You will get in-depth editing for your romance or other fiction or nonfiction
Top Rated
Project details
IMPORTANT: Please contact me prior to placing an order.
I'm a thorough, all-around editor (a combination of line and developmental editing), not just a glorified proofreader, who will do the following: Look at your **entire** project: its focus and storyline viability, as well as typos, overused/misused/missing words, incorrect facts, inconsistencies, redundancies, contradictions, implausibilities, pacing, confusing narrative, pronoun misuse, adverb overuse, point-of-view (in fiction) errors, tense, transitions, clarity, syntax, and of course, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. I have the ability to make editing suggestions without changing the writer's "voice." I not only point out the story's issues, but suggest *solutions* to them.
**Important:** Although proofreading and editing are commonly believed to be the same thing, these are two different things and are best performed by two different people to ensure an error-free document. My edits include basic error correction but are not detailed proofreading. When hired to proofread (contact me for my proofreading rates), I will concentrate exclusively on errors in what should be an already edited document.
I'm a thorough, all-around editor (a combination of line and developmental editing), not just a glorified proofreader, who will do the following: Look at your **entire** project: its focus and storyline viability, as well as typos, overused/misused/missing words, incorrect facts, inconsistencies, redundancies, contradictions, implausibilities, pacing, confusing narrative, pronoun misuse, adverb overuse, point-of-view (in fiction) errors, tense, transitions, clarity, syntax, and of course, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. I have the ability to make editing suggestions without changing the writer's "voice." I not only point out the story's issues, but suggest *solutions* to them.
**Important:** Although proofreading and editing are commonly believed to be the same thing, these are two different things and are best performed by two different people to ensure an error-free document. My edits include basic error correction but are not detailed proofreading. When hired to proofread (contact me for my proofreading rates), I will concentrate exclusively on errors in what should be an already edited document.
Service Type
Proofread & Edit, CritiqueLanguage
EnglishContent Type
BookWhat's included
| Service Tiers |
Starter
$37.50
|
Standard
$150
|
Advanced
$600
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery Time | 3 days | 5 days | 20 days |
Number of Revisions | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Number of Words | 2500 | 10000 | 40000 |
Grammar & Syntax Review | |||
Fact-Checking | |||
Content Rewriting | - | - | - |
Structural Edit | |||
Print Layout | - | - | - |
Optional add-ons
You can add these on the next page.
Content Rewriting
(+ 5 Days)
+$27.50
Editing WITH content rewriting
(+ 5 Days)
+$100Frequently asked questions
266 reviews
(250)
(16)
(0)
(0)
(0)
JM
Joan M.
Sep 29, 2023
Bettye is wonderful to work with and she has great communication skills. She edited several books for me and has always provided valuable advice on where I can make improvements. I would definitaly recommend her for your editing needs.
JM
Joan M.
May 3, 2023
I love working with Bettye, she is a true professional and a pleasure to work with. Her editing skills are awesome, as she recognizes inconsistencies and even provides suggestions on how to make improvements. I have hired her several times and will continue to do so in the future. I highly recommend her for your editing needs.
LA
Leyla A.
May 5, 2026
Editorial Feedback & Light Edits for Personal Essay (~1,500 words, Modern-Love Style)
Working on a personal essay with Bettye was a dream, as she was quick to reply to messages, communicative about how she will edit the work, and delivered her work promptly and as promised. Bettye also implements a thorough and collaborative editing approach, which I greatly appreciated. I highly recommend Bettye for anyone wishing to sharpen their work!
AO
Ashley O.
Mar 22, 2026
Manuscript Query Letter, Chapter, and Proposal
CH
Cristin H.
Jan 25, 2026
Romance Novel - Proofreader
Bettye is committed to providing a quality proofread. She's detail-oriented and easy to communicate with. I've worked with her before and plan to again.
LB
Lucie B.
Nov 2, 2025
Editing of a Contemporary Enemies to Lovers Romance
Bettye has been an absolute joy to work with. She’s the only editor who has truly focused on the developmental side of my book—an area where I had been struggling before. Her attention to detail and exceptional command of language have elevated my work in ways I couldn’t have achieved alone. I fully intend to continue working with Bettye on all my future books.
AH
Amanda H.
Sep 24, 2025
Short fiction book
Bettye was skillful, talented, and thorough. She delivered a complete project that met every detail of the criteria I outlined. Thoughtful and professional throughout, she made the process smooth and reliable. I would work with her again in a heartbeat and highly recommend her to anyone looking for quality work.
About Bettye
Meticulous Editor/ Proofreader/ Ghostwriter/ Transcriptionist
100%
Job Success
Crosby, United States - 2:14 am local time
I have a love for the written word and a razor-sharp eye for errors! I’m the indie author and small publisher’s best friend, because my editing is a valuable combination of copy, line, and developmental. I look at the manuscript's ENTIRE scope, the viability of the storyline as well as the writing. I also offer storyline/plot evaluations. Romance publishers, in particular, need this service to prevent spending hundreds of dollars on stories that contain implausible and inaccurate situations that render them un-publishable.
Romance is my specialty; however, I also edit nonfiction, business, and medical documents, as well as other fiction genres. I treat each client’s document as if my name were going to be publicly listed as the author. Contact me, and let's discuss what I can do for you!
Here’s a brief summary of the services I offer:
EDITING. In addition to making developmental suggestions regarding structure, pacing, plot, and characterization (the latter two for fiction), I check the entire document for typos, overused/misused/missing words, incorrect facts, inconsistencies, redundancies, contradictions, implausibilities, confusing narrative, pronoun misuse, adverb overuse, point-of-view (in fiction) errors, tense, transitions, clarity, syntax, and of course, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.
PROOFREADING. Commonly believed to be the same as editing…it’s not. Proofreading should be done after editing is complete and before publishing or submission. This includes correcting missing or incorrect punctuation, incorrect word usage, misused homonyms, missing words, doubled words, irregular word or line spacing, inconsistencies in statements and formatting, typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
PLOT/STORYLINE EVALUATIONS. Are you a small publisher who has spent hundreds, or even thousands, on stories that turn out to be worthless? Let me evaluate your ghostwriter’s storyline before you pay to have it written, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars. I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it and make suggestions for resolution (or inform you that it’s hopeless). I’ll also review the first 500 words of the manuscript.
GHOSTWRITING. Anything I write for you is guaranteed to need little editing. However, I only consider ghostwriting if a) the client provides a story outline, b) there is a reasonable weekly output of 6-8k words, and c) I am paid at least 3 cents per word.
TRANSCRIPTION/TYPING. Dictated or handwritten: random thoughts/notes, correspondence, medical reports, fiction or nonfiction manuscripts, and one-on-one interviews or conversations (I do not transcribe reports with more than two speakers).
My experience:
• Professional writer for over 20 years, nonfiction (newspaper columnist) and fiction (40+ novels of romance and women's fiction published under my pen name(s), plus ghostwritten titles).
• Professional proofreader who worked for pharmaceutical giant Abbott Labs in that capacity.
• Experienced editor with an 11-year history on Upwork. Top Rated.
• Retired multispecialty medical transcriptionist; qualified to edit medical documents.
• Romance specialist. With so many published romance novels to my name, I possess a thorough understanding of the genre and know what works and what doesn't. I am a book doctor who can clean up plots that contain outlandish elements and revise them into a plot that is both engrossing and *believable.*
• Owner/operator of Red Pen Edits by BLU.
Steps for completing your project
After purchasing the project, send requirements so Bettye can start the project.
Delivery time starts when Bettye receives requirements from you.
Bettye works on your project following the steps below.
Revisions may occur after the delivery date.
Initial Edits
I will submit the initial edits to you, with suggestions for how to improve problem areas and usually with questions and/or requests for clarification.
Second Pass
You will turn on track changes (so I can easily spot what you've changed) and work with my edits (answering questions, providing requested clarification, and making revisions). I will then do a second and final pass of the document.