Short Fiction Report
& Copy Editing
Short fiction is a form I love. And I have written a number of stories that have been published, but also many that I have started and never quite finished. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh eye to bring the draft of a story to life and that’s why I offer this specialised editing service. I can help you progress, improve or polish your shorts, no matter if you’ve just started writing or have been for years.
I offer a Short Story Report to help you identify what your story is about, who is telling it and how. I focus on the discipline and key elements of the genre, among them character, point of view, openings, resolutions, conflict, theme and setting, and I may also suggest some short stories to read for inspiration. I will only every suggest and analyze rather than dictate and criticize. It’s your story after all.
My Copy Editing is a sentence by sentence level service that looks at how to ensure your story is being told the best way it can be. I will consider clarity, conciseness, appropriate use of language, style, flow, and any obvious grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. (NB This is not a proofreading service.)
What does a Short Story Report entail?
1. First, I’ll ask you to send your story to me to see if I am a good match as editor.
2. I will do a first read and have a once off Zoom to discuss your story.
3. Next, I’ll read closely and compile notes on how to strengthen, rework or refine.
4. Finally, I’ll put my feedback into a structured, professional report, with accompanying notes in track changes on the page to make next stage revision simple.
What does a Copy Edit entail?
1. First, I’ll ask you to send your story to see if I am a good match as editor.
(NB At this stage, I may suggest a short story report to be more appropriate first.)
2. Once the job is agreed, I will read your story closely, sentence by sentence, and edit in track changes looking at the clarity, language, flow, voice, style and grammar.
3. I’ll send the edited story back to you to make next stage revision simple. Any further rounds of editing will be at my discretion and additional cost.
How long does it take? A short story report will take 3 to 4 weeks.
A copy edit depends on word count.
What does it cost? Please contact me for a quote.
“Anna has a great eye. She can identify the beat of a story, and help the writer discard anything that is superfluous to it.”
Alistair Morgan, author & prize winning short story writer
