Brian Gray Howe Content Services

Editing | Writing | Arts journalism

Invested editing and inspired copy for people who care about writing.

My professional background includes twenty-five years in journalism, criticism, and editing for major publications focused on music, arts, and culture. I’ve also edited more than a hundred books, in virtually every genre.

I offer developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading for novels, nonfiction, and other long-form writing projects. I also provide copywriting and editing to arts presenters, universities, nonprofits, publishers, and other cultural organizations. This includes season-program materials, online editorial content, and artist bios.

I work with a wide range of clients, from thriller authors to self-help writers, individuals to institutions, and I specialize in projects related to the arts. Whether you’re polishing a third draft or wrestling with a complicated first, I can offer flexible, specific editorial guidance to strengthen the work while celebrating the writer’s unique voice—these days more than ever.

Buffing your book
without breaking the bank.

For clients who prefer the flexibility of hourly billing to a flat per-word price, all of the services listed below are available at $50 an hour.

I strive to keep my rates competitive and transparent without compromising the level of attention a manuscript receives.

I believe professional editing should be accessible to all writers, so I’m happy to discuss streamlined discount services. It’s easy to spend thousands on editing, but even spending hundreds can be invaluable if done strategically.

Developmental Editing — 5¢ per word

Developmental editing focuses on the big-picture elements of a manuscript:

structure
pacing
narrative cohesion
characterization
argumentation
thematic clarity
scene construction
overall readability

This service is best suited for early or intermediate drafts that need substantial shaping, restructuring, or critical feedback.

Clients receive:

a heavily annotated manuscript
detailed margin comments
an editorial letter discussing strengths, weaknesses, and revision priorities

Line Editing — 4¢ per word

Line editing focuses on the writing at the sentence and paragraph level.

This includes:

rhythm and flow
clarity
redundancy
tone
diction
transitions
awkward phrasing
stylistic consistency

Line editing is ideal for writers who want prose that feels sharper, cleaner, and more intentional while retaining the individuality of their voice.

Copyediting — 2.5¢ per word

Copyediting addresses technical and stylistic correctness while improving readability and consistency.

This includes:

grammar
punctuation
syntax
continuity
word usage
factual consistency
formatting issues
style-guide consistency where applicable

This service is best for manuscripts that are structurally solid and primarily need refinement and cleanup.

Proofreading — 1.5¢ per word

Proofreading is the final editorial pass before publication or submission.

This service focuses on:

typographical errors
spelling mistakes
punctuation slips
formatting inconsistencies
lingering grammatical issues

Proofreading is intended for manuscripts that have already undergone substantial editing.

Copywriting and Editorial Content
— $50/hour or project quote

I provide editing and copywriting services for books, nonprofits, arts organizations, publishers, cultural institutions, independent businesses, musicians, and other creative professionals:

promotional copy
book jackets
catalog copy
season-program notes
artist bios
website copy
press materials
grant-support materials
marketing and descriptive copy

For larger or more clearly defined projects, I’m also happy to provide flat project quotes.

Ready to Start?

Reach out:

[email protected]

Testimonials

“Working with Brian has been nothing short of a dream. From our first conversation to the final delivery of his edits, the process was one of calm and steadfast brilliance. I hired him for line editing, and what was so brilliant was that not only did he offer grammatical edits, line by line, but also prompts for me to clarify, refine, and ultimately deepen the text. I would hire him again and again for any editorial project!”
—Myra Weise, arts writer

“Brian’s comprehensive feedback gave me everything I needed, including detailed line edits with nitty-gritty grammar tweaks, suggestions for pacing and plot, and probing questions for fine-tuning themes and takeaways.”
—Layla Khoury-Hanold, James Beard Award–nominated writer

My Weird Career

I have built up thousands of bylines in more than twenty years of arts journalism and criticism, many of them at two publications I still write for: Pitchfork, the definitive online music magazine, and INDY Week, the progressive alt-weekly in Durham, North Carolina, where I was various combinations of arts and managing editor from 2013 to 2020, winning several national (AAN) and state awards for my work.

I have also written for Uncut, SPIN, The AV Club, The New York Times Magazine, Music Journalism Insider, Craftsmanship Quarterly, Bandcamp Daily, Paste Magazine, Kill Screen, Edge Magazine, Hyperallergic, eMusic, and others. I got my start in Chapel Hill zines: Shout out to Sup and The Crutch. See the bottom of this post for a few running and selected pieces.

I have written marketing copy for organizations such as Duke Performances, the Big Ears Music Festival, and Porter & Sail. And I’ve written jacket copy and taglines for dozens of published novels.

Since leaving the rough and ready world of alt-weekly editing in 2020, I have focused on refining my editing and grammar with The Chicago Manual of Style. I have now edited well over one hundred projects, most of them book-length. Many of these projects were via Elite Authors, where I have been a freelance editor and copywriter since 2021.

I do all of this because of a lifelong obsession with words, especially those found in books. I love writing and writers, and through this affinity, I’ve gained experience in many facets of publishing and culture. I participate in the arts as well as chronicling them. My poetry has appeared in a variety of little journals, though these days I mainly deploy it in multimedia performance collaborations, particularly in my experimental band, Streak of Tigers.