I offer three editorial services for fiction authors.
MENTORING
If you’re finding it hard to get started on your novel, and are either spending your days staring at a blank screen or consistently hitting the ‘delete’ key, maybe it’s time to get a little help to get the cogs turning. I can assist you to get those first valuable words onto the page whilst giving you constructive advice to enable you to move forward with more knowledge and confidence.
Perhaps you’re a seasoned author but are struggling with a particular scene, or with a ‘flat’ character. Do you need a subplot but don’t know where to begin? Are you unhappy with your chapter endings, or concerned your story doesn’t start in the correct place?
If there’s one little hurdle you need to overcome, you may just need an hour of my time. But if you’re looking for guidance, encouragement and support during the entire writing process, perhaps weekly or monthly contact would be better for you.
EDITORIAL CRITIQUE
If you have a completed first draft, and you feel you have a good story on your hands but you know there’s room for improvement, this is for you. I’ll read your entire manuscript and send you a detailed report offering my suggestions and advice in order for you to take your novel to the next level. It’s an in depth analysis where I’ll be looking at lots of things including the plot, structure, characters, dialogue, tension, pace, setting, and POV misuse, to name just a few.
FULL EDIT
When you’re happy with your manuscript, and you’re confident you’ve done everything you can, you need a professional edit before publication. My process begins with a complete read through to enable me to get a grasp of your story and your voice. Next, I go through the manuscript again looking for any problems with plot, structure, characters, dialogue, tension, pace, setting, and POV misuse, to name just a few. Alongside this, I check for repetition of words and phrases, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, and any inconsistencies. This is where I’ll pick up on the improbability of ‘bare branches reaching to the sky’ on page four when it’s ‘a hot August morning’ on page five. I’m meticulous, so if your protagonist’s eyes turn from brown to blue, I’ll spot it. I use Microsoft Word’s ‘Track Changes’ and, line by line, make corrections and highlight areas that need improvement, adding comments in the sidebar. As well as a professionally edited manuscript, you’ll also receive a detailed report to assist you with your writing in the future.
Please take a few moments to check out some of the reviews on my testimonials page, a place where the words of some of the wonderful authors I’ve worked with have not been edited. And make sure you check out the FAQ page where, hopefully, some of your questions will be answered.