Editorial Services
There are 1,234,567,890 ways to tell a story, but just as many ways to lose an audience. And you’re not writing to help the dust settle itself more comfortably on a bookshelf. You’re writing to be read.
My specialty is taking the guesswork out of what manuscripts need to keep readers turning the pages. Whether at the story level or at the sentence level, I pinpoint exactly what works and what doesn’t—and give you tailor-made, practical feedback to take you from draft to dazzling.
How can I best help you prepare your manuscript for publishing?
Manuscript Critique
A detailed report assessing your novel’s premise, overarching plot structure, character arcs, and other big-picture narrative elements, as well as a summary of its stylistic and mechanical needs. This is a custom guide to revising your manuscript for powerful storytelling.
Developmental Editing
Comprehensive scene-by-scene feedback throughout each chapter of your manuscript flagging problems in pacing, continuity, character development, point of view, suspense, and more—and suggesting solutions to help you better reach your readers.
Line and Copy Editing
A thorough sentence-level edit of your manuscript, cleaning up bloopers in spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as sharpening your writing line by line so that each sentence conveys your intended meaning clearly and effectively.
Not sure yet?
If you don’t quite know which kind of editing would best serve your book, don’t hesitate to get in touch and I’ll gladly provide you with guidance.
But how much will it cost?
If you’re curious to get an idea of how much it might cost to work with me and how long an edit usually takes, check out this handy comparison chart.
For a more precise quote, I’ll need to get a glimpse of your manuscript first since every project is unique. Feel free to email me an excerpt of the first 3000 words of your draft (or the full manuscript for a children’s book), and I will happily return a free sample edit along with a quote. Please expect a reply within a few business days.
Genre Specializations
I’m likely to be a good creative fit for your book if it falls under one of these categories:
Young adult & middle grade fiction
Children’s books
Graphic novels & visual storytelling
General fiction (coming of age, relationships, romance)
Speculative fiction (high fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi, dystopian)
Creative nonfiction (memoir, travel, family, visual art, dance, music, nature & environment, health & wellbeing, self-improvement/personal development)
Feel free to reach out and describe the genre and premise of your book, and I’ll give you my honest opinion on whether I would be the best editor for the job. If I don’t think we would make a great fit, I’ll happily recommend an editor who may be better suited to your work.
“Laura has the gift of encompassing the content of the story, the interests of the readers, and the author’s wishes.”
— Zel Winter, author of Unveiling
“Laura’s pertinent observations and wise advice have made our book a great success among toddlers and young readers.”
— Lena Kadian and Salpi Kassbarian, co-authors of Miella and Her Friends
“Laura delivered valuable suggestions on deepening characterization and flagged areas where I needed to activate readers’ emotions. I’m grateful for the gentle push to delete scenes in favour of a more dynamic plot. Highly recommend!”
— Tawnia Courage, author of Waiting in the Wings