Hang around writer’s forums long enough and you’ll soon see that there are many fake service providers out there. People who claim they’ll help you polish your manuscript before the world sees it, then disappear with your cash. And since so many people are self-publishing these days, the demand for indie service providers is on the rise, which means more sharks in the water.

The first editor I ever worked with charged me what I thought was a competitive fee to edit my novel, and promised that she’d be finished within a month or two. That didn’t happen. When her deadline was dead and gone, she kept handing me excuses and assuring me she’d be done soon. Soon ended up being eight months. You’d think that after that long, the document would be covered in a sea of red, but no. There were a total of fifteen notes in the entire novel. Fifteen. And this from someone with ‘over a decade of experience in the industry’.

Sadly, many other authors don’t ever get their manuscripts back, or lose more money than I did.

Well, that stops today. With a little help from other authors and friends, I’ve found a bunch of people who offer services to writers at competitive prices, but the best news is this–they can all be trusted. In fact, with these people backing you, your writing will be tighter than ever before.

Beta readers

Yolandie Horak

I’m willing to read YA and NA manuscripts under the umbrella of speculative fiction, and I’ve also beta read my fair share of Dragon Age fanfic. 🙂

My references include Tallulah Lucy, Nerine Dorman, Cat Hellisen, Stacey Reilander, and Cristy Zinn to name a few.

I’m also getting into developmental editing, and have worked with some of the above writers as a developmental editor. I offer this service for a competitive fee, so feel free to send me a request from the contact page for more information.

Shants Lucas

She reads every genre, aimed at any age group. Since she reads SUPER FAST, you’ll have that feedback in no time.

Reach her at shantsjlucas[at]gmail[dot]com.

Field Day Press

If you have a higher budget and are willing to pay for a beta reading service, you can check out their rates and testimonials.

Blurb Writers

The Blurb Butterfly

The importance of a good blurb is literally the difference between a reader putting the book back on the shelf, or buying it. Unfortunately, most of those of us who write have no idea how to word the blurb. Irony at its finest.

That’s where The Blurb Butterfly comes in. Look at the reviews she’s had so far and it’s easy to see why her help will take your book to the next level. I’ve also worked with her, and can testify that she’s friendly and efficient.

For all your blurb needs, find The Blurb Butterfly here.

Cover and Graphic Designers

Covers by Tallulah

My talented friend, Tallulah, offers the most gorgeous premade or custom book covers. She priced her premade covers with the indie author’s budget (or lack thereof) in mind, and the good news is that her custom covers are still affordable. Check out this epic cover she made for me.

Find out more at Covers by Tallulah.

Looma Graphic Design

For more incredible graphics and cover designs, you can chat with Cristy from Looma Graphic Design. She offers many services that new authors may need, including branding, stunning cover designs, and eye-catching promotional material.

Have a look at some of the services offered by Looma Graphic Design here, and the gorgeous cover design portfolio here.

Editors

Cat Hellisen

Cat is one of the most thoughtful and effective editors I’ve ever met. This woman is a legend, really. She’s fast, reliable and affordable. Also, how many editors leave you excited and giggling like an idiot (I’m sorry, Cat, I had to) after their feedback? Cat will.

Not only will your story be that much tighter with her help–she caught so many plotholes in my manuscript that nobody else even noticed–but your writing will become tighter too.

See Cat’s rates and details here.

Nerine Dorman

Now, here’s a lady I’ve mentioned a million times on the blog by now. When Nerine was referred to me for the first time, it was by someone who said if I want to write better than ever, I need to work with Nerine.

I can assure you today, that’s the case. If you need any proof, please ask me for the first five pages of the first draft of A Study of Ash & Smoke and the first five pages of the published one. You won’t believe it’s by the same person. I wrote them both and I don’t believe it. She’s straightforward but delivers the feedback in such a funny way that even the most sensitive of writers can’t be offended.

See Nerine’s rates and details here.

Formatters

Elegant Book Formatting

Getting the inside of a novel to look good is super important, but so damn difficult. And if you’re going to publish both hard copies and ebooks, this becomes an even more daunting task. What do we as writers know about formatting anyway? Luckily, there’s someone for that too.

Elegant Book Formatting offers a service that will make the interior of your novel look clean and gorgeous. Again. look no further than my own novel for the proof. Thanks to Elegant Book Formatting, ASOAAS is simply gorgeous on the inside, too.

Resources

Check out the Let’s Write series. It includes some posts about self-editing, how to write different emotions, and travel, but is ever-expanding. I’ll update this list from time to time, so remember to bookmark it to find it again easily when you need it.

Voice Artists

Eloquent Audio

Gareth over at Eloquent audio has a wonderfully smooth and calm voice. If you’re looking for a mlae voice artist who can do various English and European accents, look no further.