Amazon, KDP and TikTok Shop
One hands-on team for every marketplace you sell on.
We run your ads, listings and creative, and report on what changed.
Amazon PPC ManagementAd spend on keywords that sell
Amazon Creative ServicesImages and A+ that turn views into orders
Amazon KDP AdsKeep your book visible after launch
TikTok Shop CreatorsCreators posting and selling your productsEvery edit your manuscript needs, from first draft to upload: book one kind, or several in a row.
Chapter three
Mara had kept the letter for eleven years, folded inside a cookbook she never opened.1
She very quickly ran sprinted2 down the stairs, her greygray3 coat still damp from the rain, and out into the the4 street.
Open the chapter here? It explains why she leaves.
One strong verb reads faster.
US spelling, as in chapter 1.
Repeated word.
Real figures from client dashboards. Your results depend on your product, margins and starting point.
In short: Book editing and proofreading at Hawk Notch covers every kind of edit a manuscript needs, from a manuscript assessment and developmental edit to line editing, copy editing and the final proofread before you upload to KDP.
It pays off once the whole draft is written: editing shapes the words you have, not the ones you don’t.
“I’ve read my manuscript so many times I can’t see the mistakes anymore.”The problem this service is built for
Nine kinds of editing, in the order a manuscript usually goes through them.
Also called: Manuscript critique, editorial assessment
A full read and report on structure, pace, characters or argument; your file stays as it is.
Also called: Structural editing, substantive editing, content editing
Hands-on work on plot, pacing, character arcs and chapter order, or a non-fiction argument.
Also called: Test reading, early reader feedback
A reader, not an editor, tells you where it gripped, dragged or confused.
Also called: Authenticity reading, cultural accuracy reading
A focused read for stereotypes and mistakes about lives outside your own.
Also called: Stylistic editing
Sentence-level work on word choice, rhythm, clarity and tone, keeping your voice.
Also called: Accuracy check, source check
For non-fiction: names, dates, figures, quotes and claims checked against reliable sources.
Also called: Copyediting, mechanical editing
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistent names, capitals, numbers and timelines.
Also called: Proof check, final read
The last read, catching typos, missing words and layout slips.
Also called: Interior formatting review, pre-upload check
Kindle and print files checked for contents, chapter starts, page numbers, margins, images and fonts.
Heard a name that isn't here? Ask us which edit it matches.
Start with the biggest problem in your draft: pick where your book is now.
| Where your book is | Start with | Worth adding |
|---|---|---|
| Finished first draft It's all down, but not yet revised. | Manuscript assessment to know what to fix first. | Developmental editing, for an editor beside you in the rewrite. |
| Revised draft You've fixed the big things and the book holds together. | Line editing to make every sentence read smoothly, in your voice. | Beta reading, to test the book on a reader first. Sensitivity reading, if you write about lives outside your own. |
| Final draft The content is settled; now it needs to be correct. | Copy editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation and consistency. | Fact-checking, if you write non-fiction. |
| Ready to upload The text is final and laid out for Kindle or print. | Proofreading to catch the last typos and layout slips. | Formatting check before upload, for your Kindle and print files. |
Four steps from a sample chapter to your edited file.
Email or WhatsApp us your first chapter, with a line on the genre, the length and where the draft is now.
We read the sample and tell you which edit it needs first, and which can wait. You decide what to book.
Your editor works through the manuscript in tracked changes, with margin comments wherever the choice is yours.
You get the edited file back, with notes on the next step: another edit, a formatting check or upload.
Self-edited books tend to slip in the same few places.
How we fix itA fresh editor copy edits, then a proofreader checks the laid-out file: two separate catches.
You know what each sentence is meant to say, so you read that instead of what is on the page. Every reread makes the text more familiar and the errors harder to see.
How we fix itWe fix structure first, in an assessment or developmental edit, then polish sentences.
A copy edit fixes grammar, spelling and consistency, not structure. If the plot, pacing or argument is the problem, clean sentences won’t fix it.
How we fix itA developmental edit finds the real start; a line edit then tightens the opening pages.
Openings often carry backstory, setup and explanation the author needed to write, but the reader doesn’t need yet.
How we fix itThe copy edit tracks every name, spelling, capital, number and date in a style sheet.
A long draft is written over months and revised in pieces, so a name gets two spellings, a date shifts or a timeline stops adding up.
How we fix itOur formatting check lists anything wrong in your Kindle and print files before upload.
A Kindle eBook reflows to each reader’s screen and settings, so layout built for a fixed page, like manual line breaks, tabs and spacing, doesn’t carry across.
How we fix itEvery change is tracked for you to accept or reject, and deliberate choices go in the style sheet.
Edits flatten a voice when an editor rewrites to their own taste, or applies grammar rules to dialogue and style choices that break them on purpose.
Not sure which of these your draft has? Tell us about your book and we’ll recommend an edit.
Self-editing costs time rather than money, freelancers suit one edit at a time, and one team suits a book that needs several.
| Compare | Do it yourself | Freelancers | One team like Hawk Notch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinds of editing | Self-edits and grammar software | One editor per kind, hired separately | Every kind on this page |
| Between edits | You judge when each stage is done | You brief each new editor | Notes carry from one edit to the next |
| Before upload | Kindle Previewer and KDP's print previewer | Often a separate formatter | Kindle and print files checked before you upload |
| Your time | High: every pass is yours | Medium: finding, briefing and comparing editors | Low: read the notes and accept or reject the changes |
| Best for | Early drafts and tight budgets | One edit from an editor you already trust | Books that need more than one kind of edit |
A comparison of working styles, not a quote.
Short videos recorded by KDP authors after working with Hawk Notch, in their own words.
AwaisKindle author, Amazon PPC“Sales have been increasing constantly since we launched the PPC campaigns, and they know how to optimize them.”
EricaJournal author, cover redesign“I had this journal cover that I just didn't love. He redid the cover art for me and it's beautiful. I loved working with them.”
KDP authorA+ content, author page and ads“I had no idea what Amazon A+ content was until I met you, nor did I have an author page. And I certainly wouldn't have been able to wrap my head around Amazon advertising.”
BenzAuthor, book marketing“I was very pleased and happy with his professionalism and the work that he did for me. Always prompt, always polite.”
Plain answers about the kinds of editing and how to choose one.
Short answerEvery stage from first draft to upload: manuscript assessment, developmental editing, beta reading, sensitivity reading, line editing, fact-checking, copy editing, proofreading and a formatting check for Kindle and print. You can book one edit or several in a row.
Short answerLine editing works on style: how each sentence reads and sounds. Copy editing works on correctness: grammar, spelling, punctuation and consistency. Proofreading is the last check of the finished, laid-out book for the typos and slips that are left.
Short answerStart with the biggest problem in your draft. A first draft needs a manuscript assessment or a developmental edit, a revised draft a line edit, a settled draft a copy edit, and a laid-out book a proofread. Not sure? Send us a sample and we'll recommend one.
Short answerNo. Most books need some of these edits, not all of them. Beta reading, sensitivity reading and fact-checking help specific books, and a well-revised draft may skip a stage. We'll tell you which edits your sample needs and which can wait.
Short answerYes. We check your Kindle eBook and print files before upload: the table of contents, chapter starts, page numbers, margins, images and fonts. You get a list of anything that would look wrong to a reader, so it can be fixed before the book goes live.
Short answerIt depends on the kind of edit, the length of the book and how much work the draft needs, so we quote after reading a sample. Send us your first chapter and we'll reply with the edit we recommend, its price and the timing for your book.
Send a sample chapter and we'll tell you which edit to start with, and why.