Writing Advisors
Different Writing Advisors have different speeds and styles of editing, depending on their expertise and natural affinity with certain projects. Therefore, the Writing Advisor you choose to work with is very much a personal choice.
This will also mean that the cost will be different, as the sample edit/proofread stage is used as a way of the Writing Advisors calculating a speed for editing/proofreading that particular manuscript (based on a wpm - words per minute) and this dictates the cost. If you'd like price comparison between different Writing Advisors, you would need to request multiple sample edits (one would be free, as part of the process, and the others charged at £21.40 per additional sample edit/proofread), so you can then make an informed decision about whose style you prefer and the corresponding cost.
Please note that your free sample edit/proofread is just to give you an idea of what sort of feedback you would receive in the editorial stage. You do not need to respond to any of the feedback provided at this stage as this will not be being implemented.
Their availability changes daily, as we have authors confirming projects all the time and we are only able to get projects booked in for publication once we have received initial payment and signed Terms & Conditions. If you are particularly fussed on publication date, you may prefer to have the sample feedback carried out by a specific Writing Advisor, who may have sooner availability.
Please note: Writing Advisors will accept a variety of genres, not just those in their 'preferred genres'! They will only not work with the genres listed in their 'genres to avoid'.
This will also mean that the cost will be different, as the sample edit/proofread stage is used as a way of the Writing Advisors calculating a speed for editing/proofreading that particular manuscript (based on a wpm - words per minute) and this dictates the cost. If you'd like price comparison between different Writing Advisors, you would need to request multiple sample edits (one would be free, as part of the process, and the others charged at £21.40 per additional sample edit/proofread), so you can then make an informed decision about whose style you prefer and the corresponding cost.
Please note that your free sample edit/proofread is just to give you an idea of what sort of feedback you would receive in the editorial stage. You do not need to respond to any of the feedback provided at this stage as this will not be being implemented.
Their availability changes daily, as we have authors confirming projects all the time and we are only able to get projects booked in for publication once we have received initial payment and signed Terms & Conditions. If you are particularly fussed on publication date, you may prefer to have the sample feedback carried out by a specific Writing Advisor, who may have sooner availability.
Please note: Writing Advisors will accept a variety of genres, not just those in their 'preferred genres'! They will only not work with the genres listed in their 'genres to avoid'.
Ellie Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: Yes Will Only Work On: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, and projects by retained authors Services Offered: Copyediting, Proofreading, Developmental Editing, and Editorial Assessment Favourite books: A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie, Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko What I look for in a manuscript: 'Strong prose is a must for me - writing that is tight and vivid and doesn't waste words - and when editing I make sure to focus on this. But whether I truly love a book always comes down to the characters; if your characters feel like real, messy people who make mistakes as much as they succeed, then chances are I'll love them and their story. Personally, I have a lot of fondness for books with a dark or gothic touch, and I'm always up for something bleak or bittersweet that will leave me feeling depressed for the rest of the day, but if your writing and characters are working, you can sell me on pretty much anything.' 
Matt Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: Yes Preferred Genres: Fantasy, horror, sci-fi, thrillers/crime, historical adventure, mystery Genres to Avoid: Romance, children’s books, poetry Services Offered: Copyediting and proofreading Favourite books: Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series, Philip Fracassi’s A Child alone with Strangers, Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor series What I look for in a manuscript: 'While I help to rid your manuscript of misspellings, ambiguity, and any other snags that disrupt the reading experience, I’m not a tutting, steadfast sticker; I’m a fan of – and encourage – a little creative rule-breaking, as long as it serves the writing. Your words and style will be treated with the kindness and respect they deserve. Story-wise, give me complex, multifaceted characters I can root for. Ones who are unpredictable. Ones who make me laugh one moment and shiver the next. I want to feel the cast’s ups and downs, struggles and joys – the whole emotional spectrum along their journey. I also love being caught by surprise, whether that’s by a quirky turn of phrase or a unique magic system.' 
Josh
Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: Yes Preferred Genres: Literary fiction, fantasy and sci-fi, mystery and thriller, historical fiction and non-fiction, anything speculative or experimental Genres to Avoid: Memoir, sport, business, theology Services Offered: Copyediting, proofreading, Developmental Editing, Editorial Assessment, Cover Letter Writing Favourite books: House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark, Pond by Claire Louise Bennet, The City and the City by China Miéville, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, Sheep's Clothing by Celia Dale What I look for in a manuscript: 'I'm always looking for writing that feels fresh. Whether that's a character I haven't met before, a plot that defies guesswork, or a structure that experiments with our expectations of what a novel should be. Beyond that, when I read someone's work I want to feel their love for writing in every line. If you were obsessed writing it, I'll be obsessed reading it.' |
Alison B Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: Yes Preferred genres: Crime fiction, psychological thriller, cosy mystery, romance, historical romance, women’s fiction, speculative fiction, dystopian fiction, urban fantasy, sci-fi; medical, life sciences, memoir, business, self-help Genres to Avoid: Poetry, high fantasy Services Offered: Copyediting and Proofreading Favourite books: The Blind Assassin, Notes On A Scandal, Wolf Hall, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things What I look for in a manuscript: 'A sense of mystery about something or someone that keeps me reading; evidence that the author loves words but hasn’t just swallowed a thesaurus; evidence that the author knows their characters well' 
Lila Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: No Preferred Genres: Women's fiction, romance, suspense, thriller, low fantasy Genres to Avoid: High fantasy, hard/high sci-fi, historical fiction, non-fiction Services Offered: Proofreading Favourite books: Anything by Elin Hilderbrand, Taylor Jenkins Reid, or Emily Henry What I look for in a manuscript: 'An interesting story set in contemporary times. If the story has romance, suspense, or a little magic in it, I'm excited. A bit of humor helps as well!' |
Jaide Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: Yes Preferred Genres: For fiction, fantasy, mystery/thriller, romance, and children's picture & chapter books. For non-fiction, theology/philosophy, memoir Genres to Avoid: Self-help Services Offered: Copyediting, Proofreading, Ghostwriting, Developmental Editing, Editorial Assessment, and Writing Advisor support Favourite books: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, My Life in France by Julia Child What I look for in a manuscript: 'Heart, humour and great characterisation.' 
Alison J Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Member?: No Preferred Genres: Cosy mystery, thriller, police procedural, romance, sci-fi. Genres to Avoid: Erotica, horror Services Offered: Copyediting, Proofreading, Ghostwriting, Editorial Assessment and Developmental Editing, Copywriting Favourite books: Anything by JK Rowling; anything by Charles Dickens; Wuthering Heights What I look for in a manuscript: 'A strong storyline with believable characters. If either needs development, I can certainly help with that, but the creative genius always comes from the author.' |
