Publishing Services - Nick Marone

Do you write science fiction? Want to publish a short story or a book? Pitching your book to agents? I’m the editor and typesetter you need!

I assess, edit and format science fiction manuscripts. So if you want to give your story a competitive edge, you’ve come to the right place. I leverage my experience as an author and editor to help take your manuscript from draft to finished product. I am an easygoing editor who can help you build your skills and confidence as a writer and improve your stories.

My Credentials

Editorial Experience

I have worked for Aurealis as a slush reader and Andromeda Spaceways Magazine as a slush reader, proofreader, editor, and typesetter. I read and critiqued hundreds of science fiction and fantasy stories and prepared issues and anthologies for publication.

Science Fiction Author

I am a science fiction author with a growing number of short stories and books released to the world, published traditionally and independently. I understand the speculative fiction scene and the editing and publishing process from start to finish.

Qualified

I hold a Graduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing (with Distinction) from the University of Southern Queensland. I earned a high-distinction average and excelled in theoretical and practical assessments, as well as during my internship and publishing project.

Passion

I am passionate about science fiction and love helping writers with their projects. As a reader, I understand and appreciate the importance of a good story, I use my knowledge and expertise to make your manuscript the best final product it can be.

Services and Rates

What is it? A manuscript assessment involves a thorough reading of the full manuscript. I look for key issues that can improve the manuscript’s overall performance, including characterisation, setting, writing style, plot, and so on. I do not provide markup on a returned manuscript, but I do write a detailed (3,000 words maximum) critique highlighting how the manuscript can be improved, often citing specific examples.

Why do it? This is a good option for new manuscripts and also manuscripts that have been repeatedly rejected by editors and agents. Please note that while my comments will be polite, they will also be an unbiased criticism of your work with the genuine intention of improving your story.

Fee: $0.015 per word.

What is it? A developmental edit (also known as a structural or substantive edit) is a comprehensive process that focuses on the structure, content, and overall effectiveness of a manuscript. It addresses larger elements such as plot, worldbuilding, character development, pacing, theme, narrative voice, and storytelling technique.

Why do it? Developmental editing goes deeper than fixing typographical errors. It improves the strength of stories by tackling the components behind the words that put a story together. If you want a story that draws the reader into your world, then refining your manuscript with a developmental edit is the way to go.

Fee: $0.02 per word.

What is it? I combine line editing and copyediting in one package. Line editing focuses on improving the overall quality and clarity of a manuscript at the sentence and paragraph level. Cope editing focuses on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency to a style (such as the Chicago Manual of Style) to ensure the manuscript is free of errors.

Why do it? Line editing and copy editing ensures the reader has a smooth experience sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, without getting distracted by clunky phrases or typographical errors.

Fee: $0.02 per word.

This service is for authors intending to self-publish their book.

What is it? Formatting is a critical part in the production stage of publishing. For the purpose of my services, formatting includes:

Typesetting: Laying out the text of a manuscript in the print file prior to publication according to industry standards.
Ebook design: Creating the ebook of your manuscript in a reflowable layout according to industry standards, ready for Kindle, Kobo, and other e-reading devices

Please note that I DO NOT offer cover design services.

Why do it? Presentation is everything. Your manuscript could be free of errors and the story could flow like magic, but if the print book or ebook is incorrectly formatted, your story will look cheap and unprofessional, negatively impacting your sales, reviews, and reputation. You want your final product to be perfect, indistinguishable from a traditionally published book.

Note: Print and ebook files should be proofread. The typesetting and ebook design service includes a free second round of work after the files have been proofread and notes on corrections returned to me. I DO NOT proofread your files.

Fee:

Print file only: $0.02 per word
Ebook file only: $0.015 per word
BUNDLE – Print and ebook: $0.025 per word

Not offering this service at this time.

Note: Proofreading should be done after the print or ebook file of a manuscript has been created. Use a fresh pair of eyes—the person who proofreads your manuscript should not be the person who edited it.

What I Need From You

As a writer, you are ultimately in charge of and responsible for your manuscript. Before you send your manuscript to me—and especially before you send it to an agent or publisher)—you need to make sure that it is as polished as it can be. As your editor, I can help you tidy your manuscript, but my time (and your money) is better spent addressing bigger issues than a spelling error or missing punctuation. If your manuscript is free of these small problems, I can devote my time more effectively to helping you improve your story.

Specific requirements for my services will be discussed via email and outlined in the contract.

Please only send stories in .docx, .doc., or .rtf formats.

Process

Authors can query me via my contact form below. We will have a short email discussion about the unique needs of your project, what services you require, and the project timeline. I will send you a personalised contract, which you must sign and return to me, keeping a copy for yourself. I also send an invoice for a deposit. Once I have received your deposit, I will begin working on your manuscript.

When I have completed work on the manuscript, I will send another invoice requesting the balance of the service fee. After the balance is paid, I will send you the completed files.

For formatting, you have one free round of corrections after the full balance has been paid. If there are extensive changes required in the print or ebook file, an extra fee will apply. To avoid this extra fee, the manuscript should be in its final draft before being prepared for print or ebook publication.

An author and an editor must be on the same page (pun intended). Throughout the editing and typesetting process, I encourage a free flow of communication between us to ensure the end product is exactly what you need.

Subjectivity

I do not guarantee that your professionally assessed, edited, or proofread manuscript will be accepted by an agent or publisher. I do not guarantee that your professionally assessed, edited, proofread, or formatted manuscript will be well-received by readers after being published traditionally or independently. The interests of agents, editors, publishers, and readers is highly subjective and influenced by many variables.

Contact Me

Please note that I DO NOT accept horror or erotica. While I prefer science fiction, I will accept fantasy on a case-by-case basis, subject to availability and suitability. It doesn’t hurt to query me.