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The learning curve to write and publish your book, whether you’re self-publishing or following the traditional path, is steep. If you’d like a deeper dive into the various stages necessary to turn a manuscript into a published book, I offer hour-long, one-on-one publishing consultations to answer all your questions.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the publishing process and resources to help you determine which publishing path is best for you.
Fee: $120
"Nicole Ayers was a joy to work with! I was recommended to her by a fellow author and after our first conversation I knew she was the editor I wanted to use. This being my first endeavor into the world of writing; Nicole was patient, understanding and truly explained to me the world of a writer. She helped me feel confident about my skills, and guided me into creating my first published book. Highly recommend working with Nicole!"
~ Randi Rosen, author of Sophie Strong: A Little Girl with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
"Nicole made time for me when I needed to make a difficult decision on a very short deadline. She made time to speak with me and to research my situation so that she could provide the best advice possible. I was offered a traditional contract from a small publisher who I was not completely comfortable with. Nicole reviewed the contract and identified many potential issues. She made several really good points about the contract and the publisher in general that I had not noticed. Going into our conversation I really wanted to get clarity and confidence to make the right decision. Nicole gave me both. I turned down the offer with complete confidence that it was the right move. I have no regrets about the decision. After speaking with Nicole I really had peace of mind. I would recommend her to anyone looking for publishing advice and I definitely plan to reach out to her in the future."
~ Grace Ly, author
You don’t have to write a book alone.
A book coach can be an integral part of your writing team before and during your process. They can also save you time and money and reduce your stress.
Whether you need clarity about how to get started, help determining if you’re on the right path, or guidance around how to make a major revision, I can be your trusted advisor. I’ll help you move past the “stuck” phase.
Book coaching packages are customized to your specific needs. They include editorial reviews of written material, one-on-one video chats or phone calls, and written feedback and resources as needed.
Fees:
“I adore working with Nicole. Her insight and guidance have been invaluable in helping me rework my plot and adjust my novel’s pacing and point of view. Before our sessions, I felt stuck and confused, and after our work together, I am inspired and reinvigorated. Nicole is easy to talk to, super relatable, and incredibly well-versed in the art of storytelling. I am now well into finishing the final draft of my novel, and I can’t imagine being this far along without her input. I’m excited to work with her again on my next project and can’t recommend her highly enough to other writers needing support in the development of their works in progress.”
~ Kayla Burns Floyd, author of Wondrous You
“I never understood why people gushed over their editors. Don’t they just put commas in the right spot? Well, now I know, and I can’t gush enough. Nicole gets it. She gets me. She is kind when I’m slacking on my due dates but still sends out friendly reminders consistently. I haven’t missed a deadline on my weekly post for over a year now—that is what Nicole can do for you, too. My writing is more relevant and whole. I’m a better person overall because Nicole is my writing coach/partner/enthusiast now.”
Big-picture edits focus on the content of your book, short story, or personal essay. I offer two types of big-picture edits, developmental editing and manuscript evaluations, for fiction and creative nonfiction.
For fiction, I evaluate manuscripts for the story elements (and extras): character development, point of view, story arc (plot), pacing, setting, and timeline.
For nonfiction, I’m looking at organization, content, readability, point of view, and tone.
With every manuscript, I’ll let you know what I love, what needs revision or elaboration, and what can be cut without losing meaning.
When should you hire me for big-picture edits? If your manuscript has been through several drafts, and you’ve exhausted your self-editing know-how, it’s time for big-picture edits.
Who is this service for? A developmental edit is great for new writers.
It’s also great for experienced writers who are working with a new genre or who are starting a new project.
If you need extra support, this is the service for you.
What feedback will you receive? The manuscript will be returned with specific comments throughout, and a detailed multi-page editorial summary will be provided. The summary will include customized solutions to aid you while making revisions. When’s something’s not working, I share various revision strategies you can try to make your manuscript stronger.
Fees begin at $0.025 per word.
Cost for a manuscript of 75,000 words begins at $1,875.
Who is this service for? A manuscript evaluation is ideal for an experienced writer who needs less direction during the revision process.
What feedback will you receive? A detailed multi-page summary will be provided with general suggestions to improve the manuscript. I’ll point out where revisions are needed, but it will be up to you to figure out what those revisions look like.
Fees begin at $0.01 per word.
Cost for a manuscript of 75,000 words begins at $750.
"Working with Nicole has been a Godsend. Because of her professionalism, talent, and personal encouragement, I am now achieving goals that I set for myself long ago. I told her, “I never would have gotten here without you!” In Nicole, I have found a great teammate! Others, including my mom, have asked me what is involved in working with Nicole. I found myself smiling, talking about what I send to her and how she shapes and molds it, reorganizes and tightens my writing.
I enjoy writing more because I have an editor I trust, respect, and admire. #Grateful!"
~ Anne Stricherz, blogger and author
“What a splendid experience it’s been working with Nicole Ayers of Ayers Edits! Her early encouragement when I began to write these tales created a strong motivation to continue. Not only did Nicole see the project as a whole, but as the manuscript unfolded, she examined each word and plot detail to make the stories work separately and together. Her ability to recall the specifics of these twelve tales was uncanny and her sense of storyline unerring. I wholeheartedly recommend Nicole as a developmental editor: Her sensitivity to subtext, layers of meaning, and voice is remarkable.”
~ Kate Farrell, author of Strange Beauty
“Once again Ayers Edits has done an awesome job for me. Her attention to detail and ability to fix story problems is amazing. Her editing skills are only superseded by her friendly, professional approach. She is easy to work with, communicates effectively, and is right on target with her suggestions. I appreciate her guidance and insight during the creative process. It really helps to have someone like her on your team.”
~ Glen Robins, author of the Off series
“I don’t publish a new book without Ayers Edits. Nicole will take your novel to the next level with great suggestions on story, character development, and a thorough review of plot and timeline. I can’t recommend her enough.”
~ Henry Scott, author of the Redemption series
“Nicole has worked with me as a developmental editor, and I recommend her to other writers without reservation. I have had several other developmental editors, and they don’t compare with Nicole. Nicole presents her assessment and suggestions in a very organized and clear manner. She is very thorough and picks up on important details that would be easy to overlook. If there is an issue that needs to be addressed, she comes up with excellent suggestions to deal with it. In summary, I give her an A+, five stars, two thumbs up, and ten out of ten.
Nicole with Ayers Edits provides exceptional customer service and, most importantly, does a flawless job with editing a manuscript. Nicole made a great first impression with her timely responsiveness and carried this quality through the entire editing process, meeting all proposed deadlines even earlier than expected. As a first time children’s book author, her patience with me understanding the editing process was invaluable. She is an editor and an educator in the highest regard. I look forward to working with Nicole again.”
~ Catherine G. Farley, author of the Explore with Mimi series
Line editing offers detailed suggestions for your manuscript at the sentence and word level.
At this stage, I will tinker with the words of your manuscript, focusing on dialogue and word choice. I will make suggestions to improve sentence structure and avoid repetition.
As part of line editing, I will copyedit the manuscript. This means I will make sure your manuscript adheres to the Chicago Manual of Style, the American style guide for book publishing. I’ll be evaluating spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, treatment of numbers, and more.
When should you hire me for line edits? Line edits are best once you’ve finalized all your content. This means you’re done with all big-picture edits. If you’re working with beta readers, you’ve already received and implemented their feedback.
What feedback will you receive? I will use Microsoft’s Track Changes feature to make all suggestions. You’ll have the ability to accept or reject every edit. I can also provide a “clean” manuscript with all suggested edits accepted.
A detailed style sheet will be provided as part of this service. The style sheet is a fantastic organizational tool for you and for your proofreaders.
Fees begin at $0.02 per word.
Cost for a manuscript of 75,000 words begins at $1,500.
“Nicole Ayers has edited two of my full-length novels, On Collis Avenue and Whatever Happened to Frances. She did an excellent job on both. Nicole is knowledgeable and professional. Her insightful comments, quick response, and attention to detail make working with her a joy. I have learned much from her, especially about commas. I confess I am addicted to commas. Reading Nicole’s edit comments is like going to a “CC” (comma correction) meeting.”
"Nicole edited a book-length manuscript for me, and I really liked her style. She is professional and friendly at the same time. I thought I was a pretty good editor myself, but I didn’t notice all the times I used the same words or phrases close together, just to mention one thing. I also really liked the style sheet she made because it was easy to refer to for consistency in spelling and grammar. My story is much more readable now, and I have her to thank for it!"
~ S.G. Byrd, author of the Montaland series
"Ayers Edits jumped in and helped us tie up “the loose ends” on our Dogs of the QC book project with not only professionalism and a speedy turn-around—but the process was joyful and easy breezy! Nicole is a true gem. I look forward to working with her more closely as we write the stories for our next book."
~ Cass Bradley, author and photographer
“I couldn’t be happier with my experience! Nicole’s incisive questions, thoughtful suggestions, and deft line editing helped me tell the story I wanted to tell. I’m a better writer because of her.”