You’ve written a novel. You’ve embarked on an epic journey. You’ve done the incredibly hard creative work of crafting characters, pitting them against challenges, and building a world for readers to enjoy.
Now, you’re ready to take that next thrilling step. Whether you’re planning to indie publish or you’re hoping to take your story to the next level, you’re searching for the right editor to face this journey alongside you.
I would love to step into this adventure with you.
As an editor, my goal is to explore the intricacies of your story, enhance its strengths, honor your storytelling vision, and offer suggestions to help your story reach its full potential as you seek to give readers a truly rich and immersive experience.
With over ten years of publishing experience to hone my storytelling skills along with editorial coursework and study, I offer the following services for fiction writers:
- Developmental/Content Edit (full manuscript)
- Copyedit (full manuscript)
- Sample Chapters Assessment
- Short Story Developmental Edit
I specialize in complex storylines, character and action driven plots, cohesive worldbuilding and immersive storyworlds across the speculative fiction genres (fantasy, dystopian, steampunk, sci-fi, etc.) but with a particular emphasis on epic fantasy.
Nothing excites me more than seeing your story become the story you dream to tell!
Developmental/Content Edit: Full Manuscript
This is a full content or big-picture edit for your manuscript focused on drawing out the unique strengths of your story. You’ve poured your heart and soul into this project, and a developmental edit offers suggestions for how to enhance each element to craft the reading experience you’re hoping for.
You will receive a 10+ page edit letter offering detailed feedback and suggested solutions for enhancing plot and conflict, character development, dialogue, worldbuilding/setting, general style issues, and pacing/overall reading experience. You will also receive comments and queries in the manuscript, and one follow-up email/call for follow up questions and brainstorming help.
This is ideal for authors who have completed multiple drafts and are seeking to level up their manuscript and for indie authors readying to publish their work.
I offer a free discovery video/phone call so we can meet, talk about the project’s needs and your storytelling vision, and ensure that we’re a good match.
- Investment: $0.025 per word
- Timeline: This varies depending on the length and needs of the manuscript and can run anywhere from 4-12 weeks.
- Genres: I specialize in the speculative fiction genres (fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, steampunk, etc.) with a particular emphasis on epic fantasy. I do not edit horror, erotica, or dark romance/explicit romantasy.
Submit an interest form to set up a discovery call or sample edit today.
Fiction Copyedit: Full Manuscript
This service is for manuscripts that have already been through a developmental edit. Instead of looking at the overal structure of the various elements of your novel, copyediting gets down into the nitty gritty details. It includes two passes through the manuscript prior to return and focuses on line-by-line continuity, inconsistencies, sentence flow, conciseness, spelling and grammar, capitalization, punctuation, typos, etc.
Because every detail matters when you’re seeking to create a seamless reading experience. And the last thing you want is for a minor inconsistency (wait … I thought he had blue eyes?) to pull a reader out of the rich experience you’ve worked so hard to create for them.
You will receive a style sheet detailing my editorial choices, in-line edits, and queries in the margins. This is ideal for authors readying to publish their work.
To get started, I offer a sample copyedit of the first three pages of your manuscript.
- Investment: $0.017 per word.
- Timeline: typically 3-5 weeks depending on the length and needs of the manuscript.
- Genres: While I specialize in the speculative fiction genres (fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, steampunk, etc.), I am open to copyediting a wide variety of genres, including contemporary, historical, mystery, suspense, etc. I do not edit horror, erotica, dark romance or explicit romantasy.
Submit an interest form to request a sample copyedit today.
Sample Chapters Assessment:
Your first three chapters are your story hook! They’re the first chapters a reader (and agent/editor) encounters. They’re your invitation for readers to enter into an intriguing story problem, immersive world, and a character they’re eager to root for. Often, if something isn’t adding up quite right in those first chapters, it may indicate a larger challenge across the story as a whole.
Which is why getting comprehensive feedback on those first three chapters can be so helpful and can kickstart your journey toward polishing your whole story.
Submit the first three chapters (limited to 12,000 words) of your manuscript for a comprehensive assessment, focused on enhancing worldbuilding, inviting readers into an immersive story and world, character introductions, plot hook, and pacing.
You will receive generalized feedback in an assessment letter, comments and queries in your manuscript, and one follow up email.
This is ideal for authors seeking to level up their manuscript after performing their own revisions or for those looking to polish up their sample chapters for pitching/submitting.
- Investment: $150
- Timeline: Typically 1-2 weeks
Short Story Developmental Edit
When you offer a short story as a lead magnet or newsletter freebie or submit one to an anthology, that short story becomes your calling card. It’s often a new reader’s first taste of your storytelling style, prose, worldbuilding, and characters. It’s a promise for what they can expect when they pick up your currently published (or soon-to-be-published) works, and a great first impression can make all the difference.
This is for short stories of up to 10,000 words – perfect for lead magnets, newsletter freebies, and anthology submissions! You will receive a comprehensive edit, focusing on character introductions, the invitation into your world and plot, and the overall pacing and reading experience.
In addition to generalized feedback in an edit letter, you will receive comments and queries in your manuscript as well as the opportunity for one follow-up email.
- Investment: $150 (up to 5000 words), $200 (5000-10,000 words)
- Longer projects can be submitted as a manuscript developmental edit.
- Timeline: Typically 1-2 weeks
What can you expect from working with me:
- Someone who will champion your work, call out strengths, and offer suggestions for enhancing each element of your story to create the reader experience you’re hoping for!
- Transparent pricing: it’s important to me that you know going in what to expect. Payment can be made through PayPal invoicing, and I request 50% prior to beginning edits and 50% upon completion for full manuscripts. For short story edits and sample chapter assessments, I request full payment prior to starting edits.
- Detailed feedback and questions: I am a very detail-focused person, and I love looking at stories from every angle. So you can expect deep questions and intricate feedback focused on enhancing a rich and immersive reader experience.
- Human edits for human stories: I do not edit works that were generated by AI. I believe in the value of your unique voice and storytelling perspective and want to encourage you in your creative pursuit.
If you have any other questions that aren’t addressed here, you can contact me here.
Testimonials
“Gillian’s assessment was so thorough and professional. She was kind and communicative, and it was a joy to receive such deep and thoughtful critiques! I feel confident that I’ve now got a clear pathway to getting my manuscript ready for querying.”
– Ruth Russ
“[Gillian] delivered feedback well within the promised timeline, her comments were tailored exactly to my needs and her insights were very helpful and well explained. I’m so grateful for this and recommend her services to any author who wants to raise the bar for their writing.”
– Liesl Reid
