Fiction Authors
If you’ve never worked with an editor before, you may not know what your book needs – a manuscript critique? A copy-edit? Don’t worry. I will ask you questions about your book, and your hopes and dreams for it, then assess your manuscript and suggest what it needs. You can trust me to make the changes that will allow your words to soar. I want you to be delighted with my edits, to feel that your work is still yours but perfected. Polished. Ready to fly.
I work with self-publishing authors and publishers, helping authors to refine their words while retaining their voice. I enjoy working with writers who want to hone their craft – and authors say they enjoy working with me. I’m also a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Some clients whose words I help to soar…
Auzou Books, Bloodhound Books, Head of Zeus, Bonnier Zaffre, Headline, HarperCollins, Hot Key Books, Little, Brown, One Third Books, Quercus Books, Schofield & Sims, Welbeck Publishing, Osiris Educational, Troika…
My services
- Copy-editing
- Proofreading
- Mini-edit – an in-depth edit of the first 10,000 words of your book, using Word’s Track changes and Comments. Here I point out errors and show you ways to resolve them. You can then apply this knowledge to the rest of your book, learning more about your craft as you go – and reducing the amount you will have to spend on copy-editing.
- Manuscript appraisal: I read your book, go away and think about it and make notes on it, then write a report on its strengths and weaknesses. An appraisal is the first editorial process in publishing your book. It looks at the ‘bigger picture’ issues of plot, pace, characterisation, point of view and setting. It comes before copy-editing.
Does your project need to be copy-edited or proofread?
What’s the difference between editing and proofreading? See editing and proofreading guidance on the CIEP website.
How much will it cost?
Every project is different. I need to see your manuscript so I can give you an accurate quotation. I offer a short sample edit, free of charge, so you can see the level of changes I’d suggest. This way, you know how I work and can decide whether we will work well together.
My rates align with the CIEP’s suggested minimum rates.
Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
‘Jane took on my beefy middle-grade thriller and went through it with real care. She adjusted the text to house style and suggested alternatives where my writing was clunky. More importantly, she raised important points that I had missed, being so close to it for so long. With her suggestions for clarification or embellishment, I went through it again, seeing how it could be improved – cut in some places, fleshed out in others. As a result, the story is now sharper and clearer, and I’m extremely grateful for her expert eye.’
‘Jane’s approach to story-telling and line-editing is precise. If you’ve ever had those niggling doubts about elements in your manuscript you can’t quite put your finger on, Jane has the unerring ability to home in on these and offer assistance to rid them from your work. The result is a manuscript that is much tighter, more coherent, and far more enjoyable to read.’
‘I find it hard to express how grateful I am to have found Jane to work with. My stories would not be what they are without her input and experience. Any writer who finds her will be lucky indeed! She has taught me so much.’
‘Jane did an excellent job of copy-editing the Special Forces Cadets series, ensuring consistency throughout the series and making structural suggestions as well as line edits.’
‘Jane completed an incredibly thorough edit of my middle-grade fantasy novel. She made suggested improvements which ranged from small technical corrections and stylistic tweaks to highlighting inconsistencies and ambiguities in the characters and underlying plot. After I implemented the suggested changes, Jane took the time to respond to my queries and read through the text again. She was very positive about my project, criticism was always constructive, and she was easy to contact throughout the process. I’d have no hesitation in approaching her to work on future projects.’
‘We rely on freelancers, and when the time comes to copyedit, the concerns are chiefly timing and budget – I know from working with her that Jane is completely reliable on both counts. As a fiction copyeditor, her queries and suggestions are invariably sound (and expressed with unusual tact), which makes for a happy working relationship when shared with the author – and definitely a better story.’
‘Jane was amazing from the first day I contacted her. This is my first book, and she showed genuine interest in helping me to make it as good as it could be.
‘Through her guidance and navigation, she showed me where my plot, characters and narrative could be tweaked to make them better. Her attention to detail is second to none, and she has given so much time to ensuring that she missed nothing out.
‘I did two edits with her – a manuscript appraisal and a copyedit – and I can safely say that my novel is so much better than the first edit I sent her. She’s kept my voice and direction, but highlighted problematic areas to strengthen. I have learned so much from Jane during this process, and I am so glad I asked her to help me. I would thoroughly recommend Jane to anyone looking for an editor.’