Are you looking for an editor who is thorough, experienced, affordable, and will put in the work that it takes to deliver your edits in a timely manner? If so, you have come to the right place!
First, I will give you an idea of my experience and range of skills.
As a writer, I currently have 19 books available in print and 28 available in eBook formats. My storytelling spans several genres of fiction.
In publishing, I have run a small press for over 13 years, serving as the editor-in-chief and releasing more than one hundred fifty titles in both print and eBook formats to date. My activity has spanned everything from project management, to retail, to marketing and publicity..
I can offer you my experience and expertise to assist with your editing needs, in addition to many other publishing-related areas including formatting and layout, and cover design.
The testimonials below reflect the work I have done for writers in a broad range of genres! Following the testimonials are descriptions of my services and flat rates (which are broken up into deposits with the balance upon work completion).
Editing Services and Proofreading at a Flat Rate
(I am very willing to work out a payment schedule on an individual basis for larger projects, too!)
Testimonial
“As a new author, I was looking for someone to edit my writing. Everybody I had looked at was pricey, and there were so many different kinds of edits, I didn’t know where to begin. Up until I met Stephen. He was a pleasure to speak with, guiding me in first steps. He provided suggestions and genuinely wanted to know what you intended to do with the book. His editing was excellent. He charged a very fair amount. Working with Stephen is certainly a blessing; there should be more individuals like him in the world. I heartily suggest working with Stephen on your book. Can’t wait to work with him on the next one.” – Adam Brady
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“As a new author with a debut novel, I highly recommend Stephen Zimmer as an editor. I found his guidance throughout this process invaluable. Not only did he do an excellent job locating grammatical errors and context discrepancies, but he also took an interest in my goals for this novel so he would better understand the story and the series that follows. His work is of the highest quality, with a timely turnaround and more than reasonable rates. Stephen’s knowledgeable insight and constructive feedback made this editing process an overall positive experience. I’m definitely hiring him again.” -S. Donovan Croft
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“I highly recommend Stephen Zimmer as editor for the debut writer. He reviewed my 85,700+ word novel in a timely manner with exceptional attention to detail. Zimmer retained my style but provided insightful character suggestions. I have an improved book and a more marketable product to be published. What more could a writer ask from their editor?” – Marian Gosling, author
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“Writers need more than just a professional set of eyes reviewing their work; they need someone who can offer constructive criticism in a kind and nurturing fashion. Stephen Zimmer provided all of this for my recent YA fantasy, catching plot problems and offering content suggestions that strengthened the manuscript. I can easily recommend Stephen as an editor after the excellent work he did for me.” – Sandy Lender, award-winning author.
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“As a new author I found Stephen’s help invaluable. The lessons I learned from his edits have helped my writing tremendously in grammar department, my weakest part. I am thankful for his guidance. And his rates are reasonable, something a frugal person like myself can appreciate. I can’t recommend his editing services enough. They are top notch.” – Mark Schuenemann
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My experience with Stephen was a fantastic one! When I sought out editing for my previous novel I was less than happy with the results, but with Stephen not only were the results stellar but the feedback was both personal and engaging. I was given excellent comments and suggestions all while being an invaluable resource throughout the editing and formatting process, and will definitely seek his services out again in the future.
I highly recommend his services to anyone looking for a quality and personable editor and formatter especially if they are new to the publishing world and are looking for a reliable editor with an affordable price. – Timothy Dempsey
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Stephen Zimmer is an excellent editor. He was prompt and communicated well with me about our exchanges. He caught all of my grammatical and structural mistakes. He gave helpful, professional suggestions to improve my writing without tearing me down, and also pointed out certain parts of my writing that he liked. He answered all my questions and gave me encouragement when I needed it. I would recommend Stephen for anyone who wants an editor who goes above and beyond what is expected. I will be using him again for my next book. Ten out of ten! – M.S. Nolan
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The easiest part of publishing three books was the actual sitting down and putting my story to paper. Unfortunately, the most frustrating part was the editing process with the first two books until a friend referred Stephen Zimmer of Seventh Star Press. From the onset, Stephen took the time to first understand my thoughts and goals and then masterfully edited book three. The return product demonstrated not only his punctuation and grammar skills but also pointed out discrepancies in context and recommended changes to best describe a scene or scenario. Stephen’s professionalism and commitment were evident by his willingness to personally discuss the book and edits and focus on the positives of writing. I am personally grateful and have requested his help editing and republishing books one and two. Highly recommend his services! Thank you Stephen! – Phil Tabor, Gifted Chaos Series.
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“As a novice writer just coming off of a NaNoWriMo experience, Stephen was the perfect choice to edit my work. I was unsure if my novel was worth pursuing and his ability to not only edit in the traditional sense but help craft the direction I knew I wanted was invaluable. He took the time to dive into the characters and gave the most supportive yet constructive feedback. I would highly recommend Stephen to any writer – novice or experienced. He takes his role as editor seriously and invests his time to help the writer succeed. I am eager to get him my next installment of the series!” – Jillian Shiflett (Maribelle McCrea)
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“Stephen is a top professional in his field. His feedback was honest and constructive. I will definitely recommend him and work with him again in the future!” – R.G. Westerman
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“Honestly, I don’t know where to begin, Stephen Zimmer is the guy that anyone would love to work with. I am really happy and grateful to be able to work with someone like him. I have worked with many different editors, but Stephen Zimmer is the only editor that I felt understood everything about my work. He is very easy to communicate with and responds very quickly to any question you have about your manuscript. What I love about his editing is that he makes your manuscript as his own and he will work you until he sees you succeed. Thank you, Stephen Zimmer.” – Nini Mohamed, author
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“Stephen Zimmer went above and beyond editing my book, “Dewey the Diassembled Drone,” providing in depth analysis and suggestions to make the words on the page stand out in a constant flow. I really appreciate the hard work and dedication that he showed my project! I highly recommend his services and will reach out to him on each of my next projects!”– Gregory W. Brock
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“Stephen Zimmer was not only easy to work with, but his communication was also excellent. He met every deadline, and also offered sound suggestions that added to the quality of my book. Because of this, we were able to complete two rounds of edits quickly and get this book on its way to agents.” – Kim Smith, author
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“My manuscript required a professional edit, with the expectation of the highest quality of work, I turned to Stephen. He exceeded my expectations. Not only were the changes on point but his turnaround was extremely punctual. I feel so much better about my story now and would encourage others to place their work in Stephen’s capable hands. Thank you, Stephen, for elevating my story to a new level.” – Matt Leyshon, author
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“I am so grateful for Stephen Zimmer’s expert eyes on my manuscript. He not only pointed out basic errors but also made me think about why I had made the choices I had made. His editorial help has made me a better writer and made my manuscript shine.” – Cathy Jackson, award-winning author.
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“I have employed Mr Zimmer’s skills as a copyeditor for several of my novels, including entrusting my American Imperium trilogy to his care. High-quality, timely service and my highest recommendation.” – Clayton Barnett, Author
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“Stephen Zimmer is an outstanding editor with an accurate pen, insightful mind, and quick wit. He reads closely and provides abundant and constructive comments. Any book sent his way will be better for it.”—Carl R. Moore, author of Slash of Crimson and Other Tales
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“It’s rare to have an editor that sees your story like you see it yourself, and that’s what’s so damn great about Stephen’s work. He brings both professionalism and passion to the table that helps you perfect your voice, making sure your manuscripts fire on all cylinders.” -Lee E.E. Stone
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“I appreciate a good editor. You’re thorough and also have a good understanding of the story, and I’m thinking that will strengthen the book and boost its appeal.” – Tommy B. Smith, award-winning author
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“Your comments and remarks were very clear and concise, and they allowed me to reevaluate some of my prose subjectively, so thank you.” – Jay Erickson, award-winning author
“I really appreciated Stephen’s editing on my book. He’s very easy to work with, not confrontational, and very knowledgeable. Thank you for a job well done.” – Carol Preflatish, author
Comment After Receiving Edits
“I love what you’ve done. I knew I would, but every suggestion feels like tuning a guitar into sounding better.I can’t wait to make these changes.” – Joel Gates, author
I can conduct an in-depth manuscript review with editing. This includes:
- Copy editing
- Content editing
- Proofreading
- Manuscript analysis and critique
My standard rates for full-service editing depends on the size of the book project.
For short stories up to 10,000 words: $175
For novella-length works up to 50,000 words: $300
For novel-length works of 50,000-85,000 words: $400
For novel-length works of 85,001 to 100,000 words: $450
For larger novels (100,000+ words) $550
If you would just like a manuscript review and critique, or just copy editing, proofreading, or content editing, I would be glad to perform that service for you.
Fill out the brief form at the bottom of this page to get started!
Layout and Design and Self-Publishing Support Services at a Flat Rate
I will be happy to provide self-publishing support to help you see your book released into both print and eBook markets.
I can offer:
- Layout and design for print and eBook editions
- Cover layout and coordination of illustration/design
- Guidance in setting up distribution channels and a printing account, with title metadata entry and getting an ISBN.
I can help you with everything involved in achieving a professional layout ready for print and eBook publication.
I use professional software applications and have well over ten years of experience with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, maintaining a current subscription for the entire Adobe software suite.
My rates for self-publishing services and publisher support are variable, depending on the areas that you will need assistance in, but you will find them more than reasonable.
For one example, I will deliver a complete print or eBook layout for $250, and will deliver both print and ebook layouts on the same title for $350.
Fill out the brief form at the bottom of this page to get started!
Writing Services
Do you have a memoir, biography, or another kind of literary work that you would like to do, but cannot move forward because you do not feel that you have the writing skills to create it at a professional level?
I am very efficient at writing projects and can produce a high quality result on a deadline. Please inquire as estimates for writing services are based upon the kind of project, time needed to complete, and desired deadline. On a larger project, payment installments can be arranged on an individual basis.
Thank you for your time and consideration! I would love to work with you to help release and promote amazing books!
