An honest novel editor for your entire book, with feedback in minutes, not weeks, and at a fraction of the cost
Edith is software that reads your entire novel, tells you the truth with care, and talks through every note with you until it’s settled your way, without ever rewriting your words.
On a phone? Edith works on your computer. We’ll email you a link.
Email me the link to start
No credit card needed.
“It pointed out things I didn’t consider and made me re‑evaluate and change things in a way that made the book so much more cohesive.”
You finished the book, but you still can’t tell if it is good enough.
You’ve asked everyone who might know, and every answer is either flattering, contradictory, vague, or expensive.
What you needed was one honest assessment of your entire book, with feedback you can talk through, nothing ever rewritten for you, and no hefty fees upfront. That’s exactly what we built.
Beta reader · Tue 9:41 PM
Finished it!! I loved it 😊
Writing group · Wed 7:12 AM
Honestly? Cut the sister. Or make her the villain. One of the two.
Chatbot · Wed 7:15 AM
What a compelling, masterfully crafted chapter! Every sentence sings. Would you like me to rewrite it in a more polished voice?
Editor · Thu 2:03 PM
Thanks for reaching out. For the developmental edit of an 84,000-word manuscript, the fee is $2,400, and my next opening is in nine weeks.
An editor you can reply to instantly
Most tools offer a report, and that’s it, with no room for discussion. Edith gives you a note and stays to talk it through. Under every note is a discussion about your book: this scene, this character, this chapter, not writing in general.
Chapter 9 gives away the reveal in chapter 12
In discussionChapter 9 · Structure
Tomas’s letter, postmarked three weeks after the funeral, tells the reader Naomi’s father is alive three chapters early, so the reveal confirms instead of surprises. Cut the letter or hold it until after chapter 12. Keep the letter; lose the postmark.
Discussion
You
The letter must be in chapter 9. It's what makes her take the northern road in chapter 10.
Edith
Then it stays. What gives the reveal away isn't the letter, it's the postmark. Keep the letter and lose the postmark: she still takes the road, but for a reason the reader can't yet name.
You
That I can do. The postmark goes.
Edith
Noted, and I've changed the note to say so. When your revision comes in, I'll read chapter 12 against it.
- Ask why. Every note tells you why it matters to the reader. Ask for more, and she answers from everything she read, not just that page.
- Push back. Tell her what the scene is for. When you’ve made the case, she changes her note to fit your book. When you haven’t, she disagrees and explains why.
- You decide what to do about her suggestions. You may choose to accept, set aside, or document your own preference. After you have made revisions, she will review the new draft against each note you have addressed.
The discussion starts with the $15 whole-book read and runs through every stage of the complete edit. See it in the walkthrough.
From a sample editorial letter
An honest letter, not a score
Honest and specific feedback about your story. This is just a short example on a made-up novel, but in reality, Edith will provide a letter that runs much longer.
A complete edit, from a first read to a final proofread
Your book will undergo the same six stages as those undertaken by a professional editor. Start with the Editorial Review for $15. After that, you can select the full editing package and proceed with the edits at your own pace.
Editorial letter
Dear author,
The manuscript has great potential but it is not yet the book it aspires to be. Here’s where I’d start.
Edith
Stage 1
Editorial Review
Naomi’s grief is mentioned but never inhabited
AcceptedChapter 1 · Character
The empty chair at breakfast is a poignant image. Keep the grief under the surface, but let her touch it once: a held object, with no explanation, so the reader is inside the loss before the journey begins.
Your decision · Her mother’s reading glasses are in the drawer she opens to retrieve the map. Nothing was said about them.Stages 2 to 4
Developmental Editing · Structural Editing · Stylistic Editing
Tracked changes
She
had beganhad begun to count the days by thecolourcolor of the light.Edith · Style sheet: US spelling throughout, per your first chapter. Accept or reject each change in Word.Stages 5 and 6
Copyediting · Proofreading
Inside every stage, the process follows the same loop: a note linked to the precise location, a discussion concerning it, your decision, and a re-evaluation after you make revisions. Refer to the walkthrough.
On a phone? Edith works on your computer. We’ll email you a link.
Email me the link to start
Edith reviews the first 10,000 words of your manuscript for free and provides you with an editorial letter, with no credit card required. Reviewing the entire book, including every point available for discussion, is priced at $15. Your manuscript is never used as data or to train AI, and is yours to delete.
“I enjoy Edith a lot.”
Download the edits as a Word file
You don’t just read the feedback on screen. You can download your book as a Word file, with the edits marked up inside it, and work in the software you already use.
Story and style edits, as margin comments
In the developmental, structural, and stylistic stages, every note you accept comes back as a comment in the margin, exactly like a human editor querying your draft. You make each change yourself in your own words.
Copyediting and proofreading, as tracked changes
In the final stages, line fixes come back as tracked changes you accept or reject one at a time.
Chapter Nine
Naomi said nothing. She turned back to the water and the conversation was over.
This is the scene the whole chapter is for, and it ends in one line. Stay with her here. What does she see on the water?
The road north was very pale as a scar against the hills.
Open it in Word or Google Docs. Nothing is ever rewritten for you, and every word in the finished book stays your own.
On a phone? Edith works on your computer. We’ll email you a link.
Email me the link to start
Edith reviews the first 10,000 words of your manuscript for free and provides you with an editorial letter, with no credit card required. Reviewing the entire book, including every point available for discussion, is priced at $15. Your manuscript is never used as data or to train AI, and is yours to delete.
Private, and never used to train AI
Your manuscript is an ambitious and time-consuming piece of work, and we honor it accordingly. We offer three promises, all of which are unwavering:
- Private to your account. Your manuscript is kept private and locked to your account. It is never shared, sold, or shown to anyone else.
- Never used to train AI. Edith reads your manuscript only to give you feedback. It is never used to train any AI model.
- Edith never writes for you. She delivers notes and suggestions only, exactly like a human editor in the margins. Edith never generates content.
Who built Edith
Edith started with one author, my wife. She self-publishes, and hiring a human editor for every book was too costly, so we built the editor she needed: one that reads the entire manuscript and never touches her words.
Kris
Founder of Edith·Read the story
How Edith compares
Based on public information, our compare page presents a comparison between a human editor, ChatGPT, and the writing tools available in the market, enabling you to discern the differences before committing financially.
Frequently asked questions
See where your story stands
You finished the book. That was the hard part. The only thing left is finding out if it’s ready for publishing, and the first 10,000 words Edith reads will cost you nothing.
An honest read of your entire novel
Notes you settle, one at a time
Line edits you accept or reject
Back in your file. Every word is yours
On a phone? Edith works on your computer. We’ll email you a link.
Email me the link to start
Edith reviews the first 10,000 words of your manuscript for free and provides you with an editorial letter, with no credit card required. Reviewing the entire book, including every point available for discussion, is priced at $15. Your manuscript is never used as data or to train AI, and is yours to delete.