What happens on a discovery call?

A discovery call is a thirty minute chat about what you need help with. It’s very informal, and is like having coffee with a friend.

What will we discuss on a coaching call?

We will talk about anything you like to do with your writing. I use my experience as a creative writing tutor to both offer possible solutions to issues, as well as coaching you to understand why you are experiencing the issue and how we can move forward. I also set tasks outside of our time together so that you can work toward your goals. All our conversations are confidential.

Can we meet in person?

During Covid I am happy to work with your time zone and meet you on Zoom.

Tag: editor for hire

Uncategorized

5 Things to Consider When Hiring an Editor

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date March 10, 2022
No Comments on 5 Things to Consider When Hiring an Editor

Are you ready to hire an editor? Good question! When should you approach an editor, and how do you know you are ready? Well, here are some things to bear in mind:

1) What kind of edit do you need?

There are different types of editing available.
A developmental edit takes into account narrative, characterisation, consistency, plot, world-building, and more. If you have finished the first draft, I recommend reading through it and making any changes before sending it off to an editor for a developmental edit.
A copy edit is when the work is reviewed and edited to improve its readability, ensure consistent writing, and take into account grammar, punctuation, and more. This is usually done after the work has been through a developmental edit and a few drafts in – almost ready for publication.
Proofreading is the last step! This checks for spelling, punctuation errors, missing words, typos, and those pesky things the human eye misses easily.

2) Do you know when you’ll need an editor?

Editors usually book in advance because edits can take time. If you aim to have your novel finished by a certain time, bear in mind that you should contact editors ahead of this date to see what time they have available.

3) What kind of work does the editor prefer?

Most editors have different preferences on their website, whether they only work with non-fiction, have a penchant for romance, or love YA fantasy. Peruse their website and consider what they prefer. Why? Because this usually gives you a hint at what they are most experienced in editing and reading. If they spend hours reading fantasy in their spare time, they will understand the tropes of your fantasy novel better than someone who has never read anything fantastical!

4) What is their experience?

You should be able to tell what an editor’s experience is from their website. For example, do they have testimonials of happy clients, and what is their editing education? If there are neither of these things, it’s worth asking. This is because you want to ensure you have a great experience with someone who is trained, has the skillset to provide you with the service, and has previously worked well with other authors.

5) What is your budget?

Editors are not cheap, and there is a reason for this. Editing is a big job that takes many hours and a high level of concentration. It also requires a particular skill level that your editor will have worked on for a long time. However, most editors are happy to discuss payment plans and ways you can afford their services. Never be afraid to ask them, because you might just be surprised!

If you have any questions about editing, feel free to get in touch and ask me. To learn more about the editing packages I offer, click on the editing page on my website! As a writer with a PhD, MA and BA in Creative Writing and a previous CW lecturer, I’ve done my fair share of high-level fiction editing, and have very happy testimonials. Get in touch today for dates, questions, and information. I’m always happy to chat!

Tags developmental editor, editor for hire, fiction editor, Hiring an editor, how to hire an editor, what should i ask an editor, what to ask an editor

Craft

The Top 5 Things I Learned from Working with an Editor

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date November 25, 2021
No Comments on The Top 5 Things I Learned from Working with an Editor

Yes, editors do hire editors, and that includes me. I have learned a lot from working with an editor. When it comes to your own work, you are often so involved that you often need someone else to read it before you send it out to readers. That can come in many forms – it might be that you’re looking for a beta reader (someone who reads your touched up manuscript), an alpha reader (someone who reads your rough draft), or you may decide to go for an editor for a more in-depth analysis. Here are five things I learned from hiring an editor.

1) They can help you see your own work clearly.

It isn’t easy to see your work when you’re so close to it. When I recently sent my first five chapters to an editor, I took out a prologue before I sent it. This was for a few different reasons, but I was so familiar with the world that I had created that I didn’t realise the prologue missing would cause many issues. Ummm…I was wrong! Some important world-building was in that prologue, and so by removing it before sending, I made my editor say…’Where is this exactly?’ An interesting lesson! The world-building throughout the rest of my novel is tight, so I’m not worried about this. Now I know that the first few chapters require more world-building and detail if I want to remove that prologue.

2) Peer review is valuable.

It can be scary to send your work to other people, but peer review always makes it stronger. Hearing what other people think, what they expected, and how they feel about your story will allow you to make it so much better.

3) They save you time.

Yes, although it can feel like you’ve been given more work when an editor comes back to you with a report, they are actually saving you a lot of time. They are ploughing through the manuscript for you, marking up those bits that need changing, and providing you with information that it would have taken hours to find yourself.

4) They give you ideas you may have never considered.

We all need a fresh pair of eyes sometimes, and an editor can help you see a new direction for your work, a character, or a scene. Sometimes, it’s even something that you may have never considered before.

5) They can spot inconsistencies you cannot.

As we are so close to our stories, we can miss inconsistencies or repeated details. After all, we know the world so well, so when this isn’t communicated to the reader well enough, it won’t always be easy to spot. An editor can help you see those issues, including other common occurrences such as repetitive words and phrases.

What have you learned from hiring editors? Share with me because I would love to know!

If you are looking for an editor, get in touch today. I would love to help you polish up your work and make it shine, and I am currently booking from Spring 2022.

If you are looking for a similar read, check out the following:

4 Ways to Edit Your Own Writing
Online Writing Tools That Can Help You Write Your Novel

Tags editing, editor, editor for hire, fiction editor, how can an editor help, how to work with an editor, novel editing, self editing, what do editors do, Working with an editor

Coaching Craft

Writing Coach Vs Editor: What’s the Difference?

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date October 20, 2021
No Comments on Writing Coach Vs Editor: What’s the Difference?

Should you hire a Writing Coach or a Developmental editor? What is each for, and how do you know how to move forward?

I have noticed that this question is bringing people to my website organically, so I wanted to answer it clearly so that people have that answer.

What is a Writing Coach?

A writing coach, also known as an Author Coach or Book Coach, is a trained coach who helps you through any writing issues. I have helped writers find the time in their busy schedules to write, create a writing routine that works for them, develop their novel ideas, and much more.

What is a Developmental Edit?

A Developmental Edit is an edit that focuses on the story. It is concerned with narrative, consistency, characterisation, dialogue – basically everything but the copy edit! When I provide a Developmental Edit to an author, it consists of my going through the work at least twice, and providing the client with an Editor’s Report and in-text comments and corrections, as well as an hour-long discussion/coaching session afterwards to discuss the work.

What is the difference between a Writing Coach and a Developmental Editor?

The difference is the focus. For example, I am both a Writing Coach and an Editor who offers Developmental Editing. When I am hired to coach, I have a series of sessions with the writer, and we work toward their goals through a series of jointly agreed action points. When I am hired to provide a Developmental Edit, I focus on the draft of a novel and write up an Editor’s Report, instead of live sessions with the author.

What stage should I be in to hire a Writing Coach?

You can be in any stage to hire a Writing Coach, from idea to fifth edit! As a coach, I can focus on whatever you would like to focus on. Sometimes that’s at the very start of a novel and is all about your idea, and how you would like the book to be written. At other times it’s after publication, and you want to work on marketing. As a writing coach, we can work together on any writing goal, however varied.

What stage should I be in to hire a Developmental Editor?

To hire a Developmental Editor, you need to have a novel pretty much written. It could be that you hire someone to edit at a date a few months into the future, with the understanding that you will have completed the novel by then. However, the most important thing to know is that you will be required to hand over a manuscript to the editor on the agreed-upon date, so get writing!

What are the pros of hiring a Writing Coach?

As a writing coach, I can help you achieve your literary dreams. By holding space for you, identifying action points, and asking the questions that drive you to dig deep, you will leave a session with more clarity and purpose. Ultimately, coaching can help you succeed in your goals.

What are the pros of hiring a Developmental Editor?

A Developmental Edit can give you expert advice on your novel. It will leave you with a roadmap of how to move forward, what needs improving, and how you can make your story the best it can possibly be.

Can I hire someone to do both?

Yes! In fact, I offer a great deal for someone who is looking for a coach AND an editor. This consists of six months of weekly coaching AND a full Developmental Edit when you are ready. If you want to know more about it, click here to find out – https://rachelgrosvenorauthor.com/coaching/

So, now you know the difference between hiring someone to be a Writing Coach or a Developmental Editor, and what is best for you.

As a Certified Professional Coach, trained by an ICF company and with an ILM Level 2, you can trust that my coaching skills are tried and tested. As a writer with a PhD, MA and BA in Creative Writing, and over six years of lecturing in adult education and at universities, I’m a professional writer specialising in helping others find their way forward.

Any questions? Feel free to get in touch.

Want to read something similar? Check these out!

What is a Writing Coach?
4 Ways to Edit Your Own Writing

Tags author coach, book coach, developmental editor, editor, editor for hire, editor of writing, how to edit my novel, how to write, novel editing, novel writing, Writing coach, writing coach vs developmental editor

Uncategorized

4 Ways to Edit Your Own Writing

Post author By Rachel Grosvenor
Post date September 22, 2021
No Comments on 4 Ways to Edit Your Own Writing

Ready to edit your own writing? That’s great, but where do you begin? Well, fret not, because today we will discuss four ways you can edit your own writing. Editing your own work is necessary whether you are hiring an editor or not. When you send a piece of writing to an editor, they will expect a level of editing to be done already, to make it as readable as possible. They will also provide you with notes that you can work on, so understanding how to edit your work is important.

Change the Format

It can really help to change the format in which you view your work. For example, if you have written your novel on a laptop, print it off and hold the work physically. If you want to read it but don’t feel like you want to sit down and go through it, get a text-to-speech reader to help you (NaturalReader is a great option). Then, you can play your work back to yourself, enjoy a cup of tea, and make notes along the way.

Grammarly

Grammarly is so helpful for taking a step beyond the spellchecker and understanding more about your writing. It might be that you are using a word repeatedly or that you have used ‘that’ instead of ‘who’ when referring to a character – whatever it is, Grammarly is pretty good at picking up on it. It’s free to use the basic version too! Is it always right? No, but you can use your writer’s eye to decide what you want to pay attention to.

Read and Relax

A big part of getting ready to edit your own writing is reading the work. It can be challenging to take a step back and see your work from the reader’s point of view when you are, in fact, the writer. So, what is the remedy? Pretend to be somebody else.

Yep – that might sound strange, but it is the reason that you only spot a typo in a much-edited email after you have sent it out. It’s because the moment you send it out, you are putting yourself in the shoes of the reader. So, this is what you should aim to do when reading your work. Pretend to be your ideal reader, grab yourself a cup of tea, and sit back, relax, and read the novel you just picked up from the shelf.

Remove the Unnecessary

We all have words that we overuse in text. For example, the term ‘that’ is usually not required. So, here are words to do a search and replace, or a search and remove, in your manuscript:

That
Really
Very
Just
Totally
Suddenly (If something is suddenly happening, try and find a new way to say it. I usually find that when something ‘suddenly’ occurs in a novel, I am pulled out of the story. The word suddenly is your cue to slow down the event, and draw out the action a little more.)

There you are, four ways to edit your own writing! If you are looking for an editor, get in touch today. Whether it is a developmental edit, a critique, a copy edit, or a proofread, I can help.

Found this post useful? Share it with another writer!

Want to read something similar? Check out the following:

Online Tools That Can Help You Write Your Novel
5 Ways to Find Your Next Beta Reader
5 Books on Writing That Will Improve Your Craft