For every writer there is an editor

An editor bridges the gap between what you write on the page and what the reader takes from it.

You know what you mean, but does it come across? Does your plot make sense? Are your characters consistent? Is your style not just serviceable, but pleasurable? And how exactly do semi-colons and en-dashes work again?

With a focus on actionable feedback and a creative relationship, I work to improve not just your manuscript, but your skills as a writer.

Not sure if editing is for you?

Don't know where to start?

Want to know more about me?

Developmental Editing…

focuses on the story and structure of the manuscript as a whole.

Once a manuscript goes to copy-editing or proofreading, it’s too late to make any broad changes. A copy-editor can flag bad sentence structure, but can’t point out if your character is hard to relate to, or if your plot twist makes no sense.

My developmental editing focuses on actionable advice: comments and suggestions that will give you a concrete next step in the writing process.

You'll want this if...

You have an idea you'd love to turn into a novel.

You have the broad outline of a novel to troubleshoot before you commit to writing; you have most of a story planned, but aren't quite sure how it ends, or what needs to happen in the middle; you want a professional opinion on the viability and potential of your idea.

Synopsis Appraisal

You'll give me...

I will…

A synopsis or outline of your novel covering the entirety of your story. I'll provide a template for you to fill out, helping you put together the synopsis and asking questions about what you want from the book.

Look at the big-picture elements of your story, including structure, plot, arcs, themes, and tone. I'll diagnose any redundant characters or misfired plot-twists, dangling threads or missed opportunities. I'll return a report, about 5–7 pages long, explaining any issues that arise. This appraisal will highlight any issues and suggest, both specifically and broadly, how you can address them and work to tighten your story.

£150

£120 for a re-appraisal

You'll want this if…

You want to approach writing commercially and have a first draft.

You want professional support in outlining key areas of work—plot, structure, pacing, character, theme, tone and representation, etc.—which you can then use to refine your novel to a commercially viable state.

Manuscript Critique

You'll give me…

I will…

The full current draft of your novel.

Give you an in-depth report detailing how to elevate your novel to the best it can be. Appraise strengths and weaknesses, highlight redundant or underused characters and their relationships, dead narrative space, arc, tone and representation, pacing, alongside other structural elements. I'll provide actionable, clear suggestions of how you can progress to the next draft.

Roughly…

£450—c. 60,000 words

£600—c. 80,000 words

£800—c. 100,000 words

You'll want this if…

You want to approach writing commercially.

You want page-by-page support on a professional level, looking at plot, structure, pacing, character, theme, tone and representation, and everything else you need to perfect your novel.

Full Developmental

Edit

You'll give me…

I will…

The full current draft of your novel, or any problem chapters you'd like checked over.

Provide comments page by page, paragraph by paragraph, assessing strengths and weaknesses, plot, world, character, believability, representation, tone, etc. This will address everything above the sentence level, giving guidance on what to cut, and where to focus your energy on re-writing and developing.

£10 / 1,000 words

Copy-editing and Proofreading…

focuses on the sentence and word level.

If you’re happy with the broad strokes of your novel—the characters are fleshed out and the plot watertight—then the next step is copy-editing and proofreading.

These steps look closely at your writing, correcting and polishing work on a sentence level. You need a trained, dedicated eye to make sure your work doesn’t suffer from mistakes and errors.

You'll want this if…

You have a finished, structurally sound manuscript.

You haven't had a professional read your work; you want to send your work to any form of publisher or agent.

Copy-editing

I will…

• Flow and readability

• Tone and conscious language

• Writing style and word choice

• Consistency and fact-checking

• Spelling, grammar, and punctuation

• Adherence to a style guide

Provide a Word document with tracked changes, showing you exactly what has been changed.

Give you a style sheet detailing style decisions including things like spelling, capitalisation, and hyphenation. This can be given to proofreaders, publishers, and typesetters further down the line.

What this addresses…

£6–8.50 / 1,000 words

You'll want this if…

You have a completed, edited manuscript that you're already happy with, and want to ensure it is free of mistakes; the next step is printing or publishing your book, online or physically.

Proofreading

I will…

• Spelling, grammar, and punctuation

• Formatting and layout

• Adherence to a style guide

Provide a Word document with tracked changes, showing you exactly what has been changed. This can also be completed on PDF.

What this addresses…

£5–7 / 1,000 words