WORK WITH SAGE HOUSE EDITORIAL
Strategy-first. Story-centered. Built to last.
Most authors don’t fail because they can’t write. They fail because they start writing before they know what they’re building or how to refine it into something worth publishing. Every service at Sage House Editorial is designed to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
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Power Hour
$147 · 60 minutes · no prep required
One hour of focused, strategic conversation about your book, your idea, your questions, or your next steps. No agenda to prepare. No deliverables to chase down afterward. Just you, me, and the kind of clarity that usually takes months of Googling and guesswork to find on your own.
This is the lowest-friction way to experience what working with a real editorial strategist actually feels like — and to figure out whether the Book Mapping Intensive, the Writing Partnership, or editorial support is the right next move for where you are right now.
This is for you if…
You have a book idea, and you want honest, strategic feedback on it before you commit to anything.
You have publishing questions, and you’re tired of getting conflicting answers from the internet.
You want to explore working together before committing to a longer engagement.
You’re not sure which service is right for you, and you’d rather talk it through than guess.
Track #1
Building Your Book
TRACK #1: BUILDING YOUR BOOK
Book Mapping Intensive
$1,200 · two 90-minute sessions
This is where your book stops being an idea and starts being a plan.
Most nonfiction authors have everything they need to write a great book: the expertise, the stories, the frameworks, the hard-won perspective, and the desire. What they don’t have is a structure that holds all of it together into something coherent, publishable, and worth reading. The Book Mapping Intensive solves that problem in two focused sessions.
By the time we’re done, you’ll have a complete blueprint for your manuscript: a clear thesis, a defined reader, a narrative arc or framework, a chapter-by-chapter structure, and a realistic writing timeline that fits your actual life. You’ll leave knowing exactly what your book is and exactly how to write it. You’ll also get:
Thesis and core message clarity
Audience definition and reader transformation
Narrative arc or framework development
Chapter-by-chapter structure
Key stories, case studies, and examples identified
Publishing strategy and positioning discussion
Sustainable writing timeline built around your life
Recordings, transcripts, and all planning documents
This is for you if…
You have a clear sense that you have a book, but you can’t yet articulate what it is.
You’ve been circling the idea for months, and you need someone to help you articulate your thoughts, create an outline, and help you choose a publishing path.
You want to write the book yourself and just need the strategic foundation to do it confidently.
You’re ready to stop thinking about your book and start actually building it.
TRACK #1: BUILDING YOUR BOOK
Writing Partnership
$1,500–$2,000/month · three-month container · two calls per month
For the author who doesn’t just want a plan — she wants a strategic partner beside her while she writes it.
The Writing Partnership is an ongoing developmental collaboration while your manuscript is in progress. We meet twice a month for strategy and structure, and I provide chapter-by-chapter feedback between sessions. When the draft isn’t working, we figure out why. When you’re stuck, we unstick it. When something clicks, we build on it.
This isn’t accountability coaching, and it isn’t ghostwriting. It’s something in between — a developmental relationship that keeps your book structurally sound and your voice intact as the manuscript evolves. The kind of support that used to be reserved for authors at major publishing houses.
Even if you have an outline, the book evolves as you write it. This is the support that makes sure it evolves in the right direction.
Two strategy calls per month
Chapter-by-chapter feedback between sessions
Structural guidance and narrative troubleshooting
Messaging and positioning support throughout
Ongoing access to editorial judgment as the manuscript develops
This is for you if…
You have your book plan and you’re ready to write, but you don’t want to disappear into a cave alone for six months to get it done.
You want real editorial feedback on your chapters as you draft them, not just cheerleading.
You’ve started writing before and stalled — and this time you want a strategic partner who won’t let that happen.
You’re serious about the quality of what you’re building and you want expert eyes on it from the beginning.
Track #2
Editing Your Book
TRACK #2: EDITING YOUR BOOK
Manuscript Assessment
Starting at $295 · scope-dependent pricing
Before you invest in a full edit, it helps to know exactly what your manuscript needs.
A Manuscript Assessment is a strategic evaluation of your work-in-progress — an honest, expert read that tells you what’s working, what isn’t, and what to prioritize before you go any further. In my experience, many authors benefit far more from a clear-eyed assessment at this stage than from jumping straight into a full developmental edit. It saves time, saves money, and often saves the manuscript from being edited in the wrong direction entirely.
Assessments are available at three levels depending on where your manuscript is and what you need to know:
Short assessment High-level structural evaluation, starting at $295
Three-chapter assessment Detailed feedback on your opening pages plus structural overview, $497–$597
Full manuscript assessment Comprehensive evaluation of the complete manuscript, $997–$1,500+
All assessments include written feedback and revision priorities. Optional add-on: a 60-minute call to discuss findings and next steps.
This is for you if…
You have a manuscript — or significant pages — and you’re not sure if it’s working.
You want to know what to fix before you invest in a full edit.
Something feels off about the structure but you can’t name what it is.
You want honest feedback from an expert before you go any further.
TRACK #2: EDITING YOUR BOOK
Line + Copyediting
$0.05/word · two full rounds included
Editing at Sage House Editorial combines line editing and copyediting into a single, comprehensive process because the sentence-level work and the stylistic work are inseparable when they’re done right. I read your entire manuscript with your reader in mind, and I refine it at every level until it’s ready. This is where your manuscript becomes a publication-ready book.
Every editing engagement includes two complete rounds of editing with two passes each, a custom style sheet built specifically for your manuscript, detailed markup with explanation, and the option to schedule a strategy call between rounds. This is an editing partnership where we collaborate to make your manuscript the best it can be.
Two full rounds of editing, two passes each
Line editing and copyediting combined
Custom style sheet for your manuscript
Detailed markup with recorded feedback explaining key revisions
Optional call between editing rounds
Trusted proofreader referral upon request
This is for you if…
Your manuscript is complete — or nearly there — and you’re ready for a professional edit.
You want an editor who will tell you the truth about your prose and make it better, not just mark it up and leave you to figure out how to implement all the recommended edits on your own.
You care deeply about preserving your voice while elevating the quality of the writing.
You want to publish something you’ll be proud to put your name on for years.
What past clients are saying…
“This was my first book, and I wasn’t sure how to integrate my personal story with my literature review and outside sources. After working with Ellen, I feel confident in my story, my true voice, and my experiences were represented, and I know the book will be helpful for my readers!
— DR. MYAVA CLARK, PhD, RRT-NPS
"Ellen is prompt, efficient, attentive to detail, kind, and compassionate. When the project was completed, I had both written instructions and a video outlining exactly what was done and what my next steps were. I'm confident in my book, knowing it has been edited by a professional at each step of the publishing process!"
— KATHY SWAAR, historical fiction author
THE WORD ON THE STREET
"I knew I needed an editor because I was entering territory that is beyond my expertise. Bringing in Ellen gave me time and space to attend to new ideas and plans. I was confident Ellen would deliver the completed project and it would be ready for prime time."
— SARAH KHAN, yoga coach
"I hired Ellen to keep some of my clients and business running while I was out on maternity leave. I needed someone who was a skilled editor to polish content before it was submitted to the client, but also an organized and diligent project manager who could queue up assignments, track deadlines, and communicate with clients. After the first week working with Ellen, I felt reassured that everything was going to run seamlessly."
— KAT BOOGAARD, freelance writer
Not sure where you fit? That’s what the Power Hour is for.
One hour. One honest conversation. We’ll figure out exactly where you are, what you need, and what the right next step is — together.
Ungatekeeping the process of writing and publishing a nonfiction book your audience *actually* wants to read.
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