Editorial & Self-publishing Services

We offer a variety of services to help you get your book ready for publishing.

Editorial Amenities

You will send Liz your manuscript in a Word document, double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman for editing only, the font size and style can be changed to your liking and single-spaced for publication later. After editing, I will send you back two copies: one that contains all the mark-up of line by line annotations as well as comments for your view that we can discuss and make changes if need be, and once you are happy with it, I will send you a second copy that is clean of all mark-up and ready to be formatted. Initial and final consultations are free, yet if conferences are extended or become frequent there will be a small fee. 

Book Formatting

You will choose a variety of options including page size (5x7, 8x10, 11x14, etc.), page shade (white, cream, glossy, matte) and whether the content will include color images or black white text only. Also, keep in mind that you do need at least 80 pages to have a book spine. Justine will then place your manuscript into a PDF template, the final page count will ultimately be used to measure the front, back and spine of your cover design. This is admittedly the most time consuming and tedious process of publication, hence the most costly, but Justine’s got you covered!

Book Cover Design

Now we are ready for the fun part! You will of course have total control of what you want your book to look like, and the visual materials you wish to use: photos, paintings, drawings, as well as font options for title and text. Justine will use the template to create a great design. The back cover should include a short synopsis which Liz can help you write, as well as providing you a brief review. Author photo can be placed on the back cover or the second to last page inside the book. For all involved, the cover really is the most important element of your project because it’s the first thing people will see. There may be a bit of back and forth between yourself and our team yet at last… Viola! Your book IS a published book!

Hear from Our Clients

Testimonials from past clients:

With her thorough eye for detail at the sentence level and visionary creativity around the whole project, Liz McKague's editing services exceeded my expectations. I appreciated the way she balanced a new reader's objectivity with genuine dedication to implement my authorial intention. Her feedback was succinct and well-organized. She worked swiftly. Our meetings in person were a pleasure. It's not an overstatement to say that McKague's input became invaluable to the revision process for my project. Her love for literature shines through. Without giving away too much, let it suffice to say that editors of her caliber must be as rare as the books in her personal collection. I won't hesitate to work with her again in the future."

-James Collector author of FIRST TO THE LAST

The BEST in every way!!! Empathic, stimulating, energetic, creative, constructive, inspiring, engaging, productive... I cannot say enough! What a professional! What a mentor! What a teammate!!!"

-James Ptak author of THE READ BOOK, a guide to intra and interpersonal relationships

Liz is an absolute gift, her editing skills are on point and she understands (being an incredibly talented writer herself) how to preserve your voice as an author while keeping the integrity of the piece and making sure its air tight.  I truly enjoyed working with Liz, she was efficient, timely and fun to work with.  5 stars!"

- Lexi Ward, author of the novel MODERN DAY GYPSY

I have been writing for over 35 years as a hobby, but when I decided to finally publish, I felt that I needed an editor that really knew their stuff, as I only have a high school education. Further complicating this matter was my low budget and deep poverty. I felt doomed, until I found Liz McKague. Liz was just the editor for me, and she was able to come in under budget while doing about twice the work; she also retained the voice/style of the work, a mean feat in itself. I will definitely use her services again, and I would highly recommend her to anyone needing anything from copy editing to deep analysis."

-Shear Lhearsis, Author of the novel IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE