Samuel F. Cross
Developmental Editor for Fiction
About
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Services
Manuscript Assessment
For a complete draft before a major revision, when you want the diagnosis without margin notes.
• Full read of the manuscript
• Editorial letter of [8–12] pages: premise, structure, plot, character, point of view, pacing, setting, theme, opening and ending
• Prioritized revision list: what to fix first
• Video call of up to [45] minutes within [30] days of delivery
• Turnaround: [3–4] weeks
Developmental Edit
For a complete draft you've already revised at least once yourself.
• Everything in the Manuscript Assessment
• Comments throughout the manuscript, tied to specific scenes and pages
• Video call of up to [60] minutes within [30] days of delivery
• Turnaround: [5–8] weeks
Opening Pages Review
For writers preparing to query, or testing a draft before committing to a full edit.
• First [50] pages plus a [1–2]-page synopsis
• Comments in the pages and a [3–4]-page letter
• Notes on whether the opening sets up the book the synopsis describes
• Turnaround: [2] weeks
My Process
Inquiry: fill out the contact form with title, genre, word count, draft stage, goals and timeline.
Reply within [2] business days: whether the book is a fit, which service suits it, a quote and the next open start date.
Optional intro call: [20] minutes, free. (Or offer a sample edit of the first [5] pages instead; pick one.)
Booking: sign the editing agreement and pay a [50]% deposit by Stripe invoice to hold the start date.
Manuscript due by the start date as a Word file. Late files may move to the next open slot.
Editing period, per the turnaround for the service.
Balance invoiced [on delivery / before delivery]; editorial letter and annotated manuscript delivered.
Video call within [2] weeks of delivery, then the follow-up window for questions.
Rates and Payment
Rates are per word and quoted as a flat project fee before work begins.• Manuscript Assessment: [1.5]¢ per word ($[1,200] for an 80,000-word novel)
• Developmental Edit: [3.0]¢ per word ($[2,400] for an 80,000-word novel)
• Opening Pages Review: $[400]
• Minimum project fee: $[300]A [50]% deposit holds your start date once it clears, and the balance is due before I deliver your edit. Both are invoiced by email through Stripe. You can pay by credit card, debit card or bank transfer; please send bank transfers by ACH, not wire. There are no payment plans, late fees or interest.Payment security - I will never change payment details, or ask you to pay a different account, by email alone. If you get a message like that, confirm it with me by [phone or video call] before paying.
FAQs
1. What's the difference between developmental editing, line editing, copyediting and proofreading?
Developmental editing works on the whole book: structure, plot, character, pacing, point of view. Line editing works on sentences and style, copyediting on grammar and consistency, and proofreading on the final pages. Big-picture work comes first, so you don't polish scenes you later cut.2. Which service do I need?
Want to know what's working before you revise? Manuscript Assessment. Want that plus notes showing where each issue appears? Developmental Edit. About to query, or unsure the draft is ready? Opening Pages Review.3. Does my manuscript need to be finished? Yes, for the Assessment and the Developmental Edit. The Opening Pages Review works on a partial draft with a synopsis.4. What genres do you work with?
[List.] If yours isn't listed, ask; I'll say plainly if I'm not the right fit.5. How long does it take?
Turnaround starts on your start date, or when I receive the complete manuscript if that's later: [3–4] weeks for an Assessment, [5–8] for a Developmental Edit, [2] for an Opening Pages Review.6. Is my work confidential?
Your manuscript stays private. I don't share it, quote it, or say you're a client without your written permission. Files are exchanged through Proton Mail, and I keep working copies on my own computer, not in cloud storage. Within 30 days after your project is delivered and paid in full, I delete your manuscript and my working notes. I keep only the agreement and payment records, which I need for tax purposes. You keep all rights to your work. [I'll also sign a reasonable NDA on request.]7. Can you get me an agent or a publisher?
No editor can promise that. The goal is a stronger book and a clear plan for revising it.8. Do you offer a sample edit? Not as a free sample. A free [20]-minute call is the place to see whether we're a good fit.9. What if I need to reschedule? You can reschedule once without charge[, with at least 14 days' notice before your start date]. If your manuscript arrives more than [3] business days late, the project moves to my next opening. Full details are in the Terms.10. Do you use AI, or accept manuscripts written with it?
I do not use AI tools on client manuscripts. I never upload, paste or submit any part of your manuscript, or anything else you send me, to an AI tool, including AI detectors. AI features in the software I use for client work are turned off, and client work is never used to train AI. I work only on manuscripts written by their authors: when booking, you confirm your manuscript contains no AI-generated text, as defined in my AI policy. If I have a concern, I raise it privately and in writing, and you have time to respond. Full details are on my AI policy page.11. How do I pay, and what if I cancel?
A [50]% deposit reserves your slot, and the balance is due before I deliver your edit. Both are invoiced by email through Stripe; you can pay by credit card, debit card or bank transfer (by ACH, not wire). If you cancel more than [14] days before your start date, I refund your deposit in full; within [14] days, I refund half of it. If you cancel after I've started, you pay only for the stage the work has reached.12. Do you edit memoir or nonfiction?
[Not yet. / Starting [month 2027].]
Contact
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Summary of Terms and Conditions
Booking - Your start date is held once the signed agreement and a [50]% deposit clear. I hold the date for [7] days after sending the deposit invoice. (3.1)Payment - Credit card, debit card or bank transfer, all through the Stripe invoice. The balance is invoiced when the edit is complete and is due before delivery; I deliver within [2] business days after it clears. (2.4, 3.3)Unpaid balance - If it hasn't cleared within [30] days of the balance invoice, I may end the project and keep the deposit, and you owe nothing further. No late fees, interest or payment plans. (3.5, 3.6)Payment security - I never change payment details by email alone. (2.5)Manuscript - Due by the date in your agreement. Up to [3] business days late, your delivery date may move by the days it was late; later than that, the project moves to my next opening. Your deposit stays valid for [90] days after the original due date. (4.2–4.4)Rescheduling - Once, without charge[, with at least 14 days' notice]. (4.3)Cancelling before work starts - More than [14] days before your start date, a full deposit refund; [14] days or less, half the deposit. (5.1)Cancelling after work starts - I keep the fee earned by stage: [40]% once reading is under way, [80]% once the letter is in draft, 100% once the deliverables are complete. I refund anything above that and, on request, send whatever notes exist. (5.2)If I cancel - A full refund of fees for work not yet delivered. (5.3)
• Refunds: by your original payment method within [10] business days, and I absorb any processing fees. (5.4, 5.5)Word count - If your manuscript is more than [5]% longer than quoted, the fee adjusts at the same per-word rate, and you choose whether to go ahead. (1.4)Rights - You keep all rights to your work and can use my suggestions freely. (10)Confidentiality - I don't share your manuscript or name you as a client without written permission. (6)No guarantees - Editing can't promise representation, publication or sales. (9)AI - You confirm the manuscript contains no AI-generated text; I use no AI on your work. (8)Files - Deleted within 30 days after final delivery and payment in full. (7)Law - Wisconsin; claims go to Dane County courts, or small claims where you live. (12)
AI Policy
Your manuscript and AI
I do not put client material into AI tools for any purpose. That covers your manuscript, synopsis, notes, messages and personal information. I do not use AI to read, summarize, assess or edit your work, and I do not use AI detectors. All reading and feedback is my own. Client material is never used to train AI.My software
I edit in desktop Microsoft Word with Copilot and Microsoft's cloud content-analysis features turned off; I use only the basic spelling and grammar checks that run on my own computer. My email is Proton Mail, with its AI writing assistant off. AI features on my phone and computer are switched off for the apps I use for client work. I review these settings [quarterly] and after major updates. If I learn a software change may have exposed client material to an AI tool, I will tell the affected client in writing.Calls
I do not record or transcribe calls unless we both agree in advance, and I do not use AI notetakers. Please do not bring one to our calls.My own business tasks
Pick one:
• A, matching agreement 8.2(f): I may use AI tools for my own business administration, including help drafting my own templates and business documents. Those uses never involve client material, and I personally write and review every message I send you.
• B, narrower: I use AI only for research, scheduling and logistics. Everything on this site and every message I send you is written by me.Payments
Payments run through Stripe, which uses automated fraud screening on payment information. That screening never involves your manuscript.What I ask of authors
I edit only work written by its authors. When booking, you confirm your manuscript contains no AI-generated text: wording produced, rewritten, paraphrased or translated by generative AI, other than basic spelling and grammar corrections. Dictating your own words is fine. Using AI only for research or brainstorming is not AI-generated text, but please tell me about it when booking. If you used machine translation, tell me before booking and we will discuss it.If I have a concern
I will not accuse anyone on the basis of software. If something in my own reading concerns me, I will pause, explain my reasons privately in writing, and give you [5] business days to respond. Sharing earlier drafts is welcome but never required. If we cannot resolve it, I may end the project: you receive a full refund if I have not started, or a refund of everything beyond the work already completed if I have. I keep these conversations confidential.
Privacy Notice
What I collect - Your name, email and message from the contact form. If you book, your mailing address, your manuscript and anything you send with it. Payment details go to Stripe; I don't see or store full card numbers.How it moves - Form messages go from Carrd to my Proton Mail. Files are exchanged through Proton Mail [or a Proton Drive link] and kept on my password-protected computer, in a folder that isn't synced to any cloud service. Payments run through Stripe, which screens payment information for fraud.Analytics - [none / Carrd's cookie-free analytics]. No advertising trackers.What I don't do - Sell or share your information, or put any of it into AI tools.Retention - Inquiries kept [12] months; manuscripts and working notes deleted within 30 days after final delivery and payment; the agreement, invoices and payment records kept at least [3] years for tax and accounting.Your requests - Email me to see or delete what I hold about you. Records I need for tax and accounting stay until their retention period ends.