Marketing Services for Authors

Combining Editing with Marketing

I edit novels to help authors like you create a quality book that is worth your readers’ time and money. But a quality book is only half the equation.

Marketing is the part where you take that high-quality book and get it in front of your readers. It’s also the part that lets you make money from your books.

I spend most of my time editing fantasy and romance novels, but I also want to help you get your novels in front of your target readers and help you to get a return on your investments.

This page is primarily about my marketing services for self-publishing authors. But if you are planning to go the traditional publishing route, you may be interested in query editing or website design, both of which I provide more information about below.

If you don’t want to pay for marketing help but you’d like some free tips, check out my articles on writing a blurb that sells your story and marketing advice for authors.

Blurbs & Author Bios

Your blurb is what sells the book to your prospective readers. It needs to convince them that your novel is for them and that it will be worth their time and money. It’s pretty important.

The author bio is your opportunity to convince prospective readers that you’re someone they should buy from.

I edit both of these for free on most of the manuscripts I work on. I also offer blurb editing as a standalone service.

I give developmental feedback that ensures you’re attracting the right people and effectively selling them the book. Then I provide copyediting to fix any mechanical issues with the writing. This usually involves 2-4 rounds of editing.

When I edit blurbs as part of a full editing package, it doesn’t have to be at the time that I edit the novel. Sometimes, specially when I’m doing a developmental edit, the blurb isn’t ready for editing until months later, in which case I fit in the blurb as soon as my schedule permits, often in under a week.

Author Websites

A website is an essential part of your marketing plan. This is a place where your readers can find you, whether because you gave them the link or because they typed your name or your book into Google. 

There are a lot of web design services out there, and DIYing is also a great option. I might be the right choice for you if you want your website designed by someone who knows your genre and your audience and can make sure that all the website copy is optimized for them.

Another important point is that my web design services always include free copyediting. I offer developmental editing as an optional add-on, which can be useful if you don’t know how to attract the right people or sell them your books.

I also offer copywriting, which you may be interested in if you’d prefer not to have to write the website text yourself. I have taken courses in copywriting and also have training in SEO if that’s something you’re interested in. Note that copywriting does cost more than editing because of the extra time involved.

Other Materials

I can edit and/or give feedback on the following promotional materials:

  • websites
  • ad copy
  • pull-out quotes
  • text-based graphics
  • social media posts
  • & more

I have taken courses in copywriting and in book-specific marketing materials.

Contact me to get a quote for your specific situation.

Covers/Graphics

If you’re paying me for any of my services, I will look at covers and other (non-text-heavy) graphics for free and share my impression of their ability to attract your target audience.

My feedback in this area is based on a basic understanding of graphic design and the market research I do in the fantasy and romance genres.

I do not offer in-depth feedback on covers/graphics because this isn’t my area of expertise.

I don’t do this as a standalone service.

Queries

I also edit query letters and synopses if you’re going the traditional publishing route.

I have taken specialized training in editing these materials and can advise you on what agents are looking for.

I include this in my novel editing packages for authors planning to query, but I don’t currently offer it as a separate service.

Contact me if you’d like more information about this.