Writing Pursuits Premier Services

First Chapter Analysis

$199 $149

A great way to get started.

Up to 5,000 words.


  • Thoughtful read through of first chapter
  • Completed First Chapter Rubric
  • 45-minute Zoom call to discuss your chapter
  • 30 days of follow-up email communication

Story Diagnostic

$1,499

Up to 60,000 words.

$275 for each additional 10,000 words.


  • Thoughtful read through of entire manuscript
  • Completed Story Rubric (See FAQ below.)
  • 60-minute Zoom call to discuss your manuscript
  • Audio and video recording of Zoom call
  • Unlimited follow-up email communication
  • Free digital download of THREE STORY METHOD
  • Guaranteed completion in 60 days or less.

Final Chapter Coaching
(includes Story Diagnostic)

$2,699

Up to 60,000 words.

$440 for each addition 10,000 words.


  • STORY DIAGNOSTIC with all the benefits included
  • Coaching service
  • Line edit (See FAQ below.)
  • 30-minute coaching calls, number based on manuscript length
  • Audio and video recordings of coaching calls
  • Teaching resources and brochures provided
  • Unlimited follow-up email communication

Other Services

Rates

Unless otherwise stated, my hourly rate is $50 USD.

LINE EDITING

Line editing is the polishing step. The major revisions are complete. This is a time-intensive process, and if your story is not ready, paying for a line edit is a huge waste of money.

If your manuscript is complete, you may submit it for appraisal. If accepted, you will receive a free sample edit and an estimate.

COPY EDITING

A copy edit should come after you make your last revisions following the line edit because new errors are introduced during the revision process.

A copy edit focuses on eliminating the “PUGS”—errors in Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling.

PROOFREADING

Proofreading is an essential step that comes after your book is formatted, when you have your proof copy ready to be published.

Formatting involves touching the document, and errors always seem to creep in. Words and letters go missing, as do periods and commas.

SYNOPSIS SERVICE

To be traditionally published, you will need a synopsis. Unfortunately, writing a synopsis requires a complete style shift.

Let’s perfect your synopsis and make sure it is ready for agents and editors to see.

I charge a flat fee of $99 for a one-page synopsis.

Is your first chapter ready?

Be confident!

What if you had a resource to help you figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your first chapter? An objective, informative rubric to go by?

If your first chapter doesn’t work for the reader, then you probably have lost a customer for life. Or a chance signing an agent and getting published.

Don’t leave things to chance. 

This rubric will help you identify the problem areas in your first chapter and figure out how to fix them.

Be ready for queries. Be ready for readers. Get the results you dream about.


Testimonials


I would recommend her to any author who wants to produce a high-quality reader experience.

I’ve worked with Kathrese on three projects. Each time she amazed me with her ability to strengthen my prose, catch details I’ve missed, and enhance the impact of my stories while staying true to their heart. She’s also incredibly organized and thorough, so I can rest easy knowing my manuscripts are in such great hands. I would recommend her to any author who wants to produce a high-quality reader experience.
Kaylin Lee
The Destined Series

I recommend her work!

Kathrese at Word Marker Edits is professional and thorough. She brings her experience to help you make your story better. She explains the reasoning behind her edits so that you grow in your writing craft. I recommend her work! 
Tricia Mingerink
Beyond the Tales series

Professional and precise the entire time.

I appreciate your work so much. Not once did it feel personal. Professional and precise the entire time, and I was able to apply the work with greater ease than with previous edits. 
L.A. Thornhill
The King and Prophet Chronicles

I highly recommend 
her services.

Kathrese has served as the editor for two of my books and I can truly say she has helped me
“prepare my story for the journey ahead”. Besides bringing her expertise to my writing projects, 
Kathrese also exhibits enthusiasm and encouragement during the process. I highly recommend 
her services.
Marilyn Peveto
When Your Heart Endures

She’s a detail-oriented editor for writers who need a logical, linear thought process applied to their fiction.

I have given over my manuscripts and my self esteem to Kathrese, my writing and critique partner, and she miraculously improves both! Not only does she ferret out my inconsistencies and plot convolutions, but she also handles my sensitive writer’s ego with care and gentleness. She’s a detail-oriented editor for writers who need a logical, linear thought process applied to their fiction.
Laura Anderson Kurk
Glass Girl & Perfect Glass

I never want to release a title she hasn’t had her eyes on.

Kathrese blew me away with an almost superhuman attention to detail for everything from grammar to quietly lurking formatting issues. I never want to release a title she hasn’t had her eyes on.
Nancy Kimball
Chasing the Lion

I appreciated how she took the time to turn nearly every correction into a “teaching moment.”

As an indie author, I wanted to publish the best possible product, and Kathrese helped me to do just that. Her keen eyes spotted many things that I would have found in the work of others but missed in my own work because I was too engrossed in the flow of the story. I appreciated how she took the time to turn nearly every correction into a “teaching moment,”  which served to strengthen my writing skills. I will pass each of my future books in front of her detail-oriented eyes for sure!
Beth Steury
Choices Matter series

She not only found a plot hole in my suspense novel, but suggested a way to solve it.

I recommend Word Marker Edits for your editing needs. Kathrese is knowledgeable and fun to work with. She not only found a plot hole in my suspense novel, but suggested a way to solve it. I appreciated her dedication to my story. She definitely improved it, and she’ll improve yours, too.
Mary L. Hamilton
Pendant

Frequently Asked Questions

The Story Rubric is simply a means of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript including: Genre, Character, Worldbuilding, Wants & Needs, Showing vs. Telling, Passive Voice, Theme, and The Three Cs.

The Story Rubric, created by J. Thorn, is used by all Three Story Method Certified Editors to streamline the editing and revision process for short and long form fiction.

Unless otherwise stated, my hourly rate is $50 USD.

Final Chapter Coaching is intended to get you to The End. Revisions are often a grueling process; coaching and accountability can make all the difference. This service includes all the benefits of a Story Diagnostic.

Coaching consists of recorded Zoom calls (usually 3-5 sessions total) in 30-minute increments regarding revised passages of limited size. The number of sessions varies, depending on the length of the manuscript. My notes and the recordings are available after each session.

This process is no substitute for a copyedit or proofreading which you should hire out after your book is complete.

Line edits are available on a case-by-case basis. Many manuscripts are not ready for a line edit; my goal is to save clients from spending money on this service before the foundational work is done. No incomplete manuscripts will be accepted.

Occasionally, I will offer a substantive edit if it seems to be the right solution. More often, I will recommend a Story Diagnostic.

First, tell me your story. Create a summary of your book and include your main characters, the setting, and the major plot points. See if you can accomplish this in less than five pages. Don’t worry about grammar—just give me the facts and don’t leave out the ending!

I will create a one-page draft which we will discuss during a 15-minute Zoom call after you have had a chance to look the draft over. With your input, I will produce a final draft.

Unfortunately, I do not. I have worked successfully with writers from the US, the UK, and Canada.

All work is invoiced through PayPal in US Dollars. PayPal processes many forms of payment. For most projects, half of the estimate is due before work begins.


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Writing Pursuits, Since 2014

Prepare your story for the journey ahead.

Kathrese McKee has been editing fiction since 2014. Writing Pursuits, formerly Word Marker Edits, is here for the long haul. When you type The End, it’s only the beginning. From first chapter to last, let an experienced editor with solid references help you polish your manuscript.