Artwork of a fair woman with wavy brown hair and blue eyes. She is wearing a white blouse and pearls. She is surrounded by lilies of the valley.

You can’t find a better editor than a linguist and a writer. I have an eye for detail, an ear for assonance and a passion for stories — as well for the language with which we tell them. I want to work with you to ensure your fiction manuscript is as compelling, beautiful and clear as you already know it can be.

I’m keyed in to flow, formatting and turns of phrase. From minor formatting errors to lacklustre paragraph structures, I will identify what you can change. I know how English works, not just how the style guides say it should work. Whether you want to follow the rules or break them all, I’ll check your manuscript against the metrics that matter to you.

In fact, my whole process is about you.

  • Do you want in-depth edits with extra attention to tone, consistency and style? My copy editing package will be perfect for you.
  • Have you already gone through some edits but want a fresh pair of eyes to spot those last, elusive errors? My proofreading package will give you the professional finish you’re looking for.
  • Do you fall somewhere in the middle? My proof plus package includes some more stylistic suggestions in addition to typo-catching and grammar-wrangling.
  • Are you not quite sure what you want? Let’s talk about it.
A landscape view of a highway in rural Australia. The single-carriageway road stretches straight ahead to the horizon. Far ahead are low hills, but the landscape to either side of the road is flat. Bushes or short trees dot the low spinifex plains. The sun is slanting in from the left of the picture.

What I have to offer:

Cross-genre editing and writing experience: I’ve copy edited and proofread across disciplines including fiction, academia and medicine. I have also written for academic and corporate audiences. My creative writing has been published internationally.

Bachelor of Arts with Honours First Class in Linguistics: I’ve presented my research at the annual conference of the Australian Linguistic Society.

English teaching experience: I taught English as a Foreign Language to students in kindergarten, primary and junior high school.

Why are exact prices not listed above?

I want to make sure that I share your vision of the project, and that we have a common understanding of what you need from me. We’ll communicate about timelines, milestones and scope, then I’ll present you with a quote.

The distinctions between different levels of editing can be a little muddy (and different professionals will describe their services with different combinations of the same labels), so this clear communication is essential. I don’t want to sign you up for proofreading when you were hoping for copy editing — or vice versa!

My standard rates are charged by the hour but I’m happy to discuss a rate per 1,000 words. Milestone-based payment can also be discussed. A minimum charge of 1 hour’s fee will apply.

Just send me an email if you think we might be able to work together or if you have any questions.