Welcome! Read this first

All the links to all my articles all in one place.

Welcome and thank you for checking out my Substack! Here I focus on writing about the editorial process and help guide authors through the many questions and quirks of the wild world of editing.

On occasion you’ll find promotions for my website here as well as articles promoting authors I have worked with in the past.

A quick about me: I’m a freelance proofreader/book editor based in the UK. I trained with the Publishing Training Centre (PTC) and the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (CIEP), the latter of which I am also a member of. I specialise in sci-fi and fantasy stories but much of the advice shared here is applicable regardless of genre.

My approach is always to work with the author to find and define the language that will tell your story while allowing your voice to shine through. If you would like me to deep dive into anything or have some questions you’d like answered, please feel free to message me or drop a comment – I’m always happy to help!

Editorial advice/guides

• Before you hire an editor

• The editorial process

• The Writer’s Curse

• What do editors do?

• Let’s talk about tenses

• UK vs US styles

• Semi-colons: how hard can they be?

• To be or to were not to have being?

• Style guides

• Cleaning up the dialogue

• The problem with find and replace

• Grammar shouldn’t wait for editors

• How to self-edit faster

• Finding the emotions of a scene

• Getting the most out of your beta readers

• How to choose an editor

• I’ve sent my book to an editor. Now what?

Opinions/discussions

• Should a writer be a reader?

• The foundations of a book

• In a way…

• Do editors enjoy killing your darlings?

• Will AI replace editors tomorrow?

• Are editors only for bad writers?

• The secret formula for writing a best-seller

• What makes a prologue?

• Should you focus on the opening?

Authors

• Luke Prochnow

• Brad Towers

• PJ Dudek

Advice in action

• Line-by-line 1

Promotions

• 25% off (December 2024)

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This list will be updated as I publish more (infrequently and without a set schedule). I am always open to suggestions for topics and am happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the editorial process, how to find editors, etc., so please feel free to drop me a message or leave a comment!

You can support this page by getting a free or paid subscription. None of my content is or will be paywalled, but a paid subscription entitles you to a discount on editorial services bought through my website.