The role of an editor is not to point out everything that is wrong with a piece of writing, but to see what the writer intended to do and help them achieve that.
This is my editing philosophy.
What He Does
As a writing coach, Joseph Sale knows that everyone has a story burning inside them. It’s his job to nurture that flame, and when the time is right, let it shine. He has coached numerous writers from nobody/nothing humble beginnings who have gone on to receive professional publication credits after working with him through one-to-one sessions. These names include Jamie Parry Bruce, Kimberly Redway, Matt Blackwell, Guy Bishop and Tice Cin. His story-writing technique derives from the classical 5 Act model, but adapted for the modern age with influences from Henry James and other American writers.
How He Does It
Coaching sessions with him include: proofing, ideas generation, style, formatting preparation, market research (where to submit and how), story-arc analysis, plotting, characterisation evolving from dramatic technique, and much, much more. He has worked with all kinds of writers, including neurodiverse and disabled authors. He will work to realise the vision of the author with the utmost respect, sensitivity, and dedication.
One-to-one coaching
£40 for 1 hour
or
£80 for 1 hour plus a Motivational Map® feedback session
Have a novel or book that you're writing that isn't quite going right? Are you stuck on a specific scene or aspect of your work? Are you struggling with the motivation to write? Book a one-to-one coaching session via Zoom / Skype with The Mindflayer, Joseph Sale, and benefit from his insight, guidance, and support. With 30+ books under his belt, and extensive experience coaching and editing writers, there's no one better to quickly get to grips with your project and any issues you're facing, and help you to get over those creative hurdles. (book via Contact form on this website)
What are Motivational Maps®?
Motivation Maps® are a self-perception inventory that measures what motivates you and how motivated you currently are. What we mean by motivation is this: what gives you energy. Each of us has nine motivators; these are based off Edgar Schein's Career Anchors and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Though we have all nine within us, they are in a different order of priority, reflecting our underlying values and beliefs that shape and drive us. Understanding how you are motivated can help you to overcome your writer's block and work in a way that best unlocks your creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and perhaps most importantly: joy.
Editing Packages
There are 4 main packages available, reflecting the range of services on offer: from proofreading to structural analysis.
Cover Design or Small Proof
£35 - £70
Receive a limited edition, custom cover created specifically for your book by Joseph Sale and grandfailure.
or
Get proofreading on a cover letter, proposal, synopsis, blurb or even a short story (5,000 word or less). This will correct type-os, grammatical errors, and include checks for plot-holes and sense.
Developmental (Master) Edit
£135 per 20,000 words
Proofreading & line-by-line editing on a novel or short story collection up to 120,000 words. This includes catching grammatical errors and type-os but also strengthening the prose by removing redundancies, improving similes, and tightening dialogue, flow, syntax and lexical choice, plus, a one-hour Skype-call (if required) to feedback on the novel overall and cement learning opportunities.
Structural Analysis (for novels & screenplays)
£40 per 20,000 words
With this type of editing, I use a five-act structure model to analyse your story and point out where you can perhaps improve the story structurally. So, this includes: a) making sure that the story beats and character development work (b) ensuring that the catharsis hits with intended emotional power (c) and that the reader will be hooked by your story. This DOES NOT include full proofreading or line-by-line edits however (if I spot stuff I'll call it out, but that's not so much the aim).
Ghost Writing
£2,000 / £40 per hour
Price and price structure is negotiable depending on the nature of the project. Everyone works differently, but essentially I will write whatever content is required, edit it, and proof to the highest possible standard.
Several leading businesses have used my services for their high-end corporate email copy, for their marketing materials and brochures, and for senior managers' business or non-fiction books.
A little pricy?
You might be interested in the Mindflayer's online training course: Epic Bootcamp. This course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of writing epic stories, from creating characters, to developing worlds, to ending your narrative with a bang not a whimper.
Sign up to the Epic Bootcamp for only £99 and get 12+ hours of audio-recordings, including guest interviews with Christa Wojciechowski, Robert Monaghan, Matt Blackwell and many others, plus templates, reading lists, practical exercises, and more.
