Expert Screenplay Editing & Proofreading Services
Conceiving a story is one thing—crafting it to enthrall your audience and convince an agent, manager or producer to read it is another. You need a team of smart, market-driven professionals who can ensure every detail of your screenplay achieves the vision you have for it.
Our expert editors:
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Possess 50+ years’ combined screenplay editing experience
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Boast editing expertise across the full range of genres and subgenres
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Are full-time employees of DLA (no freelancers)
Want an outstanding screenplay?
I’m very satisfied with the editing services they provided. I have to say I had a bunch of sample edits and no one came close to the depth edit Terry did. She is great and I’m so grateful for her help. I had 35,600 word manuscript and she gave me a developmental edit turn around time 4 weeks as she said. and almost 2,000 comments and edits. Im making my manuscript ready for a copy edit by Terry thank you
Melissa Medina, Hartford, CT
We love hearing your stories.
Manuscript Evaluation
Not sure if you have a viable project or what level of editing you need for your manuscript?
Our Manuscript Evaluation includes a positive, respectful read-through of your manuscript and in-depth feedback detailing its strengths and weaknesses, ways to improve its marketability and the level of editing required.
It provides a big-picture guide for further developing your manuscript, covering:
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Pacing and Flow
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Structure and Organization
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Clarity of Ideas
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Setting and Historical Context
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Point of View
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Prior Plot Events
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Characterization
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Character Backstories
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Mechanics
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Narrative Voice and Style
Developmental Editing
Ready to collaborate to achieve your goals for your manuscript?
Our Developmental Editing starts with a 30-minute consultation to get to know you as the author and your experiences, motivations, vision and timeline for your project.
We follow this with a thorough, in-depth review of your manuscript, as well as a follow-up consultation, to help you achieve your vision.
In our in-depth review, we make edits and provide feedback to address issues in:
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Pacing and Flow
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Structure and Organization
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Clarity of Ideas
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Setting and Historical Context
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Point of View
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Prior Plot Events
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Characterization
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Character Backstories
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Mechanics
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Narrative Voice and Style
Copyediting/Line Editing
Ready to fine-tune your manuscript?
Our Copyediting/Line Editing provides a detailed, line-by-line edit of your manuscript. It covers:
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Consistency, Engagement and Clarity of Writing Style and Tone
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Consistency and Clarity of Settings, Characters and Plot
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Word Choice (Denotation, Connotation and Rhythm)
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Repetition/Redundancy
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Sentence Structure
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Flow and Transitions
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Punctuation and Grammar
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Typographical Errors
Proofreading
Ready for an agent or publication?
Once your manuscript has been through the developmental editing process and been copyedited, you're ready for proofreading.
Proofreading provides a last check of your manuscript to identify any last items needing correction. It covers:
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Grammar and Punctuation
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Typographical Errors
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Formatting and Layout
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Repetition/Redundancy
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Sentence Structure
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Flow and Transitions
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Punctuation and Grammar
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Typographical Errors
WHAT FILE FORMATS DO YOU ACCEPT FOR YOUR SCREENPLAY EDITING AND SCREENPLAY PROOFREADING SERVICES?
We accept screenplay manuscripts in PDF (preferred) or MS Word file format only. If you are using an industry standard screenwriting software such as Celtx or Final Draft, simply export your script as a PDF and send us that file for editing. It's that easy!
DO YOU OFFER A SCREENPLAY FORMATTING SERVICE?
While we do not format your script directly, in our editing, we will note any formatting items (e.g., spacing) needing to be corrected and tell you the specific correction to make. You can then go back into your screenwriting software to make the necessary adjustments.
WILL YOU HELP ME FIND A SCREENWRITING AGENT OR PRODUCER FOR MY SCREENPLAY?
Through our screenplay editing services, as well as our editing services for query letters and other documents related to the query process, we will do everything we can to help ensure your success in finding a screenwriting agent or producer for your screenplay.
Want an outstanding screenplay?
WHAT SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE DO YOU RECOMMEND?
Depending on your needs and budget, we recommend Celtx and Final Draft (these are the two most preferred among our clients), as well as WriterDuet.
WHAT IS THE TURNAROUND TIME OF YOUR SCREENPLAY EDITING AND SCREENPLAY PROOFREADING SERVICES?
We offer Normal Delivery, Express Delivery and Rush Delivery delivery options to meet your script editing needs. Our turnaround can be as quick as just one to two business days. The specific turnaround time for editing your script will depend on the screenplay editing service you select, your script's word count and the delivery option you choose.
Get Started to see the specific turnaround time for editing your screenplay.
DO YOU GUARANTEE YOUR SCREENPLAY EDITING AND PROOFREADING SERVICES?
Yes! We guarantee that we will provide you with high-quality, affordable screenplay editing and proofreading services, and that we will finish our work by the due date and time we've promised.
If you find any errors in our work, we will happily provide you with a free second proofread or edit according to the original service and original instructions for the service. Requests for free second edits must be made within thirty (30) calendar days of project completion.
See our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for additional details.
Want an outstanding screenplay?
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
We've been in business since 2008.
DO YOU OFFER A FREE SAMPLE OF YOUR SCREENPLAY EDITING AND PROOFREADING SERVICES?
Yes! To receive a free sample edit of your script, email us at email@dlaeditors.com (we'll get back to you the same or next business day) or chat with us during our regular business hours.
SCREENPLAY GENRES
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Action/Adventure
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Comedy
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Drama
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Fantasy
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Horror
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Romantic Comedy
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Sci-Fi
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Thriller
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Western
The Editing Process: How Our Service Works
Step 1: Get Started
Whether you’re just looking for a free instant quote or are ready to purchase our services, start with Get Started, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
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Under Select Your Category, choose Writers.
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Next, select your project type (Screenplay), genre (and sub-genre, if any) and service (e.g., Developmental Editing).
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Now upload your file to be edited (or, in the case of Manuscript Evaluation, to be evaluated), or enter your page or word count. Our quotes for fee and turnaround time are calculated based on word count.
To get the most accurate quote, or to purchase a service, upload your file to be edited or evaluated. We accept MS Word or PDF files (exported from your screenwriting software) only for Screenplay to be edited or evaluated. Your word count(s) will be automatically calculated and displayed next to your uploaded file.
Alternatively, enter your word count or page count to get a quote.
The page count option is good for getting a ballpark quote. It uses an estimated number of words per page (250), and so is less accurate than uploading your file or entering your word count.
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To finalize your quote, select from Normal Delivery, Express Delivery and Rush Delivery.
Please note that the displayed turnaround times are calculated based on word count. To get the most accurate quote, make sure to upload your file to be edited or evaluated.
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Confirm your quote. To order the service, ensure you have uploaded at least one file to be edited or evaluated, add any comments (e.g., if there is a particular style guide you would like us to follow; by default, we use Merriam-Webster Unabridged Style Guide), enter a project nickname and click Add to Cart.
Step 2: Check out
Once you have added your service to the cart in Step 1, proceed with clicking Checkout.
In the checkout process, you will:
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Log in to your account or create an account if you do not already have one.
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Enter your goals for the service.
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Verify the delivery dates for the service.
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Complete your payment for the deposit or total order amount. We accept credit/debit cards and PayPal.
Step 3: Track Your Order in My Account
As soon as we receive your deposit, we will start working on your order. While we are working on your order, the status will display as In Progress in My Account.
Step 4: Receive Your Edited Screenplay
As soon as we have completed our editing or evaluation, you will receive an email notification, and the status of your service will be updated in My Account. If there is a remainder due, your next step will be to pay it to receive your edited Screenplay or manuscript evaluation.
Edited documents and manuscript evaluations are released once the total fee for the service(s) in your order has been paid. Edited documents and manuscript evaluations are both sent by email and made available for download directly from My Account.
The email containing your Screenplay or manuscript evaluation will provide the name and contact information of the editor who completed the service for you. It will provide a link to instructions on how to review our edits, including how to accept and reject track changes and to remove sidebar comments..
The email will also provide a link for submitting your edited Screenplay or manuscript evaluation for a discounted second edit or evaluation, should you desire.
Editor name and contact information along with the second edit link will also be posted in My Account.
Step 5: Follow up With Any Questions
If after reviewing the edits made to or our evaluation of your Screenplay you have questions about the editing or evaluation, please contact your editor directly by email. You may expect to receive a response to your email within 1 business day.
If after following up with your editor, you still have questions your editor is unable to answer, feel free to email our editor in chief, David Lombardino.
Step 6: Leave Us a Review
We are passionate about helping you achieve your goals, and hope through our editing or evaluation and answering any follow-up questions we will have helped you get one more step closer to doing so. We are proud of the work we do and would love it if you shared your honest experiences, positive or negative, for future clients to see.
We partner with TrustPilot, a third-party review service that sends email invitations to leave a review to all verified customers a few days following completion of the service. We hope that if you have any concern remaining when you receive this invitation, you reach out to us first so we can address your concern, prior to leaving a review.
Our goal is a five-star experience for every customer, and we look forward to achieving this for you.
HARA MICHAEL, SCREENPLAY WRITER
Screenwriter Hara Michael talks about using DLA's copyediting services to prepare his screenplays for production.
View more client interviews in Our Stories.From plot and character development to dialog that is poignant and fresh and the twists that will engage your audience, we know what it takes to get the details right—and your screenplay ready to hook an agent, manager or producer.
Still have questions? See a list of our frequently asked questions or give us a call at 877-454-4957.