“Jenny epitomises organisation and efficiency. She did a fantastic job of proofreading our website [as a volunteer] and ensuring everything was consistent and on brand. We’d recommend her to anyone.”
Gina Jones, Marketing & Communications Manager
Bristol Animal Rescue Centre
Copy Editing
Whatever has been written, editing is vital before you hit publish.
Editing checks for flow and rhythm, that everything makes sense, that the right words are being used, as well as checking grammar and doing a preliminary catch of those pesky typos.
Proofreading
Proofreading involves checking for any typos and misplaced or missing punctuation or words, but I’ll also be on the lookout for anything the edits may have missed, e.g. a clumsy sentence or repetition. The proofread is all about the final polish.
WORK WITH ME: THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
What do I do?
Yes! Absolutely. I love working on fiction with indie authors and publishers. I specialise in romance, fantasy, mystery, women’s fiction and I do love paranormal tales, but am open to any story.
No YA, erotica, or literary fiction, and please let me know if your story contains any animal abuse, sexual assault and/or rape.
Yes! I love a good bit of non-fiction, working with indie authors and publishers. I specialise in small business, environment, property, heritage, history and culture.
YES! I bloomin’ love working with businesses on their websites, blogs, reports, projects, and anything else they’d like edited and/or proofread. I specialise in working with businesses in the heritage, cultural, environmental and not-for-profit sectors.
Good questions...
A developmental edit is that first big edit, where you check that everything makes sense, there are no plot holes, that there’s nothing missing, that anything extra has been cut.
Whereas a copy-edit goes line by line, paying attention to the words chosen, the rhythm and grammar, your voice consistency and consistency in general. It ensures no characters have changed name or spelling half way through (we all do it). It fact checks and basically prepares the book for formatting and proofreading.
A copy-edit should be the final edit.
Good question. They sound similar, don’t they?
While a copy-edit may require some big changes to your words (for consistency or to maintain your voice, perhaps), a proofread is essential to capture typos, grammatical errors and any consistencies that fell through the copy-edit net.
Ideally, you should have two sets of eyes on your work at the proofread stage – this is the final stage before you hit publish. One of those sets of eyes can be yours, the other should be someone you trust.
I mean… not necessarily? If you’re an editor, have undergone any training and are definitely getting other eyes on your book before you publish, then maybe you don’t need to hire an editor. Especially if you can’t afford one.
But if you can afford one, then why wouldn’t you?
Finding an editor who works WITH you to make your story shine (rather than misunderstanding your voice and marking up the whole thing in red pen) can be a wonderful experience and allow your (indie author) business to flourish.
Readers can tell when a book hasn’t been edited.
So while you might not need to hire an editor, you DO need to edit your work more than once.
Yes, you do, but if you can’t afford to hire a professional proofreader then don’t worry. A friend with good attention to detail who is willing and might work for cake can be enough.
You should ideally do two proofreads of your work, but one of those proofreads can be done by you.
A few typos and mistakes will always get through. It’s the law of proofreading (otherwise known as Gaiman’s Law), but a few typos is substantially better (and more forgivable from a reader’s perspective) than a book full of typos.
“Jenny recently undertook some proofreading and editing on a project I was working on and I couldn't have been happier with the work she did. We discussed beforehand the best way for her to deliver the editing for me and settled on a way that was clear and convenient.
The editing was thorough and delivered efficiently in a way that it was easy to track and understand the changes.
I wouldn't hesitate to work with Jenny again and would wholeheartedly recommend her.”
Vicky
Tallulah's Bakery
How to work with me...
If we’ve never worked together before and you’d like to take this to the next level and have a chat/get a quote, simply send me an email and tell me about your project (genre and word count would be great if it’s a book)!
You’ll have the option of a paid trial to see if we’re a good match and so you can see how I edit/proofread. To do this, just let me know and I’ll explain how it works (£5 for proofreading, £7.50 for copy-editing for 1000 words).
(Please note, all ‘chats’ are via email. I’m not a Zoom fan and avoid calls like the plague. My brain is better connected to my fingers than my mouth. But if we must, especially if you’re a business, then I can make an exception.)
Once the work is agreed, I’ll send you a (simple!) contract with our agreed specifics and a deposit for 50% of the work (depending on the project). Once that’s paid and the contract is signed, I’ll get to work. You’ll get your work back by the deadline agreed and I’ll be available for any questions, anything that doesn’t make sense and anything you want checked.
Then I’ll send an invoice for the remainder of the cost!
I’m more than happy to help promote your book once it’s published. I love becoming part of my authors’ communities.
My preference is Word, but I also often work with clients in Google Docs.
So, it’s up to you.
You can email me a Word document or give me access to your Google Docs (for suggestions).
At a pinch, I also have access to Pages.
This depends entirely on your work and what you’re after.
For a (no obligation) quote, please get in touch.
A paid trial of 1000 words costs £5 for proofreading and £7.50 for copy-editing.
My preference is by bank transfer. There aren’t any fees and it’s quick and easy.
However, let me know if you’d prefer to pay by PayPal.
Hang on, what that's about a trial?
Of course! I offer trials for copy editing and proofreading.
A trial is a great way to see if we can work well together. It gives you a feel for my editing/proofreading style, and me a feel for your writing style.
It’s easy!
The trial consists of 1000 words (it doesn’t have to be the first 1000 words of your manuscript, but that can be helpful for context).
Just mention you’d like a trial when you contact me and I’ll send you an invoice for the payment.
You send me the 1000 words along with the payment.
I complete the work and send it back to you, along with a quote for the rest of the work.
If you decide to continue, the cost of the trial will be deducted from the total cost.
Portfolio
"Jenny has recently started working with Discover Your Bounce Publishing as part of our editing/proofreading team and it's been a delight to work together. Jenny is speedy, accurate and constructive in her comments, providing real value to us and the authors she is working with. Jenny has very quickly established a rapport with team members and is always timely with her work and in touch about progress. I would highly recommend anyone looking for freelance proofreading or editing to get in touch!"
Nicky Marshall
Discover Your Bounce Publishing
Why CHOOSE ME?
Passionate Storyteller
Stories are the basis of our societies, our families, our escapism. Finding a way to tell your story and discovering your voice takes time and can be enhanced with editing. I've been telling stories since I was a child and am now the author of 11 (and counting) novels and novellas. Creating stories is something I can't not do, and I would love to help you with yours.
10 Years of Experience
As a marketing professional, I have ten years of editing experience and in every single role I've had, I've become the team's resident proofreader. I love learning and am always up levelling my editing and proofreading skills to benefit your book and your story.
Always Learning
We're never done learning and I love up-levelling my editing and proofreading skills to benefit your book and your story. Along with editing and proofreading courses and research, I also find time to learn other skills and gain knowledge. Whether it's typesetting skills to make your book look good or palaeontology because...dinosaurs!
"Working with Jenny is just brilliant. She works quickly and efficiently. Communication was easy and the end result great, which gives me a lot of confidence when I send the report to the end client. Thanks Jenny, I am sure we’ll work together again in the near future."
Sergi
Destination Research
CONTACT ME
Email me if you’d like to discuss an editing, proofreading or typesetting project.
Tell me about your project.
If you’re an author, let me know the genre and word count.
You can also use this email to contact me about my books!
Email: Hello (at) writeintothewoods (dot) com