Jessica Scharnagle

Professional Book Editor

I am a professional book editor with a specialty in line editing. My approach to editing starts with you. I am merely the thought-provoker, poking and prodding at your ideas to help you mold your work into the best it can be.I am a US-based editor with over seven years of experience in the editorial industry. To read more about me and my credentials, click the link below.

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Why Choose Me?

My philosophy to all facets of manuscript editing is to give you an overall idea of your work from not only a professional lens, but from someone who truly believes in your work and wants you to succeed. From developmental editing down to proofreading, you can feel more confident in your work when the process is over.My goal is to present you with the right questions that enable you to think more broadly about your world, characters, and story. This will enable you to dig a little deeper and bring out your creativity in a new and exciting way!My rates are well below the standard editor rates listed by the Editorial Freelancers Association to offer access to both reflect my experience and education, and offer accessibility to indie authors.

Services Offered

Click below to see more about the services I offer and pricing.

• Developmental Edits
• Line Edits
• Proofreading
• Beta Reading

Developmental Editing Overview

In a developmental edit, I will read your entire manuscript and point out all of the things that worked well for your story, as well as the things that could be improved upon. Story elements I will focus on include overall plot, character development, coherency, pacing, narrative consistency, and more. A developmental edit will make some suggestions on the line level as well as vocabulary and punctuation edits. The goal of a developmental edit is to eliminate plot holes, inconsistencies, and pacing issues. A developmental edit is meant to be a guide for you to refine and elevate your story in the next step of your editing process.For a developmental edit, you will receive the following:
- One developmental letter breaking down the elements listed above for you to use as your "handbook" to your next step in the editing process.
- A tracked document with in-line comments for specific recommendations.
- Open communication with me to ask questions at any point in the process.

Editing Timeline

The turnaround for manuscript edits varies based on the word count. As a general rule, expect one week of turnaround time per 50,000 words.For example: A 150,000 word manuscript would take three weeks to edit.

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What Genres Do I Edit?

- Fantasy
- Romantasy
- YA Fantasy
- Thriller
- Personal Essay

Developmental Editing Rates

All rates are negotiable, but all of my rates are lower than the rates listed by the Editorial Freelancers Association. These rates are set to reflect my education and experience. I also value and support debut independent authors and my rates reflect an effort to be accessible to all authors.Rates per word count:
- Under 50,000: $.10 per word
- Under 100,000: $.15 per word
- Over 100,000: $.20 per wordFor example: A 100,000 word project would cost $2,000.

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• Click here to compare with EFA rates.

Line Editing Overview

Line edits are what make your story come to life. Whether you love a poetic and flowery style of writing, or you are looking for a balance of showing and telling, line edits will make each sentence flow into one another, creating a cohesive and naturally flowing story. This type of editing looks at sentence structure and word choice to ensure your sentences not only sound good by themselves, but work well within the paragraph and overall context of the story.For a line edit, you will receive the following:
- One critique letter containing strengths and weaknesses noticed throughout the work. This document will highlight your strengths in sentence structure and word choice, and ways you can improve on a broader level.
- A tracked document with in-line comments for specific recommendations.
- Open communication with me to ask questions at any point in the process.

Editing Timeline

The turnaround for manuscript edits varies based on the word count. As a general rule, expect one week of turnaround time per 50,000 words.For example: A 150,000 word manuscript would take three weeks to edit.

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What Genres Do I Edit?

- Fantasy
- Romantasy
- YA Fantasy
- Thriller
- Personal Essay

Line Editing Rates

All rates are negotiable, but all of my rates are lower than the rates listed by the Editorial Freelancers Association. These rates are set to reflect my education and experience. I also value and support debut independent authors and my rates reflect an effort to be accessible to all authors.Rates per word count:
- Under 50,000: $.8 per word
- Under 100,000: $.12 per word
- Over 100,000: $.15 per wordFor example: A 100,000 word project would cost $1,500.

• Click here to hire me!

• Click here to compare with EFA rates.

Proofreading Overview

Line edits are what make your story come to life. Whether you love a poetic and flowery style of writing, or you are looking for a balance of showing and telling, line edits will make each sentence flow into one another, creating a cohesive and naturally flowing story. This type of editing looks at sentence structure and word choice to ensure your sentences not only sound good by themselves, but work well within the paragraph and overall context of the story.For a Proofread, you will receive the following:
- One critique letter containing strengths and weaknesses noticed throughout the work. This document will highlight your strengths in sentence structure and word choice, and ways you can improve on a broader level.
- A tracked document with in-line comments for specific recommendations.
- Open communication with me to ask questions at any point in the process.

Editing Timeline

The turnaround for manuscript edits varies based on the word count. As a general rule, expect one week of turnaround time per 50,000 words.For example: A 150,000 word manuscript would take three weeks to edit.

• Home

What Genres Do I Edit?

- Fantasy
- Romantasy
- YA Fantasy
- Thriller
- Personal Essay

Proofreading Rates

All rates are negotiable, but all of my rates are lower than the rates listed by the Editorial Freelancers Association. These rates are set to reflect my education and experience. I also value and support debut independent authors and my rates reflect an effort to be accessible to all authors.Rates per word count:
- Under 50,000: $.05 per word
- Under 100,000: $.06 per word
- Over 100,000: $.08 per wordFor example: A 100,000 word project would cost $800.

• Click here to hire me!

• Click here to compare with EFA rates.

Beta Overview

Giving your manuscript over for beta reading can be incredibly daunting. It is the first time someone other than you will look at your work and critique it. When tasked with beta reading, I take a more critical lens than your average reader, while maintaining an encouraging and enthusiastic tone. You'll tell me what you want me to look for, and I will provide you constructive answers that will help you in the editing process.For a Beta Read, you will receive the following:
- A form tailored to pinpoint the questions you're looking to have answered in regards to your story before I read it.
- Answers to all of your questions as well as any additional thoughts.
- Open communication with me to ask questions at any point in the process.

Beta Reading Timeline

The turnaround for manuscript edits varies based on the word count. As a general rule, expect one week of turnaround time per 100,000 words.For example: A 200,000 word manuscript would take two weeks to provide feedback.

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What Genres Do I Read?

- Fantasy
- Romantasy
- YA Fantasy
- Thriller
- Personal Essay
- Non-fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Mystery

Beta Reading Rates

All rates are negotiable, but all of my rates are lower than the rates listed by the Editorial Freelancers Association. These rates are set to reflect my education and experience. I also value and support debut independent authors and my rates reflect an effort to be accessible to all authors.Rates per word count:
- Under 50,000: $.01 per word
- Under 100,000: $.03 per word
- Over 100,000: $.05 per wordFor example: A 100,000 word project would cost $500.

• Click here to hire me!

• Click here to compare with EFA rates.

About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica and I'm a professional editor with over seven years of experience in the editorial industry. Together, it is my aim to be your biggest cheerleader, eliminate impostor syndrome, and give you the confidence you need to take your story to the next level!

Fun facts:
- I live in New Jersey with my dog and two cats.
- One day I'd like to be an agent or full-time editor.
- My favorite book is Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang.

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Professional Experience

I have been a writer my whole life, but I have been a professional writer for over seven years, and a professional editor for over two years. In 2018 I began as a journalist writing about esports and video games. In 2021, I was hired full-time as a staff writer for Dot Esports, then moved on as a Content Coordinator for Fanbyte.com where my primary job was to edit the work of the contributing writers. I currently teach Esports Reporting and Foundations of Esports classes at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.In addition to my professional experience, I took the Beginner course for Developmental Editing from the Editorial Freelancers Association and completed a class called Professions in Publishing where we were trained to developmentally edit full manuscripts. I am currently enrolled in Rowan University's graduate program in Writing Arts with a tentative graduation date of May 2027.I am currently writing my own fantasy novel with a romantic subplot. I have also written several poems and personal essays that are currently on submission at several literary magazines.

Education

- 2025 EFA Developmental Editing Course - Beginner- M.A. in Writing Arts - Rowan University
_{Expected graduation date: 2027}- B.A. in Radio/TV/Film - Rowan University
_{Graduated 2013}