Promoting & supporting new and aspiring authors
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ACP Editing services
In traditional publishing, your manuscript would go through a process of a developmental edit, then through a line edit and a copy edit, and finally, a proof read.
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Developmental editing focuses on the big picture: story, character, scene, pace and coherence.
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Line editing focuses on style, sentence structure, meaning and flow.
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Copy-editing focuses on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting.
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Proofreading catches any remaining errors and formatting issues
Authors are very good at reading what they think they have written rather than what is actually down on the page, and are usually too close to their work to be an objective judge. This is why editing by an experienced editor can make the difference between a book that reads well – and hopefully sells well – and one that doesn’t.
If you haven't already done so, you'll need to edit your manuscript as much as you can yourself. - to within an inch of its life! Editing is time consuming and - by its very nature - repetitious. But it's vitally important if you want your work to look good. There are a range of services we offer.
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What some authors have said ...
TG Hyde
I have been fortunate enough to have worked with Alana over the past couple of years. She helped to compile and arrange my first collection of short stories, which had been lying dormant for a while on my memory stick . . .
Mike Everley
Alana did a wonderful job of proofreading and editing my book..She was extremely diligent and missed nothing . . . I would highly recommend Alana to anyone wishing to have their work edited as they provide a highly professional service. . . .
Huw Thomas
… Alana is a lady who cares about her clients, which ensures a polished product at the time of publication. Her advice and common sense approach have helped me in my new venture as an author and I hope will continue in the future.
SEE MORE BELOW ...
Editing Options
A. Proof-reading for short manuscripts
This option deals mainly with grammar, punctuation, spellings and typo errors. It is most useful for short stories (eg for competition entries), reports or articles. We will highlight and correct your manuscript and send you a digital copy of the amendments, and you can decide whether you wish to accept them.
B. Copy Editing
We will go through your manuscript, line by line, to identify and correct errors, such as spelling mistakes, punctuation errors and typos. We will pick up on missed commas, unwanted hyphens, needless repetitions, and clumsy phrasings.
We will ensure consistency throughout your manuscript, check your facts, and look for clarity of your sentences. We will make sure that your manuscript is properly formatted and presented. This service is suitable for self-publishers, or writers wanting to improve their manuscript before submitting to an agent or publisher.
What we will NOT do is to challenge or amend your plot, your pacing or characterisation. Your story will remain your story!
We will amend and replace mis-spellings and incorrect punctuation marks, and re-format the work to a publishing standard. We may suggest other changes, including cutting down sections or chapters, or re-arranging them. We may suggest alternative words and phrases, all the while taking into account your own distinctive writing ‘voice’.
But our preferences may not be yours, so our suggestions and comments are given purely in an advisory capacity. We will send you a suggested amended version for your approval which you may, or may not, choose to accept. You will need to check the amended version carefully, as some of your writing, especially dialogue, may be colloquial, idiomatic, slang etc that we may not be aware of, and we will rely on you to tell us this. You may not wish to accept the amended version, and that is entirely your choice.
All of our suggestions are made in order for your book to be as successful as possible.
Finally we will check your book's formatting and fix any layout issues ready for printing.
C. Developmental Editing & Line Editing
(At ACP Edit we offer a limited service in these options)
We will give some feedback on the content of what you have written and suggest ways in which your manuscript could be improved, but we will not usually comment on whether your text is suitable for your target audience, or look at the content and pace of the dialogue. We will not make changes to the language and structure of your manuscript. Importantly, we will not rewrite your manuscript for you.
D. Final Proof Read
This is a last chance to catch any remaining errors in your manuscript. It isn't a substitute for the in-depth copy edit above.
E. 'Blurb' writing
Authors are often too close to their writing to create concise, enticing and exciting cover ‘blurb’. (back-cover text). We can create great book cover blurb that will appeal to readers and help sell your book.
What's next?
Publishing options
Once you have agreed the final version of your work, we can format it to an appropriate layout for printing. You may wish us to publish it as an independent publisher, or you may wish to self-publish it yourself. Alternatively you may wish to submit it to an agent or traditional publisher, and we can format it to an appropriate layout for that purpose too. See our Publishing page.
For an indication of Editing & Publishing Fees & Charges,
Senior Editors:
AE Davies - BA in Education, MA in Creative Writing
FM Gordon - BA in English Lit, Diploma in Linguistics
Submissions
We are not accepting submissions at this time.
When our submission window opens from January 1st 2025, please send a one page synopsis to:
and I will contact you within 1 week to arrange a meeting,
either face-to-face or via Zoom.
What some authors have said ...
Glenn
I have been fortunate enough to have worked with Alana over the past couple of years. She helped to compile and arrange my first collection of short stories, which had been lying dormant for a while on my memory stick. Then she went on to edit and publish the collection, along with designing the cover. That's no mean feat obviously, and I was delighted with the result.
Due to her encouragement, support and editing skills, I have since gone on to have a novella completed and published, and I am about to release another collection of short stories.
It is down to Alana's meticulous and passionate approach to her work and through helping others that I have achieved any of this. I hope to continue to gain from her inspirational style in the future!
Mike
Alana did a wonderful job of proofreading and editing my book A Moment in Time: Collective Works publication. She was extremely diligent and missed nothing. I also learnt a lot from the process - particularly that it is never a good idea to edit your own work as you see what you think is there rather than what is. I would highly recommend Alana to anyone wishing to have their work edited as they provide a highly professional service.
Huw
When I wrote my first book in 2021, my introduction to Alana could not have been more fortuitous She is a very professional lady with bags of talent in her own right. She is also a lady who cares about her clients, which ensures a polished product at the time of publication. Her advice and common sense approach have helped me in my new venture as an author and I hope will continue in the future.
call or text: 07985 650746