Let’s make your book shine.

I offer a variety of services for authors, from manuscript assessment and developmental editing to illustration and cover design. I’m co-founder of Blue Crow Publishing, where I also served as a primary editor and art director. Both through BCP and with independent authors, I have helped publish over 40 titles from start to finish: that includes developmental editing, cover design, marketing strategy, and more. Read on to learn more about how I can help you bring your book to its fullest potential.

For inquiries, contact me at hello@faulkenberryarts.com. Please note: I do not read text generated by AI. If your manuscript includes such text, I’m not the right editor for you.

Full Developmental Edit

This is a deeper dive that is a much more detailed and comprehensive look at every facet of your story, from plot and character to narrative voice, style, theme, and scene structure. Does your story meet genre expectations? Is the big story question answered in the end? Do your characters grow and change in satisfying ways? Does your pacing match the plot construction and reader expectations for this genre? These questions and more are addressed in a 2-3 page editorial letter that highlights your strengths and offers suggestions for improvement. You will also receive more detailed in-line comments (using tracked changes) for every chapter, editorial suggestions to both support issues addressed in the letter and to offer actionable steps for revising, plus a 1-hour follow-up call to address any questions you have or brainstorm ideas for revision. A full DE is a much more time-consuming process that goes beyond addressing big-picture parts of your draft and also helps you fine-tune your scenes and structure to make your story as tight and polished as possible to resonate with your target audience. This detailed edit provides you with clarity on what is working well and which specific areas need improvement to make your story shine. I will also include any recommendations for additional resources that I feel may help you as you revise. Please note: this does not include copyediting.

Cost for this service is .035 cents per word. I aim for a 4-5 week turanound time, depending on word count and scheduling.

Manuscript Assessment 

If you’re looking for a big-picture evaluation of your story and aren’t quite ready for a developmental evaluation, this is a good place to start. This assessment is a close read of your draft that assesses what’s working well and what could be improved, paying close attention to story components such as voice, plot construction, pacing, character development, POV, and more. Does your story have an enticing hook? Is the plot engaging and well-developed? Do your characters have clear motivations and arcs? Do you have a satisfying ending? This assessment includes a 1-2 page editorial letter that addresses these questions and more, offering an overall evaluation of what is working well and what could be improved. You can expect a few supportive in-line comments to help illustrate issues addressed in the editorial letter, plus a list of any resources that I think may help you in your revision. Please note: this does not include copyediting or a follow-up call, but you are welcome to book calls with me at a reduced rate for established clients.

Cost for this service: $600 for up to 85,000 words. (Fee of $75 per additional 5K words applies.)  I aim for a turnaround time within 3 weeks, depending on word count and scheduling.