Every Nonfiction Book Deserves a Great Editor. You’ve Just Found Yours.
Trusted by these and other publishers (and dozens of self-published authors)
Recent successes
You’ve been writing a bold nonfiction book that you want to get published.
You want your book to be legitimately good—not just “Well, I tried” good.
You want it to be enjoyed by many.
But you’re too close to it to know exactly what it needs.
And you don’t know all the publishing industry standards to apply.
You’ve already gotten some feedback. But not from a professional nonfiction book editor who knows what makes a book great.
(Let’s be honest—your “friend who was an English major” doesn’t count.)
You need an experienced, encouraging nonfiction book editor to:
✅ Make your manuscript polished: clear, concise, and consistent
✅ Rework your sentences, improve the flow, and make your writing sing
✅ Refine your message and ensure that it resonates
✅ Optimize the structure to make it more impactful
Whether you’re self-publishing or going traditional, it’s time to turn your manuscript into an impressive, ready-to-publish book that actually gets read.
Hi, Daniel here!
Nonfiction authors’ secret weapon.🥷
Writing a good book—a book that the right people actually want to read—takes expert help.
For the past decade, I’ve helped dozens of authors transform their drafts from “Wait, what was I saying?” to “Wow, this is brilliant!”
Ditch the fluff, amp up the impact, and make sure your readers actually finish the book—not just use it as a doorstop.
Refine your nonfiction manuscript with expert help and bring your vision to life.
Recent author successes:
glowing reviews in the Wall Street Journal
#1 New Release on Amazon
200 Amazon reviews in two weeks
featured in documentaries
booking numerous speaking gigs
secured traditional publishing deals and rocked self-publishing—winning either way
successfully planned, published, and received accolades for second, third, and even fourth books
Dan Tortora is simply the best. Just hire him. . . .
Brilliant. Wise. Deep. Smart. Knowledgeable. Dependable. And a joy to spend time with.
He worked with me through two award-winning books that I could never have finished without him. When I’m ready for the next one, he’s my first call. . . .
I’ve been a writer for 35 years. . . . He is by far the best editor I’ve ever come across to work with me. You’ll find the same.
—Samantha Shad, author of Write Through the Crisis and The Write to Happiness
Nonfiction Book Editing Services
Choose your path(s) below. Custom quotes (and reasonable rates) are offered for projects requiring different levels of editing.
Get clear, concise, and consistent 💎
Deep-dive feedback 🔍
Fine-tune your pitch to publishers💯
🎯Best fit:
- Authors seeking experienced, efficient, uplifting guidance to get to the next level.🚀
- Bold, in-demand books that inform, entertain, inspire, or shake things up.✅
- A goal of publishing a polished book that resonates with readers, gets rave reviews, and creates new opportunities.👏🤩
- Motivated American nonfiction authors.🇺🇸
- Books that are under 100,000 words.📝
Genres:
- Self-Help & Personal Development; Dating & Relationships; US History, Biography, Politics, Sports, and Culture; Humor/Comedy; Holistic Health and Wellness; Reference Books; Law/Legal; Nature/Popular Science; New England regional interest; and books by scholars for a general audience.
As a full-time freelance book editor since 2017, I’ve worked with:
- Content creators, coaches, therapists, comedians, attorneys, historians, publishing companies, professors, and others.
Let’s make your manuscript the best version of itself!✨
The Editing Process:
1️⃣Contact: Tell me about your book, goals, and timeline and share your confidential manuscript sample.
2️⃣Discuss details and deliverables: I’ll set up a call and/or we’ll trade emails.
3️⃣Quote, contract, and invoice: Sign off and pay by card to confirm the agreement.
4️⃣Files and feedback: I’ll edit your book manuscript, typically with MS Word Track Changes and Comments, and will send you an editorial letter. Some projects involve two rounds of editing. I’ll check in along the way.
5️⃣Final revisions. Approve the suggested edits, review the comments, and revise the file I sent you, and voila! You have a publication-ready manuscript.
6️⃣Get it published! Ace the publishing process, adding coaching sessions, services, or online courses as needed, and keep me updated!
Copy Editing
Turn your draft into a clear, concise, and polished manuscript.
- Fix grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and syntax errors
- Improve clarity and streamline sentences while respecting your voice
- Eliminate awkward or repeated words and phrases
- Ensure consistency and ensure alignment with The Chicago Manual of Style
Line Editing
Refine your voice and sharpen your book’s flow and readability.
- Improve clarity, streamlining sentences while respecting your voice
- Eliminate awkward or repeated words and phrases and revise imprecise words and sentences
- Optimize the flow/transitions between paragraphs, sections, and chapters
- Ensure that your tone is aligned with your goals and your audience
Copy editing rates: $0.027 per word
Line editing + copy editing rates: $0.033 per word
Yes, I check and format captions, notes/references, and bibliography entries in Chicago style.
Book description editing for self-publishing or pitching to publishers: $75
Developmental Editing (aka Substantive Editing, Content Editing)
Genres: Self-Help and Personal Development; Dating & Relationships; US History and Biography.
Create an effectively organized, cohesive, and well-presented book.
- Refine the central theme(s), arguments, and overarching narrative
- Rearrange and reorganize material for maximum impact
- Identify what to add or delete
- Optimize the various parts of the book, including chapter titles, introduction, and conclusion
Developmental editing rate: $0.040 per word
Book Proposal Editing
Craft a persuasive pitch for your book that you can proudly send to literary agents and/or publishing companies.
- Optimize and refine each of the parts of your book proposal prior to pitching your book.
- Get copy editing, line editing, and content suggestions, edits, and comments.
Book proposal editing rate: $179 $149
with a query letter review: $199 $179
nonfiction book proposal template PDF: $15
list of US nonfiction publishers : $15
Dan doesn’t just read your material, he thinks about it. He cares about it. He checks sources, he fixes grammar, and he considers how the reader will react.
He gives direction, while still respecting the author’s vision.
Dan is an outstanding editor and I will be working with him on all of my future projects.
—Stuart Teicher, author of Addicted to the Dogfight: The Crash and Burn of Superlawyer F. Lee Bailey
I can’t thank Dan enough for the diligence he put into this. He has is an incredible gift to be able to hold attention to such details. . . .
As many times as I went through it, I still can’t believe how many missing words and typos there were. That’s why authors need to recruit a strong team. . . . It is so very worth the investment!
The manuscript looks great and I couldn’t be happier.
—Melissa M. Carvalho, author of Purpose Forward: The Ultimate Career Starter’s Guide to Finding a Career (and Life) of Purpose
With these nonfiction book editing services, you’ll get:
A polished manuscript aligned with US publishing industry standards—The Chicago Manual of Style, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, and the Oxford (serial comma).
Thoughtful edits, comments, and feedback that elevates your writing and enhances your publishing success.
Attention from an experienced editor who’s worked on dozens of nonfiction books.
Supportive guidance with clear communication and regular updates.
Project completion within 2 to 8 weeks.
Get your book edited today!