Member of
Book & Manuscript EditingFiction · Memoir · NonfictionHuman attention.Every word.
"I need someone to finish my novel"
Writers on their first novel and their fifth.
What Writers Say
"Walter suggested that I bridge my episodic chapters with movie-like long shots and spend a bit more time in the heads of my central characters. That's all I needed to bring the storytelling to next level. Now I'm practically done and the book is ready for its close-up!"
"Fast, clear, and kind. The line edit made my prose breathe. Thank you Walter!"
"I came to Walter with an unfinished book written by my late father. Walter polished it and carried it through to a perfect ending in my father's own voice. I'm thrilled."
My Book & Manuscript Editing Services
Not sure what kind of edit your manuscript needs? Send a sample and I'll recommend the right level of help.
Initial Impressions
Send me up to 2,000 words of your writing and I will give you my initial impressions. I'll read every word and tell you what's working, what's not, and what I noticed first.
- Up to 2,000 words
- My honest read: what's working, what isn't, what I notice first
- Delivered by email within a few days
- Pricing: $50
Editorial Assessment
A big-picture manuscript review and written report. I look at structure, pacing, voice, character, argument, and revision priorities, then tell you what the manuscript needs next. No full markup — this is a diagnostic, not a line edit.
- Written report covers:
- Fiction: Premise · Plot · Theme · Style · Characters · Settings · Pacing · Tension · Dialogue
- Nonfiction: Argument · Clarity · Structure · Evidence · Engagement · Market Fit
- Clear revision priorities and recommended next steps
- Your questions answered
- Pricing: 1.0–2.0¢ per word
- Written report covers:
Developmental Editing
Hands-on editing for structure, pacing, organization, scenes, chapters, character, argument, and overall shape. Best when the manuscript needs substantial revision before line editing. I work through the manuscript directly — this is not just a report.
- Developmental edit focus areas:
- Structure & pacing (beats, turns, escalation)
- Character arcs, motivation, and stakes
- Scene order, transitions, and momentum
- Point of view & narrative focus
- Thematic throughlines and payoff
- Revision plan with clear priorities
- Scene/section map with cut/move/expand calls
- Check-ins by email through one revision round
- Pricing: 3.0–5.0¢ per word
- Developmental edit focus areas:
Line Editing
Perfect sentences alone can't build an engaging narrative. My line editing looks at coherence, clarity, and style at both sentence and paragraph levels.
- Line Edit covers:
- Clarity, rhythm, and flow at the sentence level
- Consistency (voice, tense, POV, terminology)
- Essential grammar, usage, and punctuation
- Tracked changes & concise margin notes
- Continuity flags across chapters
- Pricing: 2.5–4.0¢ per word
- Line Edit covers:
Copy Editing
Technical correctness and consistency: grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, and internal consistency (names, dates, timeline). Aligned to the proper style guide such as CMOS, AP, or APA.
- Copy Edit covers:
- Grammar, spelling, usage, and punctuation corrections
- Consistency pass (names, hyphenation, numerals, capitalization)
- Cross-references and internal consistency checks
- Style sheet documenting decisions and special terms
- Tracked changes file + clean final file
- Aligned to CMOS or your preferred style guide
- Pricing: 2.0–3.5¢ per word
- Copy Edit covers:
Memoir Editing
I specialize in editing memoirs, especially for writers who've been through trauma and recovery. I'll help you shape your story into a compelling read which hooks your readers from the start and engages them until the very last word.
- Transformation arc: the meaning of your journey
- Structure, timeline, and narrative logic
- Scene craft: when to show, when to summarize
- Voice and narrative distance (then-self vs. now-self)
- Sensitivity to difficult material and privacy concerns
- Pricing: 3.5–5.0¢ per word
Ghostwriting & Rewriting
From full-length ghostwriting to intensive rewrites, I can either draft from your materials or reshape your draft page by page. Your ideas and your voice, crafted into a polished manuscript that engages readers.
- Complete rewriting or original drafting from your materials
- Voice matching that captures how you sound on your best day
- Milestone schedule and chapter-by-chapter reviews
- Tracked changes + commentary for rewrites
- Final manuscript delivered in clean DOCX format
- Pricing: 10–50¢ per word · Per-project available
Also available: AI manuscript rewriting
I'll rewrite your AI manuscript
The problem with AI-assisted manuscripts is that they feel artificial. It's because AI doesn't think like you, or feel what you do. It can't remember what you remember. AI thinks in pieces, and that's how it writes. So you see patterns, forced sentences, and lapses in coherence, especially in long-form manuscripts. What you don't see is a human personality behind the words.
AI can't fix itself. This is work only humans can do. I'll read your manuscript and rewrite the flawed passages. Send me a sample and let's see what we're working with.
How It Works
Four clear steps from sample to handoff — transparent pricing, no surprises.
- 1
Send a sample
Send a sample chapter, word count, and a short description of the project.
- 2
Recommendation & Quote
I'll review the material and recommend the right level of edit, with a firm quote and timeline.
- 3
Work begins
Once the scope is confirmed, I begin the agreed service: a written assessment, tracked-changes edit, margin comments, or a combination depending on the project.
- 4
Delivery
Depending on the service: a detailed editorial report, your manuscript with tracked changes and margin notes, or both. One round of follow-up questions included.
Ready to start? Share your pages and get a precise quote.
About me
I am Walter deMilly, an editor, ghostwriter, and author working from Tallahassee, Florida. My memoir, In My Father's Arms, was published by the University of Wisconsin Press, went into a second edition, and was named by the Oxford American among the best of Southern writing. Annie Dillard praised its voice; Edmund White, its cinematic presence and verisimilitude. I have also ghostwritten a work of trade nonfiction for a New York publisher, and co-written a feature screenplay.
I learned this work at close range. For ten years in Key West, my mentor was Frank E. Taylor, who had been the chief editor at McGraw-Hill and Dell. Over the years he published George Orwell, Vladimir Nabokov, Ralph Ellison, Germaine Greer, and James Baldwin. He also produced The Misfits with Marilyn Monroe. Across a decade of conversations, he taught me the crafts I use today.
I work across memoir and narrative nonfiction, literary and historical fiction, mystery and thriller, self-help, and business and leadership titles, including specialist nonfiction written for general readers. Some recent clients include geologists, neuroscientists, attorneys, and psychologists. My services range from editorial assessment and developmental editing through line editing, copyediting, proofreading, and fact-checking, along with story development, beta reading, ghostwriting support, and the restoration of AI-assisted drafts to a human voice. Recent engagements include a three-book copyediting project for a single author, a leadership book for a business readership, and editorial consulting on a historical novel for a BAFTA-winning filmmaker.
I am a member of the Authors Guild and the Editorial Freelancers Association, and I hold Top Rated status with a 100 percent job success score on Upwork. I work in Microsoft Word with Track Changes, to Chicago or AP style. Client names are held in confidence; references are available on request.
I will read your pages the way Frank taught me to read them, from the chair of the editor who has to decide.
Contact
Have a question or want to send a sample? Fill in your name and email, add a note or attach a file, and I'll get back to you.