The short answer is no. The long answer is that there are many levels of editing: Developmental editing, line editing, copyediting and proofreading. Developmental editing deals with big picture issues, such as character development and story arc. Although I don't offer developmental editing, I do provide manuscript evaluations. These are less invasive and much more cost-effective when working within a budget, offering guidance on what's working and where to improve. Line editing improves sentence structure, pacing and logical flow. Copyediting is more technical and improves clarity and consistency. Having worked on many books, I find it's rare to work on a manuscript where line and copyediting don't overlap. This is why I combined line and copyediting into one service, so you get more bang for your buck. Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process and deals with ONLY definitive errors. This includes slips such as spelling mistakes, typos, punctuation errors, capitalisation confusion and inconsistent formatting. This is NOT the time to make any major changes to the manuscript. Proofreading is the last time your manuscript will have expert eyes on it, and any changes could introduce errors back into the manuscript. The lines between the levels of editing blur for different editors, so be sure to check that you're happy a service meets your expectations before hiring an editor.

Self-editing is an important part of the editing process, but this is complementary to professional editing. As the writer, you become too familiar with the text to spot the errors. You see and read what you expect it to say, what's in your head, rather than what is typed on the page. You may have spent weeks, months or even years developing your manuscript, and you've likely read it countless times, tweaking and self-editing bits as you go. But some errors get overlooked and/or introduced the more you read and edit it yourself. Having a fresh pair of eyes look at your work and a professional's perspective could be the invaluable piece of insight you require when you want your writing at its best for your readers.

Lots of factors are taken into account when pricing a project, e.g. genre, word count, level of intervention and turnaround time. That's why all quotes are tailored to the individual author's manuscript.

Automated tools are good at helping you spot basic errors, but they can’t follow a plot, grasp subtext, or see gaps in character development. As a trained professional, I bring the human perspective to editing: understanding nuance, pacing, and the emotional heart of a story, so your manuscript isn't just grammatically sound, but engaging and true to your vision. That’s not to say they can’t help you self-edit to a degree, but they shouldn’t be relied upon, and issues regarding copyright and intellectual property need to be carefully considered before using such tools.

I strive to provide as clean and clear a manuscript as humanly possible. But no editor can guarantee 100% error-free writing. If they ever do, run a mile. That's a massive red flag!

Yes! I work with authors worldwide and edit primarily in UK and US English (though I have also edited in Canadian English ), using the appropriate dictionaries and style guides that align with the author's preferences. Typically, this is the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) and Merriam-Webster for US and New Hart's Rules and the Oxford Dictionary for UK, but this is variable. I'll work to any style guide you prefer, and if you've not already chosen one, we can decide on one together.

To provide a line and copyedit or a proofread, a complete manuscript needs to be submitted. Ideally, a full manuscript would also be submitted for a manuscript evaluation. However, I have helped authors struggling to bring their stories to a close by offering insights on what to focus on in their reports, allowing them to tie up the story with a renewed endpoint in mind. If I feel you need more than my services provide, I can put you in touch with editor colleagues who may be better able to assist you.