Jon Sealy

My specialty is in literary fiction, crime fiction, and mysteries, but I have also edited thrillers, historical fiction, and romance. I am not the right fit for fantasy, science fiction, poetry, YA/middle grade, or graphic novels.

Editing ranges from big-picture “developmental editing” to sentence-level “line editing” to copyediting and proofreading. While I have experience in all of these, I’m best suited for developmental editing and line editing. For copyediting and proofreading, I can refer you to someone.

Developmental editing is “big picture” editing for a book. This usually happens after you write a complete first draft or two, and it will help you think holistically about your project. In a typical project, I will read the entire manuscript and then write a lengthy editorial letter laying out how your book works, where it might fit in the market, and ideas for you to consider in revision. Ideas may range from “this character needs some development, and here’s how you can do that,” to “the timeline in your story breaks down in these ways,” to “this scene should come earlier or later in the story.” While this level of editing does not typically include line-level edits, I will flag any overall notes about voice, how you structure sentences or paragraphs, overly used words, and the like. In short, think of development editing as an in-depth analysis of your book in terms of story, plot, characterization, scene building, dialogue, and overall effect, with the goal of helping you revise the book toward its final form.

Line editing is a sentence-level analysis of your book. This usually happens after developmental editing and revisions, when you are ready to sharpen the prose. Line editing may include some bigger picture developmental notes (e.g., “this feels out of character for your protagonist”) but the primary focus is line by line and scene by scene. Recommendations may include shortening or lengthening scenes, sharpening descriptions, trimming words, and generally strengthening the prose.

Yes, with a couple of caveats: First, editing is not like assembling furniture where you go step by step. Developmental editing blurs into line editing, so it may be counter-productive to engage me for both. Second, there may be diminishing returns in asking the same editor to go back through your manuscript too many times. I usually will read the manuscript twice for either a developmental or line editing, so I may not be able to provide you much more useful feedback going through it a third or fourth time. It depends on your goals for the project and how you approach revision.

While line editing often catches dangling modifiers and errant commas, you want the eagle eyes of a dedicated proofreader or copyeditor to catch inconsistencies with smart or straight quotation marks, doubled words, consistency of spacing around your dashes and the like. I occasionally take on these jobs, but likely would refer you to someone else for your book manuscript.

Other than pointing you in the right direction, no. In my editorial letter, I may include a few notes about where your book fits in the market. For example, if you have written a British cozy mystery, I may list a few published books that might serve as strong “comparison titles” in the market. I can also provide a few resources for your market research or, under a separate engagement, consult with you about what to do next and help with your query letter.

I offer “publishing services” to help you self-publish, but I currently don’t have the time or resources to publish new authors in a traditional model. I explain why in this Substack post.

I would plan on 2-4 weeks but will let you know with a quote for services what my current turnaround time is. A typical project may require about 40 hours (for example, 20 hours to read the book twice, 10-15 hours to mull it over, 5-10 hours to write up an editorial feedback letter).

I offer a custom quote for every job, but my editing rates generally align with the higher end of the Editorial Freelancer Association ($0.04/word for fiction). For typical projects, I will ask for an upfront fee of 50%, with the remaining 50% due on delivery. Specific terms will be written into a project agreement. I can accept payment via check, Venmo or credit card (electronic payments may have a small processing fee).

Use the contact button above to send me a message introducing yourself and your book goals. I will provide a proposal for services, and if we are a good fit, we are off to the races. We may need to go back and forth on email a few times to iron out the specifics of your project, and it may help to have a 15-minute phone call.

Sure. Feel free to send me an email at haywirebooks {at} gmail {dot} com, and I will get back to you as quickly as I can.

Until recently, having a book published meant finding a traditional book publisher who would acquire the rights to your book, publish it under their imprint, and send you royalty payments. Haywire Books operated under this model, but that press is currently on hiatus and not accepting submissions.

In my current capacity, I am offering “publishing services” to help usher you through the self-publication process. These services can range from one-off or regular consultations to a complete one-stop shop to get your book into the world. You will retain all rights to the work, and you will control the publication process.

As a self-publisher, you retain all rights, so it’s up to you! Some books published through Amazon are listed as “independently published,” but we can also brainstorm a creative publishing name for you.

Timing depends on where you are in the process. If you are at the idea stage, it will take several months to develop and write the book. If you have a polished manuscript, you can publish a book in a matter of weeks.

I offer coaching to help you flesh out your concept, outline your story, and brainstorm ideas. I am not a ghostwriter, but I can either refer you to someone or bring a ghostwriter onto the team if you’re looking for a one-stop package of services.

My role is writing and editing, but I also have the software to lay out your book for both print and e-book distribution. If you are interested in a package that includes cover design or marketing materials, I can make a referral or assemble a team for you.

Self-publishing means you are in charge of where the book appears. I have several strong recommendations to ensure your book appears on Amazon and in traditional book distribution databases. I also can recommend avenues for print-on-demand (POD) or traditional printing.

Possibly. Uploading the book into the book trade means any bookseller can purchase it on standard wholesale terms. Because booksellers have limited space, most stores are highly selective about what they carry. The best way to get your book into a traditional bookstore is to build a relationship with the owner. I can consult with you on marketing your book and approaching bookstores, but I recommend focusing on sales through other channels.

E-books yes. Audiobooks, maybe. I specialize in books for print (hardback and paperback) and e-books. For audiobooks, I can help you with production resources (e.g., finding a freelance voice actor) and distribution.

I can consult with you on marketing, publicity, and advertising. If you would like a publicist or help executing your book marketing plan, I can make several recommendations.

Perhaps. I am neither an attorney nor an accountant, but I can offer some general ideas about setting up your business, and I can also support you with many of the nuts and bolts around publishing a book. For example, you’ll want to apply for a copyright and set up metadata in various databases.

I offer a custom quote for every job. Entrepreneurial clients may only need a few hours of consulting and a checklist of things to do. Clients brand new to publishing may want an entire soup-to-nuts publishing package that starts with handing over a first draft of a Word document and ends with a book in the distribution system and a Facebook page running advertisements. For payment terms, I typically ask for 50% upfront and 50% on delivery, but ongoing consulting may be better served with a monthly retainer or other payment approach. I can accept payments via check at no cost. Credit cards and Venmo may require a small processing fee.

Use the contact button above to send me a message introducing yourself and your book goals. I will provide a proposal for services, and if we are a good fit, we are off to the races. We may need to go back and forth on email a few times to iron out the specifics of your project, and it may help to have a 15-minute phone call.

Sure. Feel free to send me an email at haywirebooks {at} gmail {dot} com, and I will get back to you as quickly as I can.