Fiction Editing Services
Thoughtful editing for beguiling stories
There is a lot of advice out there about what makes for a good story. Lots of it might be helpful, but you will almost certainly find things that are all wrong for you, too. You’re not alone—and it can be easy to get lost in the weeds of writing advice. The truth is, there is no simple set of rules to follow when it comes to writing and revising. Every story, every author, works a little bit differently.
Below is a menu of options for fiction editing. With each of these offerings, I will work collaboratively with you in the way that best fits your story, your voice, and your intentions.
If none of these are quite right, bespoke services can be tailored to your needs—get in touch!
Discovery draft review
This service is for very early or partial drafts. When you have ideas pinging all over the place—a story that is actually three plots in a trench coat, a cast of characters that keeps morphing, a setting that can’t decide if it’s an underground bunker or a generation ship to Mars—discovery draft review is here to help. I’ll provide analysis of the strengths of the story so far, highlight the most promising directions the manuscript could take, and suggest ways to develop those elements. You’ll take away a written review containing your next steps to a compelling story.
Developmental editing/Manuscript evaluation
When your manuscript is completed and you are ready for some outside eyes on it, developmental editing is your first stop. This edit is focused on the big picture elements of your draft: narrative structure, point of view, characterisation, setting, plot, and the essential beating heart of your story. A developmental edit includes a written report as well as in-manuscript comments; a manuscript evaluation is just the report. Choose what works best for you!
Line and copy editing
A close read of your manuscript at the sentence level, a line edit is for flow, clarity, narrative voice, tone, and mood. Copy editing also focuses on sentences but is more technical, looking at spelling, grammar, usage, consistency, and continuity. Editor Kia Thomas articulated these two types of editing perfectly: “Copy editing makes the sentences easier to read. Line editing makes the moment harder to forget.”
Revision feedback and support
What happens after you have received your editorial feedback? I recommend a period of staring out the window, and then: revision. At this stage you can certainly head off into the wilderness of revision on your own—I believe in you! However, many authors opt to have some support throughout the process. You can choose your own adventure here: we will customize something that meets your needs, ranging from regular check-ins to one-off support sessions as challenges crop up. Revision feedback and support is story-based, with just a soupçon of coaching. If you are looking for more in-depth author coaching (at any stage of the writing process) see the recommendations below.
A NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF THE TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS I WORK ON:
Genre — speculative, sci-fi and fantasy, mystery, literary, romance, and hybrid fiction/memoir. Stories that cross genres or do not fit neatly into genre categories are also very welcome.
Form — novels, books in a series, and short fiction of any variety (short stories, novellas, novelettes, that weird essay you wrote that time that turned into something that might be a prose poem).
Looking for author coaching?
Allow me to recommend some of my favourite people:
Beth Wright at Wright for Writers (also check out Beth for publishing consulting)
Eliot West at Eliot West Editorial
Laura Burge at Literary Laura
Sam Keir at Keir Editing & Writing Services
Dayna M. Reidenouer at Your Publishing BFF
Some fiction I always recommend:
And What Can We Offer You Tonight
by Premee Mohamed
Gaudy Night
by Dorothy L. Sayers
Not for Use in Navigation
by Iona Datt Sharma
Kitchen
by Banana Yoshimoto