Fiction developmental editing

Developmental editing is like tending the whole garden; shaping the layout, ensuring everything grows in the right place, pruning what doesn’t serve the bigger picture, and helping strong ideas take root. It focuses on structure, story flow, characters, pacing, and theme, among others. 

Copyediting is more like caring for individual plants; removing weeds, trimming edges, deadheading what’s past its best, and ensuring each part of the garden (text) looks healthy, balanced and vibrant. It covers grammar, punctuation, clarity and style. 

In short, developmental editing shapes the story, and copyediting refines the language.  

PLEASE NOTE: I don’t provide copyediting or proofreading services for fictional work. 

Both. I welcome first-time authors. I work with native English speakers, particularly women with something compelling to share with the world.

Literary fiction, dystopian and cyberpunk works. You’re in good company here if you love classics authors like George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury and Philip K Dick, and marvel at the work of contemporary authors, such as Kazuo Ishiguro, J G Ballard, Chuck Palahniuk and Veronica Roth. To name a few. 

If you’re inspired by literary authors including (but not exclusive to) Samantha Harvey, Daniel Mason, David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami and Catherine Chidgey, our working relationship will spark. 

Your manuscript is ready for editing when you’ve taken it as far as you can on your own. That usually means: 

  • You’ve completed a full draft (even if it’s rough in places) 
  • You’ve re-read it and made some self-edits or revisions 
  • You know something’s not working, but can’t quite pinpoint what 
  • You’re too close to the work to see it clearly 
  • You’re ready for constructive, objective feedback to help it grow 

You don’t need to have it perfect, just complete.  

See my services page for what is covered in a developmental edit, including editorial reports. 

A 30-minute discovery call is essential to determine if we’re a good fit and want to work together. We’ll talk about your vision, goals and needs, and how I can help. I’ll also ask you to complete a pre-project questionnaire so we have a record of what you want to achieve. This will be a handy tool we can refer back to whenever we need to.  

I offer a free sample edit of up to 500 words to help us both decide. This includes tracked changes and brief feedback. Longer samples or assessments can be arranged at a nominal fee. 

Yes, please see my services page for more details. In a nutshell, you can choose how deep you wish your feedback to be. 

Services are charged per word and by project. Ballpark pricing is listed alongside each service on that page. I will request a full copy of your manuscript to design an appropriate quote, especially for extensive work. 

I work with Microsoft Word documents, using tracked changes, and editable PDFs.  

Health and wellbeing business copywriting, copyediting and proofreading 

Copywriting, copyediting and proofreading each serve a different purpose in the content process. Copywriting is the creation of engaging, purposeful content from scratch, whether it’s search engine optimised (SEO) for a website, a blog article or a newsletter.

Copyediting takes a prewritten draft and refines it to improve clarity, flow and tone while correcting grammar and ensuring consistency.

Proofreading is the final check before publishing. It focuses on spotting surface errors like typos, punctuation slips and formatting issues. Together, they help ensure your message is clear, polished and ready to resonate.

Newsletters, blog articles, optimised web content, trend reports, or similar. Check out my services page for a more detailed breakdown.

Absolutely. Preserving your voice and tone is a key part of the editing process. My goal is to enhance clarity, flow and impact without losing the unique style that makes your content yours. When your voice is authentic, the message is more effective. It could be warm and conversational or professional and precise, I adapt to your style.

Yes! Website copy should always be optimised. As part of my website copywriting service, I provide a keywords report to ensure you’re effectively targeting the customers you want to attract and retain, aligned with their search intent and needs.

A timeline will depend on the scope and complexity of your project, but I’ll always give you a clear estimate before we begin. Smaller copywriting or editing tasks may take just a few days, while larger projects like optimised website copy, a blog series, or in-depth edits can take a week or more.

If you’re working to a specific deadline, just let me know. I’ll always do my best to accommodate your timeline or suggest a realistic turnaround that works for both of us. Clear communication and careful scheduling are all part of the process.

I work with Microsoft Word documents, using tracked changes, and editable PDFs.  

Yes. I make edits using tracked changes in Word or use annotations in editable PDFs. I also place suggestions as comments in these documents. Yes. I make edits using tracked changes in Word or use annotations in editable PDFs. I also place suggestions as comments in these documents.

Yes, if you are a native English speaker.

Book a free discovery call so we can discuss what you need and see if we’re a good fit.