inspiration:

Behaviour: How does your world behave? In Where the Crawdads Sing, the marsh is a living thing, providing education, food, a living, creativity, and more, for the main character.

Culture: What do people know and believe about your world? In Where the Crawdads Sing, the marsh is not inhabited by the townsfolk. It is viewed as a nuisance place, disliked by the general population for the very reasons the main character loves it. The fact that the main character is left alone plays a huge role in both her story and the overall plotline.

Secrets: What lies beneath that shiny veneer of your world? In Where the Crawdads Sing, the marsh keeps the deepest secrets that only the main character knows. The other townsfolk try to find out but do not know the space as the main character does. The secrets are even mentioned in the text:

“The marsh did not confine them but defined them and, like any sacred ground, kept their secrets deep. No one cared that they held the land because nobody else wanted it. After all, it was wasteland bog.” (Delia Owens)

So, do you want the easy way to remember these three hints at turning your setting into character? Next time you’re struggling to remember how to do this, remember the following mnemonic device (I’ve come up with this, so I’m sorry if this is a cringer. You become a bit cringe in your middle age and care less and less about it):

  • Become (behaviour)
  • Character (culture)
  • Setting (secrets)

There you go. I hope this was useful, and I can’t wait to see your setting character develop! Or, if I have just encouraged you to read Where the Crawdads Sing, that’s no bad thing.

 

Categories
Craft

Foreboding vs Foreshadowing

foreboding vs foreshadowing

 

Let’s talk about foreboding and foreshadowing. They sound similar, but they do different things in your novel and are both very effective in their own right.

Here’s what each does and how to utilise them effectively:

Foreboding:

You may have heard the phrase, ‘Filled with a sense of foreboding,’ or perhaps you have even said it yourself! It means that you feel impending disaster, a concern for the future. Are we going to talk about The Lord of the Rings now? Yes, of course we are. I can barely get through a blog post without mentioning it. Galadriel has the gift of seeing visions in her ‘mirror’, so she has more than foreboding; she has the skill of predicting an outcome based on a set of circumstances. Frodo looks into the mirror and sees the destruction of the Shire, the arrest of his friends, and more. Now, this is a slightly different way of showing foreboding; it isn’t the witches in Macbeth relaying their sense that ‘something wicked this way comes,’ and therefore indicating a shift to the reader, but it is a hint of what could be, at what Frodo fears might happen, should he fail in his duty to destroy the one ring. Foreboding, therefore, hints at peril on the horizon, making the tension in the story that much stronger. Whether or not that peril comes to pass is up to you as the author.

Foreshadowing:

Foreshadowing is different. Foreshadowing is about dropping breadcrumbs that your reader may not even notice until they have seen the whole loaf of bread at the end of the novel. You might foreshadow by planting an image, a detail, that won’t be significant until a final reveal. Foreshadowing can also be in dialogue, like in Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet declares, “If he be married / My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” When you first hear this, you think that she is talking about the depth of her love, in that way that young lovers do, when it feels like the very emotion is life and death. What is being foreshadowed, however, is that she is exactly right. There’s no exaggeration here, but we won’t know that until the end. So, if foreboding creates tension, what does foreshadowing do? It can create a deeper connection between your reader and the narrative, giving them an ‘Oh!’ moment when they see how an incident has been foreshadowed. It can also keep a reader curious, throw them off the scent (red herrings are a classic foreshadowing tool; only the things you’re foreshadowing are irrelevant), and ultimately, is an enticing tool that makes a novel memorable.

As a side note, too much of anything is never good (unless it is cheese, perhaps). Too much foreboding will do the opposite of your intention, desensitising the reader to the tension in the story. Too much foreshadowing will make the story predictable and will signpost what’s to come.

Found this blog post helpful? Check out the following:

What Is ‘The Sacred Flaw’ In Writing?

What Does It Mean to Edit for Genre?

What Does It Mean to Write What You Know?

Categories
Coaching

Is Your Metric for Author Success Becoming a Problem?

Is Your Metric for Author Success Becoming a Problem?

Do you feel like every time you log onto Instagram someone else is sharing that they have an agent or an amazing publishing deal? If only 1 out of 1000 authors get an agent, why does it seem like that?

I’ll tell you why: your reality is being distorted by confirmation bias and selective attention. It’s like choosing to buy a red car, and suddenly seeing only red cars everywhere.

Here’s the truth of it: If your focus is purely on traditional publishingas a success metric, you’re going to miss out on the diverse experiences and perspectives in the writing community, and, unless you become that 1 in 1000, you’re going to find the experience far less rewarding than you would if you changed your metric of success.

And here’s the brutal truth: your dream agent or publisher may never materialise, but don’t panic, because there’s also good news: traditional publishing isn’t the only path to share your story.

If you are comparing upwards, which means making a comparison to the people who you believe are incredibly successful, you are doing yourself a disservice. You are forgetting to see how lucky you are, how intelligent you are, how talented you are at writing, how much joy it brings. It’s essential to think about what success means to you as an author. For me, it is readers enjoying my work.

Without exaggeration, redefining your metric for author success could change your life, and bring so much more joy into your writing world.

Want to read something similar?

Check these out:

5 Things I Wish I Had Known before Writing My First Novel

10 Ways to Grow as a Writer

Categories
Craft

Six Books on Writing I Recommend

recommended books

Let’s chat about my favourite, and by that I mean my most recommended, books on writing. Why? Because if reading is how you become a better writer (spoiler alert, it is), imagine how great you’ll be if you’re reading about writing.

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.

There are several books in this incredible series, from the Emotion Thesaurus’ to the Urban Setting Thesaurus, but this is my favourite. It is an unflinching examination of everything that could happen to a person, with triggers that might come from that, aftershocks, character traits, behaviours, and more. When it comes to creating a character and developing a plot around them (writing a character-driven novel), this book is so helpful that it ought to sit pride of place on your bookshelf. In fact, mine sits right beside me on my study desk, as I dip into it so often.

Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life – Dani Shapiro.

I have probably spoken about this before on the blog or in newsletters somewhere because this book is a firm fave and has been for years. If I were ever to gift a fellow writer a book, it would be this one. Why? Because it will give you insight into the life of a writer and, in doing so, make you feel seen. It’s a mixture of craft, memoir, and what it means to write. In short, it’s pretty wonderful.

Writing from the Senses: 59 Exercises to Ignite Creativity and Revitalize Your Writing – Laura Deutsch.

I found this book at a campsite book swap in the South Island, New Zealand. And it’s stunning. It focuses on that thing that really grabs your readers and pulls them into a story: the five senses. It is full of exercises and clever ideas to help you create.

How to Write Like Tolstoy – Richard Cohen

My inlaws gifted me this book when I graduated from my PhD. Then, it had just come out, and the title amused me. But, this isn’t really a book on how to write like Tolstoy, but it is an investigation into many storytellers’ processes, and it’s fascinating for it. It’s a very readable book, and I honestly think that even if you weren’t a writer, you would probably enjoy it!

Wonderbook – The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction – Jeff Vandermeer.

In terms of books on writing, this has got to be the most visually beautiful one ever written. This is for all you fantasy writers, and it is full of information focusing on craft and motivation. It has essays from some of the greats in it, too. I find myself dipping into this often, and its illustrations make it so enjoyable to read.

Taking Reality by Surprise – Susan Sellers.

I purchased this book in 2006 when I went to university for my undergraduate degree in Creative Writing. It still sits on my bookshelf today and is a great resource I use often. It has craft guidance with exercises and very practical advice, and I find the level of detail in what you need to undertake the tasks and exercises so valuable.

I would love to hear about the books you recommend. What is your favourite book on writing? Let me know!

Categories
Craft

Is Your Character Comfortable with Their Status?

Character status
Are You Comfortable with Your Status?

Oh, sorry, not you. Your character.

Let’s chat about it. Your character’s comfort in their status can say a lot about them. It can be a window into their mindset, confidence, and more.

Let’s explore this for just a moment (with an excellent example from How To Own The Room by Viv Groskop):

Your character is at a cocktail party. It’s a fancy, black-tie affair, and everyone is dressed up. Your character is wearing a suit, bowtie, and, it turns out, exactly the same attire as the waiting staff at the party. A peer walks into the room, looks around, and catches eye with your character. They go over, and instead of introducing themselves, they ask for a martini.

Now, pause for a moment…

What does your character do?

If your answer is that your character makes the martini, gives it to their peer, and laughs about it later with a friend, your character is happy with their status.

If your answer is that your character tells this person exactly who they are and that they should check themselves, getting irate, your character is unhappy with their status.

And so, if they’re unhappy with their status in society, in life, with their friends, what does this do to your novel? It creates a storyview* in which your character is prone to be the victim, ready to take offence, and quick to rise in temper. This, in turn, changes how you might introduce your character and what might drive your plot forward. Think of how they speak to other people (or dragons, depending on what you’re writing), how they dress, who they strive to be and where they want to go.

Could your character’s comfort level in their status be their sacred flaw? (Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out last month’s blog post!).

*Not a typo! Storyview vs Worldview is a concept explained by Jeff Vandermeer in Wonderbook – The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, chapter 6. 

 

Categories
Coaching

How to Work with Me When I’m Fully Booked

Fully booked

If you’ve come here looking for editing and coaching help and can see that the banner above says I’m fully booked, don’t panic! I book up very quickly, between 10 months to a year in advance, but 1:1 is not the only way to work with me. Check out the following:

The Novel Writing Masterclass

This course includes 40 bite-size classes that fit into your busy life, designed to take you from idea to publication.

It’s been created with you in mind:

  • The person who wants to write but can’t find the time.
  • The person who wants to create a novel but doesn’t know where to start.
  • The person who isn’t sure what comes next when writing their novel.

Imagine:

  • Finding the time in your week to write.
  • Sitting down and knowing what you should be doing.
  • Having a programme that keeps you accountable to the written word.

No more writing woes because you know when to write, what to write, and where to go next.

The Fiction Fellowship

Are you a writer looking for your community?

The Fiction Fellowship focuses on fiction writers who are looking to connect with other creatives and hone their storytelling skills. Learning with others and having writing friends can make such a difference to your productivity and motivation, so we aim to provide an environment where you can make those connections and feel inspired to write.

With twice-weekly writing sprints, monthly community calls, and more, we’ll be with you every step of the way to help you develop your writing skills, expand your craft knowledge, and make progress in your writing.

What’s included:

  • Community Sessions
  • Writing Workbooks
  • Q&As
  • Complete post archive
  • Video Lessons
  • Private Community
  • Twice Weekly Live Writing Sprints
  • Accountability and Goal Setting
  • General Support

Run by myself and Isobelle of Inspired Creative Co, and we know that finding your writing community can lead to great things. So far, our writers have written over a million words!

If that’s what you’re looking for, then this is your space!

Connect with us on Instagram:

@rachelgrosvenorauthor

@inspiredcreativeco_

Writing Workbooks

Are you feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of writing? Are you struggling to find the time to write, unsure about creating a writing routine, and undecided about your writing goals?

If this sounds like you, it’s time to invest in yourself.

I have workbooks available if you are ready to:
  • Find time to write
  • Create a writing routine that fits with YOUR schedule
  • Identify writing areas you would like more information on
  • Set and achieve writing goals
  • Reach your targets and see a way forward
  • Take action and plan your writing year in full

Otherwise, make sure you’re on my email list here, and when I have space again, you’ll be among the first to know.

 

Categories
Craft

What Is ‘The Sacred Flaw’ In Writing?

The Sacred Flaw

Have you ever heard the term ‘the sacred flaw’ when talking about writing? It’s a common concept and one that is often discussed in writing groups. So, whether or not you have heard of it, let’s chat about what it is and what that phrase means.

‘The sacred flaw’ is a phrase coined by author Will Storr. In its simplest terms, Storr uses it to explain how to build a story as a brain builds a life. He explains that we understand reality by telling ourselves stories. (As a side note, this is the very origin of Creative Writing, the communication of narrative as a way to frame the world around us.)

Storr says: ‘We experience life in three acts, with a crisis, a struggle and resolution.’ (https://theelementsofwriting.com/storr/)

Storr goes on to explain an idea I wrote to you about weeks ago: the difference between character-driven stories and plot-driven stories. When writing a character-driven story, you begin with the character. Storr recommends doing the same to find ‘the sacred flaw’ of your story and then creating the plot around that character to ‘test’ that flaw. Essentially, we are trying to find your character’s ‘flawed idea about the world’ (Storr).

Here are some questions to help you discover a belief that your character finds ‘sacred’ (if you’re struggling to think of what this might mean, let’s use one of my favourite examples, Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. Scrooge mistakenly believes that money and wealth are sacred. The plot tests this mistaken theory throughout, ultimately giving him a different belief system by the end, where the very meaning of ‘wealth’ changes):

  • What experience might have given your character their belief? (For Scrooge, it was his childhood.)
  • How does this cause them to view the world? (Think storyview [how your character sees the world] vs worldview [how the world really is].)
  • How will you create a plot and series of events that challenge this belief, this ‘sacred flaw’?

At the heart of this concept is an understanding that the story is about the character’s journey and change.

So, now we know what ‘the sacred flaw’ means and how to find it. Tell me, what is your character’s ‘sacred flaw’?

Found this interesting and want to read more about this concept? Check out:

In Conversation with Will Storr

 

Categories
Coaching

Five Things I Won’t Do as Your Editor and Coach

5 Things I Won’t Do as Your Editor and Coach

As an editor and writing coach, I’ve spoken at length about how I can help you. But there are things I won’t do, too. Let’s dig into them:

1: Force you to follow ‘the rules’ of writing a novel. I know the rules (after all, I studied them for eight years in higher education) and know that great things can happen when you break them. I will tell you the rule, give you the reasoning behind it, and let you know what I think is the right way forward, but ultimately, I will support whatever decision you make from there on out. The Promise, by Damon Galgut, breaks a heck of a lot of rules. It went on to win the Booker Prize in 2021. Writing is art, and sometimes art breaks the rules.

2: Use my experience to guide your journey. A coach is trained to facilitate growth in a niche area, and in my case, this is writing. Coaching is 80% client and 20% coach, meaning that a trained coach will pull a solution to a problem from your mind instead of their own. Why does this matter? Everyone has different backgrounds, levels of responsibility and pressure, working hours, etc. My writing journey has nothing to do with yours, and while I will share my experience if you ask, I will never expect you to do as I have done. There is a difference between a coach and a mentor. A mentor is someone who will share a personal experience and journey to help guide you in a similar one. A coach is someone who is trained to facilitate your own journey, using their knowledge to assist but not drive. A mentor does not need a qualification, but a coach does. Coaching is often believed to be an unregulated field. However, this is not the case. Coaching is regulated worldwide by the International Coaching Federation, so when looking for a coach, ensure the ICF accredits their course to confirm they know how to work in their field. I have trained as a coach in an ICF-accredited role and by doing an ILM Level 2 (equivalent to a GCSE, although now I’m showing my age!).

3: Put pressure on you to finish your work within a specific timeframe. Ask any of my clients, and you’ll find I am flexible when working together. There’s a reason for that. Writing, art, creation, and growth are not linear. We cannot expect someone to write a novel within twelve weeks just because that’s a package that has been purchased. If that’s what you want to do, I will work hard alongside you to help you achieve your goal, but if you decide that you need support over an extended period of time, that you need a break, that you would rather meet monthly than weekly, that’s what we will do. Magic happens when people are given space to discover their journey.

4: Change your unique writing voice and style. I edit while ensuring that your voice remains your own, and while I offer constructive feedback on clarity, how to create the best flow, and areas where a rewrite would strengthen the story, your voice is yours, and that’s something no one can copy or change. That means that I’ll also tell you when you’re writing something that doesn’t quite match your usual tone, too, so that we can provide a consistent reading experience across novels.

5: Force you into a ‘one size fits all’ framework. In editing and coaching, I work to ensure that I’m helping the reader in a way that they understand, can collaborate with, and engage with. There is no ‘one way’ to write a novel, and I don’t subscribe to the idea that all stories must fit within a specific structure (see point one!). Writing is a personal process, so whatever your process is, I will adapt to ensure you’re getting the most out of our time together. If you don’t know your process yet, we can explore that.

So, there are five things I will not do as an editor and coach! I’m almost booked for the entire year but have a few spaces left from June onwards. If you want to learn more, book a Discovery Call with me here.

Categories
Coaching

“Why Would I Need a Writing Coach?”

Why hire a writing coach?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why would I need a writing coach?”

If so, here are some possible reasons.

1) Having space held for you can change everything.

It’s not every day that you can expect someone to give you their full attention, and that’s fair enough. But when they do, amazing things can happen. Coaching is a wonderful experience, and it’s partly because of this. Having someone hold that space for you, listen to what you are saying without interruption, and ask the right questions can help you reveal solutions you didn’t even realise existed. A coach listens to your words without judgment in a safe space. This alone has helped me become a better, happier, and more fulfilled person.

2) Coaching can build on success, not just solve problems.

Did you know that coaching isn’t just for specific problems? Nope, coaching also builds on success. For example, you don’t have to be struggling with a writing routine or draft to hire a writing coach; you can also be having the most prolific writing period of your life and want it to continue. You could be finding yourself motivated every day to create and want to investigate the set of circumstances that led you there so that you can keep being your best self.

Coaching to build on success is a great way to invest in yourself. It’s saying, ‘Hey, things are going great, and long may they continue. In fact, I’ll make sure they do.’

I continue to invest in a coaching programme because I want to continue building on my success.

3) Having someone rooting for you can hold you accountable.

It’s not the deadlines a coach gives that hold me accountable; it’s the fact that they are rooting for me personally. Coaching is a professional relationship with a difference—you have someone on your team who believes in you and your progress. The thought of sharing my achieved tasks with my coach makes me happy because I’m excited to move forward with them in our next session, not because I’m afraid of missing a deadline.

4) Positive change starts with you.

Depending on what you opt for, you only have a coach for an hour or so a week or even a month. Outside of this time, it’s down to the client to make what has been discussed work for them. I spend a good few hours a week working on my action points and planning for my coaching sessions.  Whatever it is, I make sure that I take responsibility for that positive change in my life outside of my coaching sessions. Coaching gives me the action points to work from, but the action comes from me.

5) Investing in yourself is about much more than money.

When you give yourself the opportunity of time, education, and accountability, investing in yourself becomes about more than money. It becomes about believing in yourself and setting yourself up for success. I made a private video around four years ago. It was me talking to my new coach about where I currently was in my business, life, and expectations. She was the one who told me to make it because it would be interesting to look back on later. Well, four years later, I’ve just watched it! It was amazing to see the growth of those years. I know that coaching helped me get there, and I am so grateful for that reminder of how far I have come.

Have you ever been coached, and if so, what did you learn? I would love to know, so share it with me today! And don’t forget, I open up my Discovery Calls in March!