That’s up to you, but if you’re serious about publishing your book and you want to take the quality of your manuscript to the next level, working with a professional book editor is highly advised. It’s amazing that you feel confident in your book and you want to share it with the world! I’d love to help you do that! Book editors exist to help refine and polish a manuscript into the very best version it can be prior to publishing. Working with a professional book editor to revise, edit, proofread, and format your manuscript can not only set your work apart from the masses, but it can teach you invaluable craft lessons and industry expertise as well. After working with a professional editor, your book will be stronger and your writing will too!

While I offer a variety of writing, editing, marketing, and content creation services, I specialize in copyediting. To see a complete list of the genres I prefer to edit as well as the genres I choose not to edit, click here.

I offer a variety of editorial services from writing, editing, and publishing, to content creation, social media strategy, and marketing. You can find detailed descriptions of the services I offer here.

I specialize in copyediting and proofreading and I’m comfortable with and confident in editing the following core genres:

• Fiction: Contemporary, Horror, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative, and Romance.

• Non Fiction: Academic, Aesthetic, Creative Nonfiction, Educational, Journalism, and Practical Nonfiction.

To see a detailed list of all the genres and subgenres I prefer to edit, as well as the genres I choose not to edit, read on or click here.

I am always open to working with new authors and new editing projects. Due to the nature of my work, I have to be extremely selective with which projects I accept. That being said, feel free to send me an email at hello@paytonhayes.com, and we can discuss your project in greater detail to determine if I’d be a good fit.

Yes! I will perform a 10-page sample edit for you, free of charge to demonstrate my editing abilities and to determine if I’d be a good fit for your project. You can find more details about my editing process here.

Do you need editing done in a pinch? I offer rush editing services at an additional 50% of the normal editing costs. Depending on the size and scope of the work, usually you can expect a project turn around of a week or less. For the duration of the rush project I offer 24/7 support including calls, text, and virtual meetings.

The cost of editing your manuscript will depend on the genre, length, and state of the manuscript. You can find more information about my editing process, rates, accepted payment methods, discounts, and more on my Services page. If you’ve already checked there, please reach out to me directly at Hello@PaytonHayes.com.

Editing fees depend on the length of the manuscript and the type of editing being done to the work. Substantive editing will always be more expensive than a final proofread, but you can lower editing costs simply by editing your manuscript as much as you can on your own. The more editing that needs to be done on a manuscript, the more time it will take to complete the edit and in turn, the more money it will cost for professional editing.

Yes! 

• I offer a 10% off discount for teachers and students! I also offer a 10% off discount for referrals from other editors in the Developmental Editors Connection Facebook Group, as part of their EDIT10 program. 

• I also offer  a lifetime 10% off  discount for friends and colleagues referred to me by existing clients. This discount applies to both the referral and the referee, and clients are eligible for this discount once both parties pay the deposit on services within six months of each other! 

• And last but definitely not least, I offer a  lifetime 10% off discount for my loyal subscribers who support my work by sharing my website and socials online. You can learn more about this specific discount by checking out my Story Binder Printables e-Book page. By signing up, you’ll get 450+ pages of valuable, actionable, printable worksheets, questionnaires, and activities to help you finish your novel and get published! And the best part? It’s totally free! Plus, you will get access to an exclusive discount code contained inside.  Click here to view the Story Binder Printables e-Book page.  (Scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for my newsletter. Once you confirm your email, you’ll get access to the e-Book download page. Once you’ve downloaded your Story Binder Printables e-Book, you’ll find the instructions for unlocking the exclusive subscriber discount code! I know there’s a few more steps than you’d probably expect involved in accessing this discount, but try to think of it as a little, virtual scavenger hunt!)

Almost all of my discounts stack with other discounts I offer, which can absolutely help you cut editing costs by a decent amount. Why would I offer such deep discounts? By offering discounts, I am able to offer affordable editorial services which aligns with my mission to help amplify the voices of writers of marginalized communities and  increase access to high quality, unique, and original, writing. Likewise, the support I gain from referrals and subscribers is priceless to me. So, I am able to offer such deep discounts because it helps grow my community and allows my fellow creative writers access to editing services at an affordable rate. 

Click here to view my Home page for more details about the discounts I offer!

It varies writer to writer, but there are a few common occurrences. I usually always see grammatical issues, pacing issues and consistency issues. It helps the editor when writers go back through the manuscript with a fine tooth comb and weed out all of the grammatical issues (and inevitable typos!)

I also see a lot of repetition, clichés, and unnecessary wordage. The advice I always give is: if it doesn’t add value to the story or move the plot along, cut it out. Tightening the language of a manuscript is important because it allows for the fresh and vivid writing to shine through.

Check out my Manuscript Formatting Basics.

If I have performed a sample edit for you and we’ve agreed to work together, we’ll both sign an editorial contract and then you’ll email your manuscript and other related materials to me. I will return the edited product to you via the email you have provided in the contract. Learn more about my editing process here.

If you’d like an additional round of editing once you’ve made changes based on my initial feedback, I offer a second edit for a cheaper rate. Please take a look at my Process and Rates page for more information.

No book comes without its own errors or imperfections. Writers and editors are human and we make errors. Even editors need editors. While I can’t guarantee a completely perfect manuscript, I can guarantee this: a beautifully polished manuscript that you can be proud to show the world.

I’m based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and have edited for clients across the United States, in Canada, and the United Kingdom. For local authors, I serve the greater OKC metro area including Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, Shawnee, Edmond, and Moore.

I do recognize that I am a guest on the homelands and original territories of the Caddo, Wichita, Kiowa, Osage, and Apache peoples. I extend my sincerest respect and gratitude to the many Indigenous people who call these lands home. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your community and culture. You can read my full land acknowledgement here.

I would recommend you read as often and from as many genres as you can. If you want to specialize, then pick a genre or two. If you want to be a versatile editor, read from several genres and be flexible with your reading tastes.

While neither a Bachelor’s degree nor an Editing Certificate is required to make it as a successful freelance editor, both are excellent credentials to have. If formal education isn’t accessible, take as many online courses as you can to prepare yourself for editing manuscripts professionally. You do not want to be a hack!

I will be coming out with a series of intro classes for those new to editing. I also hope to make a few tutorial videos and even begin working on a podcast in the near future, so check back for updates on those projects!

Also, don’t forget to check out my Blog where I offer tons of freelance editing advice.

If you’ve reviewed the services section on my Home page and you don’t see what you’re looking for, send me an email at Hello@PaytonHayes.com and we can discuss the project further.

For electronic manuscripts I typically leave changes (as Comments (Microsoft Word) / Suggestions (Google Docs) for authors to accept or reject. For print manuscripts, I’ll leave suggestions via copyediting marks and handwritten notes in the margins of the physical manuscript. For print manuscripts in which there is one extant copy, I will photocopy it and from there I can edit it electronically or manually. To learn more about my process, click here.

Absolutely! I will accept short stories, novellas, and novels from publishers and literary agents. Just send me an email at Hello@PaytonHayes.com or submit a message via the form on my contact page. 

I prefer to review books that fit within these fiction and nonfiction genres:

• Fiction: Fantasy, Speculative, Thriller, Horror, Romance

• Non Fiction: Memoir, Poetry, Technical Writing

I will also review blog posts, articles, websites, and other social media content, but I charge a fee for those online evaluations. For a free quote on website, social media, and email copy review services, please reach out to me directly at Hello@PaytonHayes.com.

I will rate books on a 1-5 star scale on Goodreads and Amazon, but here on my own site, I’ll be doing spoiler-free commentary over the books I’ve read and why I did or did not enjoy them. I do try to be as open-minded and objective as possible when I am reviewing books, but whenever possible, I will make note of any relevant biases I have that may impact my perception of your book. You can also post your book on Reader’s Favorite where along with other readers, I can review your book.

So you want to take over the blog, huh? I do accept guest posts to this blog but they must contain original, relevant, previously unpublished, and exclusive content. I do not accept guest posts (or requests to guest post) from Brevo, LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, or other similar platforms. Guest blog posts will be tagged with the Guest Blogs & Op-Eds tag, and will be attributed to the author, Guest Blogger and will include an author bio and photo along with backlinks to the author’s social media profiles inside each post. If you have a blog post idea or would like to collaborate, please send your guest post idea to me directly at Hello@PaytonHayes.com.

Hello Poetry and Poetry.com are the two websites I publish my poetry on as of late! I published a poetry collection in 2019, but it is currently out of print. I will send out an email to let my subscribers know when the new collection will be released. If you’d like to be on the list for that update email, please join my newsletter mailing list here.

Unless otherwise specified, the photos on this site are royalty-free stock photos from Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, and Depositphotos. All other photos were taken by Payton Hayes or used with the photographer’s permission. If you have a question about one of the images used on this site, please reach out to Hello@PaytonHayes.com.

This quote?

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

—Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J.K. Rowling)

The quote above has long inspired me, though I reject Rowling’s harmful views and actions. It’s troubling that someone who writes such powerful dialogue also spreads exclusionary beliefs. As an LGBTQ+ ally and community member, I no longer support her work. Instead, I encourage LGBTQ+ writers, editors, and publishing professionals to connect. Whether you are public or private about your identity, I offer discretion, respect, and professionalism in supporting your creative journey. I’ve kept this quote up on my website for the better part of a decade, so I am addressing it here, out of transparency. And while the sentiment still rings true, I cannot support Rowling’s views and therefore have taken this quote down permanently. Thank you for your understanding.

If you have any questions, please reach out at Hello@PaytonHayes.com. Please be aware that responses may be delayed during weekends, in the evenings, and on holidays, but I typically get back to you within 1-2 business days.