I offer developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. For developmental editing, I specialize in YA and adult SFF, thriller, and contemporary fiction, along with select nonfiction. I’m happy to take on a project if both you and I believe it to be a good fit.
I understand what it’s like to be on both sides of the editor-author relationship. I wrote the Great Asian Americans series (published by Capstone Press), and my work has been published in Strange Horizons and Publishers Weekly. I have worked with individual authors and publishers for seven years, and my clients have gone on to receive representation and successful book reviews.
In the past few years, I trained under other editors, edited long- and short-form fiction and nonfiction, completed my Master of Arts in Publishing with an editorial concentration, served as Chief Copy Editor at a small private newspaper, and mentored writers and editors. I now work as an editor at Houston Methodist and do contracted editorial work with publishers and individual authors.
To book editing services, please complete a contact form with the manuscript’s approximate word count and genre, along with the type of editing you’re seeking. I may ask questions that will help determine the editorial plan and whether I am the right editor for your project.
Five-page sample edits are offered at no cost.
Proofreading:
This is the most basic form of editing and involves correcting errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Starts at $0.018/word
Copy Editing:
Copy editing corrects grammatical mistakes and focuses on sentence structure and consistency. It also involves editing to adhere to industry standards or specific style guides.
Starts at $0.02/word
Content Editing/Developmental Editing:
Content editing consists of an editorial letter and general comments in the first round, then specific comments in every additional round. I edit for plot execution, structure, characterization, pace, storytelling, and other non-grammar elements.
Starts at $0.03/word
Line Editing:
Line editing focuses primarily on style, content, fluency, and voice. It analyzes how sentence structure and syntax contributes to the way a story is written, along with the story’s cohesiveness.
Starts at $0.035/word
Submissions Package:
Please note that authors do NOT have to seek professional editing before querying an agent. However, some choose to do so to improve their writing and ensure that their submission is refined.
A submissions package includes a detailed critique and light copyediting for your query letter, synopsis, and first 50 pages.
$75 flat fee. Additional rounds of critique are offered at $40 flat fee or $10 flat fee for each round of a query letter critique.
Consultation:
This involves professional evaluation of the first three chapters or first 50 pages of your manuscript. I will evaluate the editing types that are most applicable to your work and give a brief analysis of your work’s strengths and weaknesses.
$25 flat fee
Testimonials:
“Stephi Cham did a thorough and in-depth developmental edit of my entire manuscript looking at overall structure and style. She addressed plot holes, gaps, and problematic characterization of my existing material. She gave me not only margin comments and tracked changes throughout my manuscript, but also a lengthy editorial letter telling me where to stretch out the tension to build suspense, and to make the climax more significant. She explained where my story dragged, suggesting sections to cut so readers don’t get bored. And months later she was still answering questions I had about her comments. I can’t thank her enough for improving my story more than I ever imagined. She is brilliant and made my story so much better. I am very glad to have her as my net. I will call her much sooner with my next manuscript.” — Susan Wells, Secret Lives
“Stephi has been a valuable resource for me ever since I reached out to her about copy editing my first manuscript. So much so that I also ask her to do my proofread. Being a first time writer meant I was long on questions and short on experience but Stephi did a great job helping me through the editing process. I found that she is approachable, professional and has a high attention to detail. She went the extra mile for me more than once so I could definitely recommend her to other writers.” — Thomas Kendrick, A Determined Black Lab
"Stephi is a great editor. I highly recommend her services. She's very thorough, great at explaining the reasoning behind her suggestions, and she truly wants to help her clients improve and learn from the editing process. I learned a lot from her, and now I keep her feedback in mind when I work on my other projects. Overall, she has made me a better writer." — Haley Sulich, Crimson Ash
“Working with Stephi was such a delight! Her attention to detail is unmatched and my poetry book was made better because of her amazing editing skills! I recommend her all the time to anyone who asks me for advice on writing books because I know she would do a stellar job for them like she did for me!” — Biko McMillan, Writing on Roots, Blue Period
"It was a pleasure working with Stephi. In addition to basic editing services she gave insightful beta reading feedback. She is down to earth and friendly, not to mention affordable. I hired her to copy edit the opening pages of my book, and I liked the fact that she kept my voice. I would highly recommend her to writers." — Maya Kaddah, The Lost Piano
“Collaborating with Stephi Cham was a pleasure. My manuscript had close to two hundred thousand words and she did a superb job with it, giving clear and thoughtful input throughout the whole document and doing it so in the expected timeframe. I found her feedback to be very objective and useful for my book. I strongly recommend working with her.” — R.G. de Barros, BYTE Roleplaying Game Rulebook
For all editing, beta reading, writing, and blurb requests, please submit a contact form.