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20yrs+ coaxing brilliant ideas into publishable books. Also an author who knows…

I’m a multi-award-winning editor and author with a lifelong passion for story. I’ve worked in the publishing industry since 1997, as a freelance editor since 2003, and as a writer since I was born. I service writers, publishers, self-publishers, and entrepreneurs, and at the time of writing have clients all around the world, including Texas, Florida, New York, Israel, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, India, the UK, and of course Australia. According to one professional publication-services website, I’m in the top 3% of the world’s editors, given I have coaxed all manner of brilliant ideas into publishable YA, children’s books, speculative fiction, thrillers, women’s, memoir, inspirational, new age, academic and commercial texts. I’m very open-minded and empathetic, which enables me to really feel my way into any narrative voice, whether fictional or non-fictional – hence the variety of genre in which I work. Those of my clients seeking traditional publication have scored contracts with amazing publishers, such as Simon & Schuster, Rockpool Publishing, Big Sky Publishing, MidnightSun Publishing, Encircle Publications, and Major Street Publishing.

As an author myself (science fiction, fantasy, horror, spec fic, women’s, thriller & suspense, crossover), I *genuinely* understand what writers need from an edit – perhaps more than an editor who has never written themselves. As an inclusive creativity advocate, I am passionate about ensuring you say what you want to say to the world with a contemporary lens. I’m also very logical and conscientious (I was once a solicitor), which means I’m extremely thorough and excellent with structure. With every project, you can trust that I will use my extensive knowledge and experience to elevate your story, word by word. I’m both proficient and friendly – just read some testimonials over here, or get in contact and tell me about your project.

Different projects need different levels of work, so I’ll need to see a sample of your writing before I can send you a quote. I’ll also need to know the total word count for review, and any goals you have for the edit. I’ll then advise you on the level of work your manuscript needs and the cost. My editing/reading time can vary between 1,000 and 10,000 words per hour, depending on the project.

*Don’t have a completed manuscript yet? Then the service you need is mentoring / book coaching.

About Your Editor

Apparently, the first thing I ever touched as a baby was a pen in the doctor’s top pocket. I started my first writers’ group in high school, published mine and others’ work in the school magazine, then studied English at uni, and have since worked with countless traditional publishers and self-publishers. I love words! I read extremely widely, enjoying: thrillers, crime, horror, science fiction, fantasy, women’s fiction, romance, dystopia, young adult, children’s, memoir, history, science and biographies. I have many interests, including health, lifestyle, inspirational, the future, technology, and nature. I also have many qualifications – from degrees in English Literature (of course), psychology, media and cultural studies, to diplomas in law and intellectual property, and A-Levels in biology and history. I love learning! I’m also a keen traveller and have visited almost 50 countries – all across North, South and Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia – so wherever your story is set I’ll understand. I’m an advocate for inclusive creativity and have founded many community creativity projects to inspire others. I’m open-minded and nurturing, and I know your manuscript is as important to you as mine are to me. I will take great care of it.

Editorial Assessments
& Developmental Editing

If you suspect your manuscript has a hidden flaw, you’re probably right. Most projects I see are already ‘a good read’. But they have fundamental issues that need fixing prior to publication or submitting to agents/publishers. Writers are often too close to their work to see these issues, but I am not.

Both my editorial assessments (also known as manuscript assessments, appraisals or structural reports) and developmental edits (also known as structural editing) identify big-picture issues with your work. This involves assessing your manuscript’s overall content, potentially looking at structure, language, tone, consistency, flow, chronology, pacing, length, and your personal narrative quirks. I will check that everything makes sense, consider readers and whether they’ll understand what you’re saying, and (where possible) suggest solutions. I may even explain writing techniques if needed, and recommend skill development. My feedback is both honest and nurturing, enabling you to take your manuscript to the next level. With fiction, I also assess character arcs, dialogue, worldbuilding, and plot points. Are characters acting according to their personalities and motivations? Does the story sag or drop the pace? Is it lacking tension?

The only difference between these two services are:

• Editorial Assessments

With an editorial assessment of your manuscript, you’ll receive an editorial report on all of the above, but no marked-up manuscript. My report lengths vary between 6-20 pages in length.

• Developmental Editing

With a developmental edit, you’ll receive your manuscript marked up from start to finish to illustrate all of the above. Sometimes I will also accompany this with a short summary report, possibly explaining comments or expanding on certain issues.

For both Editorial Assessments and Developmental Edits I quote on a sample-basis, so please get in contact, let me know your preferred service, and I’ll let you know how much it will cost. I’ll need to read a sample and know the total word count for review.

Copyediting

Copyediting is for manuscripts that already have a sound structure and clearly communicate a decisive overall meaning to the relevant audience. It is designed to tidy up and polish the way your words express that meaning, and spot any glaring errors. As such, my copyediting involves marking up a manuscript line-by-line to review (as appropriate):

– clarity and readability
– use of language
– meaning and tone
– inaccuracies, contradictions, inconsistencies and errors
– spelling and punctuation
– preposition use, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement and pronoun use
– correct cross-referencing
– awkward or ambiguous phraseology
– repositioning passages into more logical sequences, flow and pace
– shortening drawn-out discussions
– composition
– industry and house styles
– formatting and layout

Although it is not the focus of a copyedit, I will also let you know if I identify any major structural, stylistic or worldbuilding elements that need attention. As an author myself, I simply can’t let your manuscript go into the world if it has flaws.

I quote on a sample-basis, so please get in contact and I’ll let you know how much a copyedit will cost. I’ll need to read a sample and know the total word count for review.

Proofreading

Proofreading is for manuscripts that have already been fully polished and edited (ie. they have a sound structure, clearly communicate a decisive overall meaning to the relevant audience, and have been copyedited). A proofread of course identifies issues with grammar, punctuation, consistency, etc, though please note that it does not guarantee zero typos, it reduces them to an acceptable standard. Since your manuscript has already been polished, I won’t be expecting to find any structural, stylistic or worldbuilding errors, but if I find any I’ll of course let you know – as an author myself, I simply can’t let your manuscript go into the world if it has such flaws. Please note that I prefer not to copyedit and proofread the same manuscript (as proofreading requires reading with a completely fresh pair of eyes).

Please get in contact if you’d like a quote. I’ll need to read a sample and know the total word count for review.

Pitch / Submission / Query Work

Yes, I know it’s hard to write a synopsis and book blurb (your whole book reduced to a few hundred words!). it’s also hard to pitch the right tone in webpage content, promotional materials, cover and query letters. But I’ve had top literary agents represent my own work over the years, so I know how to pitch to commissioning editors and what they want to see. I can help you with any book proposal /submission (query letter, synopsis, sample pages), enticing sales pitches (book blurbs for back covers and websites, or an elevator pitch), even copywriting for websites or marketing materials (flyers, brochures, postcards, posters, press/media releases). Simply send me a message and we’ll go from there. To give you an idea of prices, it generally takes me an hour to:

– edit an author’s 1000-word synopsis down to 300 or 500 words
– write a blurb (on provision of a synopsis)
– draft a cover or query letter (on provision of a synopsis, market comparisons, blurb and bio)
– copyedit sample pages (around 4000 words)

Free Help

If you’d like to self-edit your manuscript to save on paid editing costs, I offer FREE editing help on my blog under my ‘Writing Rockface’ posts:

Other Services:

Mentorship/Writing Coach – If you need help with story generation, manuscript or career development, please consider selecting my mentorship/writing coach option instead.

Publishing Assistance – Ready to send your work out into the world? I can help with publishing options, layout designs, as well as promotional items.

Editing/Manuscript Assessments