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Fiction services
Are you looking for editorial support to get your novel, novella or short story one step closer to publishing? I offer line editing, copyediting and proofreading services for independent and self-publishing authors to help you shape and polish your text so that you feel confident to share it with your readers.
First of all, congratulations for persevering with your writing and creating something amazing that you are proud of and want others to enjoy. All those hours of hard work ensuring your structure is strong and coherent and your character arcs are authentic and engaging will be worth it. Now that those big picture elements are sound, you are ready for the final stages where we fine tune your writing at sentence level to ensure that your readers can experience your story at its best.
Services I Offer
Line & copyediting
Fine tuning for your finished MS
You've finished writing your story and have finalised the overall structure and shape of your narrative.
Now, I will work through your manuscript line by line to smooth the sentences and ensure flow and pace. I'll address issues, such as:
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Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.
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Plot, timeline and character inconsistencies.
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Awkward sentences and ambiguous phrasing.
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Sentence structure and word order to ensure flow and logic.
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Basic point-of-view problems.
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Appropriate level and tone for your audience.
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Repetition and redundancies.
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Inconsistent or incorrect facts e.g. dates and locations.
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Basic formatting and layout.
Proofreading
A final polish for your formatted book
You've had your manuscript edited at structural and line level, it has been formatted and is almost ready to publish.
Now, I will carefully check it for remaining errors that have been missed during editing or issues unwittingly introduced during formatting, such as:
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Typos, grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.
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Layout, formatting and typesetting issues.
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Legibility and ensuring the writing flows in a way the reader can follow.
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Consistency in style and content.
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Missing material.
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Errors in illustrative material.
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Correct cross-referencing internally and externally.
Why work with me?
We have the same goal: to give you the opportunity to tell your story the way you want it to be heard, without distractions, without misunderstandings, without confusion and in your own voice.
I aim to be the invisible support you need to help you take your readers on the journey you want. When we work together you will always retain control over whether to accept or reject any changes I suggest, with my role simply being to help you express your ideas as clearly as possible.
Still not sure? Try a free sample edit or proofread. Just send me a small section from the middle of your manuscript (approx. 1,000 words). I'll edit it for free and return it to you, so you can see how I work and feel confident that I can help you before you book my services.
How I work
I generally work in MS Word using the comments tool and track changes function for edits, as this means you can see any changes or suggestions I've made and choose to implement or ignore them. I'm also happy to use Google Docs, which also has a tracking feature. But, if you use or prefer different software just let me know and I'll see if we can work something out. For proper proofreads where final formatting is completed and only minimal intervention is required I can work on PDFs. I'm always happy to advise if you're not sure.
Along with the tracked manuscript, you will receive a style sheet from me. This handy document records all the style decisions related to your edit, including any spelling and punctuation preferences that you have, as well as a character and location description list that you can refer back to if you are writing further books in a series.
What genres?
I specialise in editing the fiction I love to read: sci-fi, fantasy, romance and horror. This way I'm as familiar as I can be with their particular genre tropes, expectations and writing styles and can offer you the most insightful help. (It also means I'm likely to get excited about your story and write lots of enthusiastic comments in your ms!) But please do get in touch if you are writing in a different genre and would like me to work on your project. I'm always happy to see if I can help and if not, I will do my best to suggest someone more suitable.
What my clients say
Kirsty's thoughtful editing preserved my voice while enriching the story, making it more vivid and compelling. Her keen attention to detail, along with her clear and insightful feedback, made a remarkable difference in the quality of my work.
Peter J. Woods, urban fantasy author
Kirsty is an absolute pleasure and joy to work with. She’s worked on a few books for us and not only do I highly recommend her, but the authors were also very happy with her work.
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