I am a book editor, offering a full range of editing services for both fiction and nonfiction – specialising in fantasy fiction, self-help and memoir.
As an author myself, I know how nerve-wracking it can be to get feedback on your writing, so I pride myself in providing clear, actionable comments in a compassionate and supportive way.
I am a member of the Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading, the Editorial Freelancers Association and a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.
I offer four different types of editing services:
Proofreading Services (£7-10 per 1000 words)
This entails checking grammar, punctuation and spelling to correct errors.
Copy Editing Plus Services (£9-12 per 1000 words)
This includes proofreading but adds suggested amendments to word choice, sentence structure and the general flow of the language. The ‘plus’ is additional comments on my reactions and responses to the content, which could help you develop the piece overall.
Developmental Editing Services (£9-12 per 1000 words)
This involves producing a report on high-level aspects of the writing, including plot, structure, characters, style and pacing. I also provide margin comments throughout the manuscript on specific points regarding consistency, continuity, tone, plus my general reactions as a reader.
Query Package Review Services (flat fee £150)
I will review your agent cover letter, synopsis and the first 10,000 words of your novel, giving feedback on how best to present your work, in order to get a positive response.
Experience and approach:
I have provided editorial services (proofreading, line editing, developmental feedback) for multiple novels, varied blog posts, many memoirs and other nonfiction books, and countless short stories.
I always ask at the start of the project what level of feedback a client is looking for – I can tailor my comments to your requirements. I can also provide a swift turnaround time, depending on your deadline, word count, and the level of editing required.
I can also tailor my proofreading/editing to either UK or US English spelling and usage.
I have written four fantasy novels (two accepted for publication to date), several novellas and many short stories, as well as several articles on the craft of writing, which have been published in Writing Magazine. I have also published a memoir/self-help book about building a better relationship with yourself.
Please contact me at annie@alobear.co.uk to discuss your project!
Testimonials:
Jill Bearup (YouTuber and author of Just Stab Me Now)
“Annie is patient, thoughtful, thorough, professional and also punctual, a rare and beautiful combination.”
Rochelle Wolf (romance author)
“I hired Annie to do a copyedit for my debut novella and I am so pleased with her service! The entire process was smooth and simple, her work was accurate, and I found her feedback and notes extremely useful. I totally recommend her services to any fiction writer.”
Wilmot Bury (thriller author)
“”If you are currently looking for a copy editor, stop looking and just hire Annie! I have worked with her twice, now, and cannot overemphasise how highly I rate her. I submitted to her one 80,000 word novel, followed by one of 100,000 words. Each time I wondered if I truly needed to hire someone to help me edit as I am a published non-fiction author, and I thought I could save myself some money as I’d likely already edited the books to a professional degree. In both instances, Annie proved to me how wrong I was! Her input was invaluable. Not only did she catch the mistakes that become invisible to the author, having read the manuscript for the umpteenth time, but she provided incredibly acute notes that improved the flow and coherence of the work. And she does it in a constructive, collegial way that makes you happy to receive the criticism. Annie is quick, communicative, and in high-demand for a very good reason: she is just fantastic to work with, and worth every cent!””
Ben Swanepoel (memoir writer)
“Annie edited my memoir themed around ocean sailing. The entire experience was so positive for me, that I am now super energized and encouraged to continue writing! For this I have Annie to thank, who not only provided professional technical edits, but also meaningful comments and suggestions that helped improve the overall quality of the manuscript. Communication with Annie was clear and she completed each of the milestones well within the agreed timeline. I personally feel that, given the quality of work Annie delivered, her rate was very reasonable and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for editing work. I have some work to do first, quite a lot…. but then I’ll be back with vol2, that’s for sure!”
Morgan Klein (author)
“Annie provided swift and detailed developmental comments on my manuscript, and her turnaround time meant I was well supported in meeting my next editing deadline. The comments were all constructive and supportive, and I could tell Annie had a keen eye on the story details that mattered. Annie pointed out a number of continuity, pacing, and timeline issues, alongside ways to help remedy them without excessive rewriting. It was great to work with someone who obviously loves working on stories! Highly recommend, and I’d work with Annie again in the future.”
Roy Ferguson (short story writer)
“The problem with alerting the world to this person’s proficiency is that she is going to get VERY BUSY and I’m going to lose her as a resource. But I feel an obligation to tell the truth. OUTSTANDING resource. Well beyond my expectations. Most editors can make punctuation and grammar corrections, but it’s much harder to find people who can genuinely make a meaningful contribution to the content, focus, direction , etc. Annie is amazing. Hire her.”
Luc Beaudry (author of ‘Life: One Word at a Time‘)
“Annie quickly understood the “voice” and intention of my book, and this was reflected in the quality and relevance of her edits and suggestions. She, of course, spotted the errors that I could no longer catch after a hundred readings. More importantly, she spotted inconsistencies, nuances and opportunities that I would not have addressed otherwise.
Annie was clear, competent, responsive, quick and perfectly tuned in to what I needed. This is my first of many projects, and I will be happy to partner with Annie again.”
Hannah Watson (children’s writer):
“Annie has an eye for detail and consistency, a thorough knowledge of grammar and writing conventions, and a very sympathetic way of pointing out that you apparently don’t know how to spell the names of your own characters. An incredibly swift, accurate and reliable copy editor, I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
Sara Cheikh (memoir writer)
“Annie is one of the greatest copyeditors and proofreaders I have worked with, she is efficient, fast, creative and has a great knowledge of the language. I can’t recommend her enough!!”
Andy Peregrine (Corone Design):
“Annie has worked on several of my RPG books and works of fiction and always provided excellent and detailed work. She is both precise in her language and grammar but also respectful of the work itself. She’s my first call for any editing or proofing work I need, and my books are much improved with her help and advice.”
Dave Durant (writer and blogger):
“Annie has always proved extremely reliable for all my editing needs. Over a number of years, she’s been great at giving fast-turn-around, high-quality feedback on both the fiction and non-fiction that I’ve produced. I’d definitely recommend her services.”
Image by Vectorportal.com, CC BY