The Edith blog
Honest, practical writing on editing your book: how to self-edit, what the different kinds of editing actually do, and how to make your manuscript ready for readers.
Editing costs
How Much Does a Book Editor Cost? 2026 Rates for a Novel
What a book editor costs in 2026, by stage and per word, with real totals for an 80,000-word novel, why quotes vary so much, and what to do before you pay.
Read the articleTool reviews
AutoCrit vs ProWritingAid: Which One Should a Novelist Buy?
AutoCrit vs ProWritingAid for fiction writers: what each does well, what each costs in 2026, where both stop, and how to pick the right one for your novel.
Read the articleSelf-editing
What Order Should You Edit Your Novel In?
Edit in reverse order of how expensive each change is: structure first, then line, then grammar, with proofreading dead last. Here's why that order saves the most work, and the three habits that matter as much as the sequence.
Read the articleVoice
How to Edit Your Novel Without Losing Your Voice
Editing should make your book more itself, not less. Here's how to fix what isn't working without sanding away the voice that makes the writing yours, and why some tools put it at risk.
Read the articleConsistency
How to Keep Characters Consistent Across Chapters
Eye colour that changes, a timeline that doesn't add up, a character who knows something too early. Here's how to catch the continuity errors that creep into a long manuscript.
Read the articleHonest feedback
How to Get a Real Critique of Your Story, Not Just a Score
Free tools rate your writing and hand you a number. A score isn't a critique. Here's the difference, and how to get feedback that actually tells you what to fix.
Read the articleTool reviews
The Best Manuscript Critique and Editing Tools in 2026, Compared Honestly
Thirteen manuscript critique and editing tools with real 2026 prices, what each one actually does, what it leaves out, and a ten-minute test that tells you whether any of them will be honest with your book.
Read the articleTool reviews
AutoCrit Review: Is It Worth It for Indie Authors?
An honest look at AutoCrit for fiction writers: what it does well, where it stops, what it costs, and whether it's the right way to spend a limited editing budget.
Read the articleEditing
How to Tell If Your Novel Is Ready for an Editor
Hire an editor too early and you pay to fix things you could have fixed yourself. Here are the concrete signs your manuscript is ready for an editor, and what to do if it isn't yet.
Read the articleAI editing
Why AI Forgets the Middle of Your Book
Ask a chatbot to edit your novel and it starts sharp, then loses the thread by the middle. Here's the real reason, called lost in the middle, and what it means for editing a whole manuscript.
Read the articleHonest feedback
How to Get Honest Feedback on Your Novel When Everyone Is Too Nice
Friends say they loved it. Beta readers go quiet. AI praises everything. Here's why honest feedback on your novel is so hard to come by, and a practical way to actually get it.
Read the articleHonest feedback
An AI Book Editor That Gives Honest Feedback, Not Flattery
Most AI tells you your novel is wonderful. If you want the truth about your story instead of encouragement, here's what honest feedback actually looks like, and how to find a tool that gives it.
Read the articleSelf-editing
How to Self-Edit Your Novel Before You Pay for an Editor
A professional edit is worth more when you hand over a stronger draft. Here's a practical, order-of-operations way to self-edit your novel first, so you spend less and get more back.
Read the articleEditing types
What Kind of Editing Does Your Book Actually Need?
Developmental, structural, line, copy, proofreading: the kinds of editing explained simply, in the order they should happen, so you can tell which one your manuscript needs right now.
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See where your story stands, free
Edith reads your first 10,000 words and writes you an editorial letter, no credit card needed. The whole book, with every point open to discuss, is $15. Every word stays yours.
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