making good stories great
If you’re looking for an editor who can help you take your book to the next level then you’ve come to the right place
Editing
Why Do Books Need Editing?
Every book, no matter how great, needs editing.
The books you grab off the shelf in bookstores have been through many rounds of edits before they ever see the light of day, and your book deserves the same loving attention.
Book editing is vital for improving the reader experience. The most important thing your novel needs to do is grab the reader’s attention and hold it, and we can facilitate that process by eliminating things that break a reader’s sense of immersion.
This is done on several levels:
- We edit the structure of the story to sure the story makes sense and is compelling and satisfying for the reader
- We edit the prose to make sure it’s working efficiently and effectively and doing enough heavy lifting
- We polish the prose so that minor details such as spelling and grammar don’t interfere with the reader experience
The main two phases of book editing are developmental editing and polishing. The development phase occurs when you are still making changes to the story’s structure and content (the writing and images.) The polishing phases begin once you are certain no more changes will be made to the book.
My Services
My editing service is a substantive edit, it includes both a developmental edit AND a line edit in one.
In addition to my feedback in a Word document with Tracked Changes you will also receive an editorial letter summarizing your books strengths and where there is room for improvement.
In addition to that you also receive a 1 hour Zoom call in which you can discuss any book or writing related issues that you wish
Developmental Edit
Focuses on areas such as; plot and character, dialogue, internal story consistency and character motivation, weak areas, plot holes and pacing. It asks the question ‘how can we make this a more compelling story?”
plus Line Edit
Focuses on the prose and the way that you use language, rather than story structure. Do your sentences flow? Is the imagery fresh and vivid? Are your word choices in keeping with the tone of the novel? A line editor also looks for; redundant information, overused words, run-on sentences, & so on
plus Editorial Report
Covers your story's strengths and areas that could be improved. Also includes tips and strategies to make the suggested changes. Your manuscript will be returned to you with Tracked Changes where you can view and either accept or reject my feedback line by line
plus Zoom Call
This is your time to discuss anything writing-related. You might want to discuss my feedback further, or brainstorm plot points and world building. Or perhaps you want to talk about the craft and business of writing in general. It's your hour and you can use it however you wish
Lets Collaborate!
Why Work With Me?
Just like you, I’m a writer.
I started my writing journey with a dream and not much else. I had zero experience, zero writing friends, and zero ideas on how to start. Since 2012, I have dedicated myself to mastering everything I can about the business AND the craft of writing.
I’m on a mission to empower modern authors.
I want to help writers stop feeling helpless when it comes to writing and publishing.
I’m a member of several writing and critique groups, such as Scifantor and Vision Writers Brisbane. I’ve attended countless seminars and lectures on the craft of writing and learnt from some of the greatest modern authors and agents.
I attended a Writing Excuses cruise which was a fantastic opportunity to hear lectures from writers and agents, such as Brandon Sanderson, Mary-Robinette Kowal, Howard Taylor, Dan Wells, Piper J Drake, Amal El-Mohtar and Dongwon Song.
I won a scholarship to attend Futurescapes in the USA
The Futurescapes workshop is highly competitive. Places are offered to people whose writing is on the cusp of a professional standard or higher, and you must submit an example of your work as part of your application process.
Attending Futurescapes provided me with the rare opportunity to workshop my manuscript (as well as hobnob) with some amazing authors, editors and agents, such as:
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question? You might find the answer below
I take 50% upfront to confirm and hold your booking slot. The remainder is due prior to me sending you the completed manuscript and editorial letter
You will receive a Word document back with Marked Up changes and edits in it. You can review these in Word and accept or reject the changes as you see fit
Sorry, no. It can get very complicated managing multiple part payments from multiple people.
Yes, of course. Things happen, and life gets busy. You can push back your editing slot as many times as you need.
Goodness, no! I know some people aren’t comfortable talking to strangers, or their schedules are too busy.
But if you do want to chat to me about your feedback, or anything writing related, then the hour is there for you to use as you please
You can pay me wither via direct transfer or PayPal, details below:
PayPal:
https://paypal.me/TheSuccesfulWriter
Direct Transfer:
ANZBAU3M
BSB: 014125
Acc: 330302626