FAQ PAGE
Helpful Information
WHY DO YOU HAVE DIFFERENT EDITING PACKAGES WITH DIFFERENT PRICES?
These days, a good editor ranges from $100 to $5,000 for a full, professional-quality edit. Some manage to cut that price for smaller works, and others cut the price by cutting the work. Here at ShadowQuillsInk, we do neither. Instead, we’ve divided the editing process into manageable chunks and set our prices accordingly. By dividing up the steps, we allow you to be in full control of your manuscript. Some writers will need the full package deal all at once, others may only need one type of edit or more time—to develop what they have or be able to afford the next package before moving on.
HOW DO I GET ON THE WAITLIST? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Sign up for a Beta Review! And it won’t cost you anything upfront.
The Beta Review itself is the entrance fee, but we don’t charge for services until we start our work. So if you change your mind, just let us know and it won’t be any cost to you!
I MADE SOME CHANGES TO MY WORK SINCE YOU STARTED EDITING IT. DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW EDIT?
No, any changes made to the draft will be incorporated into our next full edit of your work. We ask that you not edit the copy you shared with us until our initial edit is complete. After that point, you will have a period of one week to purchase another edit.
Once a week has passed after we finish editing with no contact, you will be taken off the waitlist and need to reapply.
Any changes you make to your work during the edit will be taken into account during the next phase, but making changes to your document while we’re working with it can lead to misunderstandings.
BETA READERS DON’T CHARGE, WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR THE BETA REVIEW?
We’re not beta reading, we’re Beta Reviewing. The Beta Review is only the first process, the “entrance fee” — a one time entrance fee.
The real purpose is to give us a chance to evaluate what it is you actually need and keep you from paying full price for a service you don’t.
Once we know the lay of your manuscript, we’ll recommend an advanced editing package custom-suited to your writing level and experience.
If we recommend a rewrite, you’ll be able to come back for a second Beta Review at no extra charge; though you’ll be removed from the Waitlist after six months of no contact.
WHAT IF I DON'T NEED A BETA READ? I'M LOOKING FOR AN EDIT. HOW DO I SKIP THE BETA?
You can’t. It’s a natural part of the process that we need, as well.
It’s the entrance fee.
However, the results of the Beta Review are still only suggestions. They don’t prevent you from buying or rejecting any of our other services.
WHAT ARE THE DEVELOPMENTAL OR LINE EDITS, AND WHY ARE THEY PRICED SEPARATELY?
In the Developmental Edit, we’ll be focused on improving the quality and content of the chapters individually. This can include small changes, like whether or not your protagonist has a teacup in a scene, to big changes like restructuring an entire fight-scene. Overwriters and underwriters especially benefit from this stage.
The Line Edit is the full-blown, line-by-line, complete optimization of your manuscript. It’s the most intensive part of the editing, so we save it as the last step. At the end of this process your work will be ready for publication, just add formatting.
Once we've read your manuscript, we'll tell you the best way to proceed. However, not getting a Beta Review doesn’t bar you from buying any of the advanced packages.
HOW DO I GET ONTO YOUR FEATURED WORKS PAGE?
Our Featured Works page is a permanent spot on our site, usually reserved for Authors (and/or their Works) who’ve made significant contributions to us.
One method is to donate to us through Patreon or other methods. This grants you the option to have your work displayed on our Featured Works page, or your name and profile displayed in our Hall Of Fame.
However, we at ShadowQuillsInk.com are also committed to helping establish infrastructure for the Zero IP movement. Toward that end, we’ve dedicated a subsection of our Featured Works to help promote any author who publishes their works under CopyLeft or Public Domain. Simply select “I am submitting a Copyleft/Public Domain work” on our Waitlist application.
*Must be a published work to qualify.
WHAT IF I JUST DON'T LIKE YOUR WORK?
That's... well, that's disheartening, but it's also just fine. If you don't like our methods, then you can stop at any step in the process. You're under no obligation to follow our suggestions.
CAN I GET A REFUND?
That depends on when you cancel.
If you opt-out BEFORE we start our review/edit of your manuscript, whatever reason you may have for opting out, we'll reimburse your fee completely.
We’ll also give you a partial refund if you opt-out after we’ve started, according to how much time we’ve spent on it. But the consequence of that is we'll also delete any and all the work we’ve done for your manuscript.
However.
If you opt-out AFTER we finish our review/edit of your manuscript, then no.
Our prices are so low it's criminal. We're only asking for compensation for our time and energy. So, for example, if you pay the Beta Review price and decide you don't like what we had to say about your story: Tough cookies. Being brutally honest is literally what you paid us to do. If you want to leave us mean comments/reviews and tell other people we're devils, that's your right. But no, “Karen,” we're going to keep your few dollars for the work we’ve put in.
I’M AN EDITOR, LIKE YOU! CAN YOU PASS ME SOME OF THE CLIENTS YOU CAN’T GET TO?
Sure! All you need to do is apply to join the ShadoWings.
The ShadoWings are editors, artists, and other resources verified by us. ShadoWings all set their own prices and submission guidelines.
Sign up through Submissions at the bottom of the Home page.