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Editing / Manuscript Assessments

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*Please get in touch as soon as you start considering editorial assistance, as writers often book me a couple of months in advance for editing and assessment work.

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

Not only have I worked in the publishing industry since 1997 and as a freelance editor since 2003, but I’m an award-winning author. This gives me a very unique insight into the editing process. Indeed, according to one professional publication-services website, I’m in the top 3% of the world’s editors. I have coaxed all manner of brilliant ideas into publishable YA, children’s books, thrillers, technothrillers, science fiction, fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, dystopia, women’s, romance, memoir, biographies, history, inspirational, new age, academic and commercial texts. I currently service writers, publishers, self-publishers, and entrepreneurs all around the world, including the USA, Canada, the UK, India, Israel, Lithuania, Laos, Kazakhstan, and Australia. 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.

I’m a naturally very open-minded and empathetic person, 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. As an author myself (science fiction, fantasy, horror, spec fic, women’s, thriller & suspense), I genuinely understand what writers need from an edit – perhaps more than an editor who has never written themselves. I’m also interested in a vast array of topics, experiences and thoughts. As an inclusive creativity advocate, I am passionate about ensuring you speak to the world through a contemporary lens. 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’m also very logical and conscientious (I was once a solicitor), which means I’m extremely thorough and excellent with structure. I’ve also travelled all around the world, visiting almost 50 countries. With every project, you can trust that I will use my extensive knowledge and experience to elevate your story, word by word!

How Does Editing Work?

To start the process, please send me a message and tell me about your project. Since different projects need different levels of work, you will need to send me a few pages from the beginning of your manuscript, let me know its current total word count, and the type of edit you think you might want (I can also advise you on this). My editing/reading rate can vary between 1,000 and 10,000 words per hour, depending on the project.

If you don’t have a completed manuscript yet, then the service you need is mentoring / book coaching.

Which Type Of Edit Is For You?

Full definitions are below, but generally speaking:

  • A editorial/manuscript assessment is good for writers looking for an overall opinion on their manuscript – what big picture issues need fixing and how can they improve both their storytelling and writing skills to take their work to the next level.
  • A developmental/structural edit is good for writers who know they can write, but need someone to take a step back and look at the work from a big picture point of view, and determine whether there are any structural issues holding the manuscript back.
  • A copy edit is good for writers who know their structure is good, but need someone to polish their work line-by-line ready for publication or submission to publishers.
  • A proofread is good for writers whose work is ready to be published (having possibly been redrafted after an edit), but know it needs a final review before going to press.
  • –> Sometimes I also offer writers a hybrid developmental/copy edit, where I combine structural advice and line edits. This is good for writers who are fairly confident in their writing, but need an independent professional look over the whole thing, both structurally and narratively.
  • If you need help with story generation, manuscript or career development, you need my mentorship/writing coach service instead.
  • If you have a manuscript that’s completely ready to send into the world, you need my layout / publishing assistance services instead.

Editorial / Manuscript Assessments

An editorial assessment of your manuscript (also known as a manuscript assessment, appraisal or structural report) involves me assessing and writing a report on 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. 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? You’ll then receive an editorial report, but no marked-up manuscript. My report lengths vary between 6-20 pages in length.

Developmental / Structural Editing

A developmental edit of your manuscript (also known as structural editing) involves me marking up your manuscript from start to finish to illustrate any issues I find with its structure, language, tone, consistency, flow, chronology, pacing, length, and your personal narrative quirks. As with editorial assessments, 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. But all of this will be in the manuscript itself. 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? You’ll then receive a fully marked-up manuscript, guiding you through the manuscript in situ. As such, this is a more expensive option than editorial / manuscript assessments.

Copyediting

Copyediting is for manuscripts that already have a sound structure and clearly communicate a decisive overall meaning to the relevant audience. After you engage me to perform a copy edit of your manuscript, I will return your manuscript marked up from start to finish to enable you to tidy up and polish the way your words express that meaning to your audience, 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 issues. 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!

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, preposition use, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, correct cross-referencing, spelling, punctuation, contradictions, inconsistencies, etc; though please note that proofreading cannot 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).

Pitch / Submission / Query Work

I’ve had three top literary agents represent my work over the years, which means I know how to pitch to commissioning editors and what they want to see. I’ve also had both fiction and non-fiction work accepted and published by editors. So while it’s hard to write a synopsis or book blurb (your whole book reduced to a few hundred words!), a book proposal with a detailed sales pitch or a brief and enticing query letter, I can help you. I can even assist with copywriting for your website or marketing materials (flyers, brochures, posters, banners, press/media releases).

To give you an idea of prices, it generally takes me an hour to:

  • – edit an author’s 1000-word synopsis down to the industry standard of 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 a sample chapter (around 3500 words)

So please send me a message and we’ll go from there.

Want some reassurance that you’re in safe hands? Then please read my testimonials:

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