I offer a wide array of editorial services from writing, editing, and publishing, to content creation, social media strategy, and marketing. You can find detailed descriptions of my services here, and a comprehensive list of all the services I offer here.

I am always open to working with new authors and new editing projects. I do work a full-time job and I am still attending college, so I’ve had to be selective with the projects I take on, but shoot me an email at hello@paytonhayes.com, and we can see if I’d be a good fit for your project.

I do! I will accept short stories, novellas, and novels from publishers and literary agents. You can contact me about my review policy here.

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’ll try to include an objective, editorial point of view for these reviews, as well as my own genuine personal opinion. You can also post your book on Reader’s Favorite where along with other readers, I can review your book.

For fiction, I prefer adult, young adult and middle grade in these core categories: fantasy, romance, horror, thriller, and science-fiction. Most sub-genres in these categories are encouraged. For nonfiction, I prefer memoirs, autobiographies, and historical works, though I will edit almost any nonfiction work, aside from religious works. I will edit medical writing but I will not perform writing services or fact-checking for medical pieces.

Inclusive stories provide an incredible sense of joy. I’d like to read more multicultural works. Writers who identify with a marginalized community are strongly encouraged to get in touch.

I try to be as open-minded as possible as an editor but I know my own strengths and biases, and selecting a project in a genre I am not familiar with or do not enjoy, is simply a disservice to myself and my clients. I will not edit faith-based/religious manuscripts or erotic fiction.

Please note: I don’t work with authors who are publishing through hybrid or vanity publishers. I don’t promote books published by vanity presses, either. 

While I offer multiple writing and editing services to authors and businesses alike, I specialize in line editing because the editor-author relationship is so important to me and this level of editing is what I am most familiar with. It allows me to work closely with the author to bring his or her story to life.

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.

It typically takes me ten days to two weeks to complete a manuscript of average length (150,000 words). However, I do offer a rush fee for any projects that need to be completed on a rush basis and you can expect a project turn around of a week or less. You can find more details about my rush fees here.

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, and methods of payment here.

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 have a few discounts available for students and referrals as well as an annual giveaway! Please check out the discounts on my Process and Rates page.

Please note: I will only proofread academic writing for spelling and grammatical errors, and formatting.

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.

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.

I typically edit manuscripts via Microsoft Word’s Tracked Changes feature. I will conduct an edit of the entire manuscript and send it back to you to accept or reject my suggestions. For more information, please check out my Process and Rates page.

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.

If you’ve reviewed my Services page and you don’t see what you’re looking for, shoot me an email and we can discuss the project further. Please ensure you’ve read through all my FAQ’s, as well as my Services, and Process and Rates pages before you reach out!

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.

I am a member of the Editorial Freelancer’s Association, a reviewer for Reader’s Favorite and an editor at Reedsy.com. I am currently in the process of joining Squarespace Circle.

I hope to join the SCBWI, ELT Publishing Professionals, the ALLI, and the Society of Authors soon!

Hopefully soon! I’m in the process of getting all of my legal ducks in a row. Once that’s done, we’ll update you as we move along in getting the publishing house open for business. Check the Publishing Page frequently for information concerning Payton Hayes Publishing.

Hello Poetry and Poetry.com are the two websites I publish my poetry on as of late! I have a prose & poetry collection I published previously but I am currently reworking it and I’ll re-release it soon!

In my free time, I am a mixed media artist as well! I thought it would be a fun way to share my work with the world, while supporting my editing business.

All of the photos on this website are either my own media, free stock images from websites including Unsplash.com, Pixabay.com, and Pexels.com. Photos used in blog posts are credited in captions and thumbnails are credited at the end of each post.

If you have any questions, please reach out at hello@paytonhayes.com. Please be aware that I may not respond quickly during weekends and holidays, but I typically get back to you within 1-2 business days.