Stephanie Lynwood
Editor & Fantasy Author
Editing Services
Polishing your gem of a manuscript.
Line Editing
Improving flow, consistency and overall readability of your work.
Copy Editing
Honing the technical elements of your grammar, syntax, punctuation etc.
Proofreading
The final polish, correcting typos and other errors.
Why work with me?
Editing with indies at heart.
As a writer myself working on my own debut, I know from experience that there is a piece of ourselves in everything we write. As an editor, my goal is to support you in producing your best work, not to change it. I like to think of stories as precious gemstones - they're already beautiful, but sometimes a little polish will make them shine that much brighter!
My passion is working with independent authors to bring their stories to publication. Indie books are varied and unique and altogether magical, and self-publishing gives a much needed voice and platform to stories that may not otherwise get a chance to make it onto paper.
My academic background is in foreign languages and having graduated with a BA Hons in Japanese Studies, I have the detailed understanding of grammar and syntax that only language students are (un)lucky enough to have! Professionally, my previous day jobs have involved strategic project management, corporate report and policy writing and the production, and the editing and delivering of training materials for staff in healthcare settings.
I am also a registered entry level member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) in the UK.
Editing Package
I currently offer a single editing package, temporarily priced at £3.00 per 1000 words; this works out at approximately £180 or $232 (USD) for 60,000 words. This is for a limited time only and is significantly below the current industry standard.
As someone who is new to offering my services as a freelance professional, I want to take the time to build a portfolio of work with authors, inclusive of as many budgets as I currently can. I know how important money is as an independent author, and before increasing my rates I want to have both a greater range of experience and a back catalogue of testimonials so you can have greater confidence that you're in safe hands when you choose me to edit your manuscript.
As part of this package you will receive:
Line editing, including but not limited to suggesting improvements and identifying:
Overuse of particular words or phrases
Redundancies and repetition
Changes or inconsistencies in tone or character voice, or description of characters, places, magic systems etc.
Unnatural phrasing and/or dialogue and authenticity relating to the characters
Ambiguity or confusion due to transitions or use of language
Scenes that don’t read well due to ambiguity or bland language use
Use of tenses
Sentence pacing and suggestions to keep your readers interested
Use of problematic language or stereotyping
Other improvements relating to overall readability and ability to engage with your story and characters.
Copy editing, i.e.
Mechanical corrections to grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax.
Consistency corrections relating to spelling (e.g. character names), capitalisation, hyphenisation, capitalisation, numerals etc.
Proofreading, i.e.
Final manuscript check for spelling mistakes, typos, formatting errors.
You will also receive an editorial report containing my observations on strengths/weaknesses and suggestions, and a style sheet detailing the decisions made regarding punctuation, spelling variation, hyphenation etc. for use to ensure greater consistency.
Please note that I work in UK English and according to the Oxford Style Guide as standard, but can also edit US English and the Chicago Manual of Style on request.
The Editing Process
What to expect when working with me.
Fill out the form and receive your quote and optional sample edit.
Getting the details, determining deadlines, deciding to work together.
Fill out the form below including any questions for your initial consultation. You can expect to receive a reply within 1-2 business days; if I am away or otherwise unavailable at the time you submit your request, you will receive an automated email with details.
You will receive an initial quote, answers to your questions, and may receive questions from me. If you would like a sample edit, we will arrange this and I will return this to you within an agreed period before signing any contracts.
We will use this stage to determine what our schedule will be and any priorities you may want me to look at while editing, and whether or not we're a good fit.
Sign your contract.
Confirming your purchase of my editing services.
If you have decided to work with me and have accepted the services offered and schedule of edits, I will send you a contract and invoice for your deposit.
You will sign and return the contract to me via email, then pay the deposit.
Send your manuscript for editing.
Now you wait!
I receive a copy of your manuscript and begin editing. Your manuscript will be returned to you by the agreed deadline as a marked-up PDF with comments and (where needed) questions, in addition to a style sheet for maintaining consistency, and an editorial report detailing overall strengths, weaknesses, suggestions and any additional notes not best added straight to the page.
Send back your revised manuscript.
Making the necessary changes.
You will then have the opportunity to make the suggested changes (or not if you choose!), answer my questions and return the amended copy of your manuscript to me again. Up to 2 rounds of revisions (not including the proofread) are included in the standard package cost - if you'd like further revisions after this, we can discuss an additional fee that will depend on the word count and level of further revision required.
Final proofread.
The last step before publication!
Once you have made your final corrections and received answers to any queries or resolutions to ongoing discussions we've had, you will send your final manuscript for one last proofread.
Although I will make corrections to typos and other mistakes as I go, this stage is our 'final pass' to capture any lingering typos, missing letters and other errors that might be lurking in your manuscript. I will focus exclusively on proofreading at this stage, as by now you should have an edited manuscript with scenes, prose, dialogue and grammar you are happy with.
Once returned, your editing package is complete!
Payment Plans
A deposit of 50% of your final quote is required before editing will begin. A further 25% is payable upon completion of the second round of revisions and the final 25% upon completion of the final proofread.
If you require more flexibility in your payment plan please feel free to discuss this with me as part of our initial consultation. In some cases we may be able to come to a compromise that is comfortable for us both, but be aware that I may not be able to accommodate all asks.
Manuscript Wishlist & Restrictions
The below lists are a few things I do and don't want to edit. This is not exhaustive, so don't be put off if your genre isn't on the 'love to see' list. I love a lot of different genres of fiction and would be happy to edit things not on my 'love to see' list, but these are the things that just get me really excited!
If you aren't sure if your manuscript contains things in the 'won't work on' category or not, get in touch and we can discuss further as ascertain if I'm the right fit for your work. These are personal boundaries however, so please be aware that I may still decide not to work on your manuscript.
I'd love to see...
Heroic, magical fantasy
Gothic fantasy
Relationship-centred sci-fi
Cosy fantasy
LGBTQIA+ lead characters
Neurodiverse lead characters
Supernatural fantasy
Monster romance
I won't work on...
Any genre or theme of manuscript containing the following:
Depictions of sexual abuse
Repeated depictions of excessive, graphic gore/violence
Forced pregnancy
Incest
Romanticised abuse, including stories featuring romances between children/teenagers and adults
Deliberately derogatory writing, stereotyping or othering of marginalised communities or fictional communities that serve as an obvious placeholder
FAQ
Below are answers to common questions. If you have a query that you can't find an answer to, please feel free to email me or direct message me on one of my social media accounts!
What is the average turnaround for an editing package with you?
This will depend on a variety of factors, namely what we have agreed as deadlines for the various stages of the process. Once I get started, I aim to complete the initial round of edits within 3-4 weeks, however this may vary according to the number of projects I have on.
Do you offer developmental editing?
Currently no, but I hope to in the future!
Do you do sample edits?
Absolutely! If you'd like a sample edit, we will arrange this after your initial request. I offer a sample edit of the first 1000 words of your manuscript for free.
Do you offer sensitivity or authenticity reads?
I don't formally offer these as separate packages, however as a queer, neurodiverse woman who has also experienced mental health issues I can and will weigh in on portrayals of these experiences as they come up. It is important to note though that my experience is my own, and I cannot provide intersectional input on, for example, characters who are queer and black as I myself am not black, so you would be better off contacting sensitivity readers with backgrounds and lived experience specifically relating to the characters you're trying to write.
In addition to sensitivity notes, I am also happy to provide authenticity notes for non-UK-based authors writing manuscripts set in the UK or featuring British characters.
Request a Quote
Think you might want to work with me? Fill out the below details to request a consultation and quote.