Book lovers will understand me, and they will know, too, that part of the pleasure of a library lies in its very existence.—Jan Morris
Welcome to Compass Rose Horizons.
We offer expert proofreading, editing, book design, and transcription services.
Typesetting and Book Design Services
Book Design
If you are an author who plans to self-publish a novel, we can create a printer-ready book layout from your Microsoft® Word document. Go directly to our Budget Book Design page for more information.
Scribes at work. Detail from the tomb of General Horemheb, Saqqara, Egypt, fourteenth century BC.
Manuscript Formatting
No one can say with certainty how many great stories and novels are passed over by publishers simply because the manuscript was poorly formatted. It is true, however, that a nicely organized and clean manuscript will be better received by an editor.
As a special service of Compass Rose Horizons, we can take your finished electronic manuscript and convert it to a “standard manuscript” format for submission to publishers and agents. We will ensure that your font, character style, line spacing, paragraph style, pages numbers, margins, and layout all meet an editor’s expectations. This does not guarantee that your book or short story will be sold, of course, but a well-formatted manuscript is easier to read and has a better chance of rising above the slush pile than one that looks unprofessional.
Manuscript Formatting Fees
- $25.00 up to 125 pages
- $50.00 between 126 and 225 pages
- $75.00 between 226 and 325 pages
- $100.00 over 325 pages
Attention students! If you need your document formatted in a special style—Chicago Manual, MLA, or APA—we can assist you. Please write editor@compassrose.com with the details of your project.
“Thanks, Joanne! Couldn’t have done it without you! I...look forward to working with you again.”—Patricia John, TravelFit Guides™, Inc.
Typesetting
If you have a hand-written document that you need typeset, we can help. We will take your hand-written manuscript and type it into Microsoft® Word. You will receive a printed hardcopy and the complete file on disc. We can also e-mail it to you. We will automatically format your work in standard manuscript style. The prices below include typesetting, formatting, photocopying, and postage to mail you your manuscript. Most hand-written manuscripts can be turned around in three to five days.
Typesetting Fees
- $4.25 / typed and formatted page
Please write editor@compassrose.com for more information on our typesetting, manuscript preparation, and book design services.
