High-level editorial judgement for serious manuscripts
Stonecurrent Press Editorial works with writers who need to understand what their manuscript is doing, where it is losing force and what it needs to become. The emphasis is on argument, structure, purpose, reader, omissions and the decisions that will make the next draft stronger.
This is not a proofreading, technical copy-editing or line-editing service.
Stonecurrent Press is not a vanity press
SCP’s publishing list is selective and entirely separate from its paid editorial services. SCP does not charge authors to publish, sell publication packages, require authors to buy copies or promise publication in return for editorial fees. Purchasing an editorial service gives no preference, advantage or expectation of publication by SCP.
Services
Manuscript assessment
A clear independent diagnosis of a complete manuscript. Best for writers who have finished a substantial draft and need to identify its strengths, principal weaknesses and revision priorities before investing in more intensive editorial work.
Includes:
- A complete read of the manuscript
- A 6-10 page editorial report
- Assessment of purpose, structure, pace, argument or narrative development, intended reader and market position
- The five most important revision priorities
- A 30-minute follow-up conversation
Indicative fees:
- Up to 50,000 words — £295
- 50,001-80,000 words — £395
- 80,001-100,000 words — £495
- Longer manuscripts quoted individually
Typical turnaround: three weeks.
Developmental editorial report
A deeper examination for manuscripts that require substantial rethinking or restructuring. This service tests how the parts work together and gives the author a practical route through the next major revision.
Includes:
- A complete read of the manuscript
- A 12-20 page developmental report
- Analysis of structure, argument, narrative shape, character or voice, pacing, omissions, repetition and reader expectations
- Chapter-by-chapter or section-by-section observations
- A prioritised revision plan
- Selected comments within the manuscript where examples are necessary
- A 60-minute follow-up conversation
Indicative fees:
- Up to 50,000 words — £650
- 50,001-80,000 words — £850
- 80,001-100,000 words — £1,050
- Longer or unusually complex manuscripts quoted individually
Typical turnaround: four to six weeks.
Independent-publishing and series-development consultation
For writers or small publishers making decisions about a book, connected group of books or developing series. This is strategic editorial consultation, not production management.
Includes:
- Review of a synopsis, proposal, outline or sample material of up to 15,000 words
- A 90-minute consultation
- Advice on editorial purpose, readership, positioning, sequence, consistency and the relationship between individual titles
- A concise 3-5 page action plan
Fee: £275.
A further 60-minute consultation is £95.
Typical turnaround: ten working days from receipt of the agreed material.
Suitable work
SCP Editorial is best suited to memoir, narrative non-fiction, history, essays and books of ideas, literary and contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and linked novels or non-fiction series.
It may not be the right service for specialist academic, legal, medical or technical manuscripts; poetry collections; children’s books; or projects requiring genre-specific commercial expertise. Where a manuscript needs proofreading, copy-editing or specialist factual review, the author should appoint an appropriately qualified practitioner.
Sample editorial report
Download our fictional sample developmental editorial report to see the structure, tone and level of detail clients can expect. It uses no confidential client material.
How to enquire
Use the contact page and include the working title, genre, approximate word count, stage of development, intended readership and the service you are considering. A short sample may be requested before SCP confirms that the project is suitable.
Terms
Scope, timetable and fee are agreed in writing before work begins. A 50% booking payment secures the agreed start date; the balance is due before delivery of the report. If the manuscript or brief changes materially after booking, the scope and fee may need to be revised.
The author retains copyright and responsibility for all editorial decisions. SCP treats submitted material as confidential and will not share or use it outside the agreed work. Manuscripts will not be entered into generative-AI systems without the author’s express permission.
Editorial advice is professional judgement, not a guarantee of representation, publication, reviews, sales or other outcomes.
Stonecurrent Press is not a vanity press. Paid editorial work is entirely separate from SCP’s selective publishing programme. SCP does not charge authors to publish, sell publication packages or require authors to purchase copies. Editorial clients receive no preference, advantage or expectation of publication by Stonecurrent Press.