Helping you to tell your story in the best way possible
Relax! You’ve done the hard work, so now it’s time to let someone else help. If you’re looking for a careful and supportive editor to enhance your voice and give your writing a professional edge, enabling you to share and publish with confidence, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’ve just completed your first manuscript or you’re a more experienced writer, I can help you to tell your story in the best way possible.
I specialise in fiction and creative non-fiction. Maybe you plan to submit to agents or self-publish, or your writing takes a different form; either way, I can offer a flexible solution based on your individual requirements, priorities and budget.
Rest assured that any amendments and suggestions will be clearly marked up for you to either accept or reject. It’s always your work – you have complete control. My role is to help you connect with your readers in an engaging and accessible way, without altering your unique style or voice. And my aim is to help you become a better writer. Think of it as a collaboration, where I have your best interests at heart.
'Nicky is a fantastic, affirming, precise, and constructive developmental and line editor. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her now on two books over the course of a few years, and was astounded by her memory of small details about the main character that even I had forgotten.
‘Developmental editing is an art involving a high level of expertise, skill, and alchemy. Nicky has it all. It’s rare to find someone who can so easily move between a narrative arc and small – but vital – details, especially in a mystery novel. Her stylistic edits make your prose flow with ease, and her comments always teach you something in the process. I highly recommend giving your next manuscript to Nicky so she can work her magic!’
Developmental editing, also known as structural or substantive editing, addresses the big-picture issues and looks at how successfully your book works as a whole. Is your plot plausible? Are your characters believable? Does your story drag at times? Is the structure coherent? Does it match reader expectations?
A developmental edit looks at your work objectively and offers constructive feedback on its strengths and weaknesses, providing suggestions for development and improvement in the form of an in-depth editorial report and comments throughout the manuscript.
This is editing at sentence level. Line editing – also known as stylistic editing – focuses on style, rhythm and flow. Copy editing concentrates on technical accuracy, consistency and clarity. My approach is non-prescriptive and in tune with your writing style and intentions.
I offer a combination of line and copy editing balanced according to the individual needs of the manuscript. A line and copy edit will refine your writing and sharpen your narrative. It will also iron out any ambiguity, exposition, unnatural dialogue, repetition, redundancy and awkward syntax, as well as ensuring consistency.
In an ideal world, a developmental edit would be followed by a line and copy edit. That’s not financially viable for everyone, so I’ve designed a service that combines developmental editing and line and copy editing.
Combined editing is a two-stage process, enabling you to make revisions before they are edited. It isn’t a substitute for individual rounds of developmental and line editing, but it will go a long way towards getting your manuscript as good as it can possibly be, at a more affordable price and in less time.
I can help you with editorial consultancy in a variety of areas, such as:
- self-publishing vs traditional publishing
- coaching for writers
- work-in-progress feedback
- creating a house style guide or series bible
- submissions, agent query letters and synopses
- help with revise and resubmit (R&R) requests
- back cover blurbs and author biographies
- cover feedback
- audiobook proofing
I’m an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), which means I’ve achieved the requisite amount of training, experience and expertise to satisfy their rigorous admissions panel, and a vetted Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), so you can be confident that your work is in safe hands.
What authors say . . .
‘After several years of writing and rewriting my first crime thriller novel, I had reached an impasse. Hiring Nicky to do a combined edit was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. To anyone out there who is looking for an editor, you couldn’t be in a better or safer pair of hands.’
‘After a couple of years working on my fifth novel, I had lost track of what I was trying to achieve. Nicky appeared to understand the book better than I did, and she gave me the encouragement, suggestions and practical solutions I needed for tackling the subsequent edit.’
‘I had never imagined how much work would be involved converting my relatively crude manuscript into something that looks professional, and I can’t thank Nicky enough. As a result of her input and comments, I am supremely confident I have a much better book.’
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