Fiction Editing services
Manuscript Critiques
Manuscript critiques involve a read through of your completed manuscript. Critiques focus on your story, characters and writing technique. Genre, voice, pacing and audience are also assessed.
While a critique doesn’t involve in-document editing, you will be provided with a detailed report. It will identify and outline your strengths and weaknesses, and you’ll know what you need to work on to get your story to a polished level.
Benefits of a Manuscript Critique
Most bang for your buck
Rather than paying for a full-scale edit – which your story might not be ready for – a Manuscript Critique is the most cost effective way to quickly find out:
- what you’re already doing right!
- if your story arc is complete
- whether your characters are growing and developing as they should
- what writing techniques you need to scrub up on
- how much more work is ahead of you
Perfect For
New Writers
Particularly if you haven’t had anyone look over your writing before
1st or 2nd Draft Manuscripts
To get some perspective and feedback after you’ve done the initial work. After doing the amazing work of completing a manuscript, it’s good to have a fresh, expert eye take a look at your story before you move onto polishing.
Those wondering if they're ready to submit
A manuscript critique will quickly identify if you’re ready to start submitting to agents and publishers, and if not, what you need to do to get there.
Those not ready to tackle a full-scale edit
Engaging an editor for an in-depth fiction edit is a scary and rigorous process. Manuscript critiques are a great way to dip your toes in the water.
Intensive Editing
This could also be described as coaching or mentoring. This editing looks at small chunks of work, usually 1-3 chapters at a time.
You’ll get an indepth edit, as well as mentoring along the way. You’ll learn the techniques of fiction writing as we polish your manuscript.
What you learn from one chapter, you apply to the next chapter before submitting it for editing. This means you’ll need less and less editing as you go along – which will help keep your costs down.
Benefits of Intensive Editing
Flexible Process
We can stop and start the process whenever you like! No minimum commitments.
Cost Decreases as you Go Along
The cost of editing each chapter goes down as you apply what you’ve learnt from previous chapter’s edits.
One-on-One Coaching
Rather than taking a fiction writing class, you’ll get personalised coaching in all areas of fiction techniques. And you’ll get a polished manuscript at the end!
Perfect For
New Writers
If you’re still learning techniques like showing vs telling, over-explanation, correct dialoguing and point-of-view, this is the perfect place for you to start.
Partial or 1st Draft Manuscripts
As we go through your manuscript you’ll not only polish the writing elements, but we’ll uncover and work through any story and plot issues.
Those who need extra encouragement
Sometimes it’s hard to motivate yourself to improve, and quite often you just don’t know where to start. Just like with personal training, intensive editing helps you focus in order to get those results.
In addition to having excellent editing skills, Helen is using the editing process to teach me to become a better writer. I find her to be encouraging and flexible. She doesn’t just edit what I sent her. She helps me think through what I want to write, for whom, and why, and then is very creative about exploring options to figure out the best ways to accomplish my different goals.
Ready to take your best shot at publishing?
Get in touch and let’s discuss how to help your books sell!