Professional critique and precision editing
Treat your manuscript to an editing deep dive and get comprehensive, constructive feedback on your writing. From surface-level sentence structure tweaks to broad view advice on your plotting and characterisation, this is the full whammy of critique services!
There’s nothing I love more than getting down to the nitty gritty of someone’s story, which means I’ll give your manuscript my full attention, helping you to prune, develop, improve and strengthen your writing on every level.
I’m experienced in working with short fiction writers and novelists over a whole range of genres, as well as non-fiction, memoir and academic authors. So whether you just want fresh eyes on a piece of flash fiction, a full manuscript edit, or some guidance on a submissions package, I want to read your words!
What is in-depth editing & critique?
My in-depth editing and critique services include detailed on-page line-editing along with a comprehensive written critique and the option of a one-to-one follow-up.
You’ll get a thorough line-edit from start to finish, with comments and suggestions, notes on structure, characterisation, pacing and narrative voice, as well as a full written report containing a broad overview of your story with tangible, practical advice on how to move forward.
This thorough level of editing is suitable for writers who have a solid draft under their belt and are looking for support in developing their work to a publishable standard. I will analyse and edit your work closely to help improve your writing on a technical level, as well as delving deep into your narrative to ensure you’re making the absolute best of your story and skills.
You’ll emerge with a detailed edit, full of tips and pointers on how to proceed, gentle nudges and questions to get you thinking deeper about your story, and an objective perspective on your manuscript as a whole. My aim is to help you feel as confident, empowered and motivated as possible — to harness your strengths and challenge yourself to reach new depths in your writing!
Once you’ve received your critique, you’ll also have the opportunitiy to discuss your feedback via email (for shorter work) or a one-to-one video call (for longer work), ask any further questions, and chat about your next steps.
Why work with me?
I have 15 years’ experience helping writers to develop, edit and improve their work, and I have been teaching creative writing for over a decade. I’ve worked with thousands of authors, at every level of experience and every stage of the process — from early drafts and burgeoning ideas to developmental brainstorming and final draft tweaks. I’m an award-winning novelist, short fiction author, playwright and screenwriter and have devised hundreds of writing courses and workshops over the years. But most of all, I love helping other writers to find their way and feel confident about their work. :)
Oh, and these fine folk have some pretty nice things to say about me, too:
How much does it cost?
For flash fiction and short fiction up to 5,000 words, you can grab an off-the-shelf editing and feedback package right here!
For novels and longer-form work, please get in touch for a quote. Every project is different, and every project will have different requirements, so I will need to see a sample of your manuscript and discuss what you’re hoping to get out of the review before I can give you an accurate quote. This will be based on the time involved and the depth of editing/feedback required.
My fees are guided by the CIEP’s minimum suggested rates and a per 1000 word base rate. Fees can be negotiated according to your budget, and payment can also be made in instalments if necessary.
What kind of writing do I edit?
Whatever words you’ve got, I wanna see ‘em! But mostly people send me the following types of writing for in-depth editing:
Novels
Memoirs
Novellas
Short fiction collections (including novellas-in-flash)
Short stories
Extracts from longer work
Dissertations
Non-fiction books
Agent submission packages (eg: query letter, synopsis, sample pages)
How does the process work?
‘The first step is to get in touch to tell me more about your writing and what kind of editing or feedback you’re looking for. We can then discuss your options and you can send me a short sample of your work so I can get an idea of where you’re at and what approach might be most useful for you. We can also arrange a free 15 minute call or Zoom if you’d rather talk things over ‘face to face’.
Next, I will then provide you with a no-obligation quote based on your requirements. For manuscript-length work, payment needs to be made before work can commence, due to the time commitment involved. I accept payment via BACS or PayPal (handling fees may apply for writers outside the UK).
For full-length manuscripts, I aim to complete the review/edit within 4-6 weeks. Short stories and shorter work can be turned around in 2-4 weeks. And of course, if you’re on a deadline or aiming for a submission date then please let me know and I’ll do my best to fit your schedule!
When the edit is complete you will receive a marked up copy of your document with plenty of comments, questions and suggestions, along with an in-depth written report that covers all aspects of your writing, including structure, characterisation, pacing, narrative style, grammar and punctuation, and any other specific areas you’ve flagged up for feedback.
Once you’ve had time to read over the edit, the final (optional) step is to discuss the feedback with me - either via email (for shorter work) or via an optional one-to-one 1hr Zoom call or phone call (for full-length manuscripts). This is an opportunity for you to ask any further questions, clarify anything you’re not sure of, bounce around ideas, and make a plan for your next steps.
To book, or if you have any other questions, please get in touch via the form below.
Book an in-depth edit & critique
Tell me a bit more about your writing and what kind of support you’re looking for:
More testimonials…
“I can't recommend Jo’s editing service highly enough. The feedback I received on my query package was detailed, thorough and framed in a way that was both thought-provoking and encouraging, getting me to consider how I could strengthen what was already on the page and providing a clear path towards achieving that goal. Following a written report which included both big-picture comments and sentence-level in-line suggestions, the query package also included a one-hour Zoom chat with Jo who provided additional thoughts and answered all my questions in a really accessible way. If you are working on a novel, this is definitely something to strongly consider. And if you're working on shorter fiction, I am certain that the other editorial options available are equally as golden.”
— Matt K
“Jo has had a profound impact on my writing. Her wise words have steered me to be better, and her empathy and responsiveness is remarkable. I recommend her whole-heartedly.”
"I have had the pleasure of working with Jo on my recent book, The Oxygen Advantage. I have no qualms in saying that Jo has been the best editor that I have ever worked with. She added a creative flair to the writing, making it digestible for the everyday reader. She followed the brief, delivering on time and providing feedback and insight where she could. She is a consummate professional and I have no hesitation recommending Jo for any editorial work - book, article or websites." — Patrick McKeown, CEO and founder of The Oxygen Advantage
“Your feedback was more detailed and helpful than four years at uni. I’ll definitely be back with more words.”
“Thank you so much for your comments — you pinpointed all the places that I too was a bit uncertain about. I've really appreciated your advice. it was well worth the money!”
— Elaine C
“Jo offered really constructive and helpful advice on where to pare things back and where to strengthen things. Two things which sound deceptively simple, but in reality are not. It requires the person doing the critique to have a hold on the world that you have built and the characters that inhabit that world, whilst simultaneously ‘getting’ you as a writer. I loved speaking to Jo — it felt like I was talking to a good friend despite the fact that we had only really communicated via email before that first critique. The advice she offered was constructive, but it was more than that; it felt like she truly cared about my writing, my characters and my story, as if she was rooting for all of us from the side-lines. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Jo’s services again.
When you are trying to find your way it can feel difficult and awkward showing your work to others, but my fears were quickly set aside as Jo is so warm, enthusiastic and genuine in her responses. Feedback can be so hard to receive, and I almost always come away from it feeling bruised and needing ‘processing’ time, however after Jo’s I felt confident — in myself and in the writing ahead.”