Creative Editing: A Secret Weapon for Authors As an author, you know that writing is hard work. You spend hours crafting your sentences, perfecting your characters, and weaving your plot. But even the best writers can benefit from a little help from a creative editor. As book editors we’ve seen it all. We’ve seen manuscripts that are well-written but lack a compelling story, and we’ve seen manuscripts with a great story but are poorly structured. In our experience, the story is always more important than the structure. A well-told story can make up for a structural flaw. A reader will forgive a few plot holes or pacing issues if they’re invested in the characters and the plot. However, a poorly told story will never be saved by a good structure. That’s where creative editing comes in. Creative editing is an editorial process that revolves around improving the ‘big-picture’ and overall quality of the manuscript, guiding the author’s vision, and enhancing the story’s potential to connect with the reader. Unlike copy or line editing, creative editing is not just concerned with correcting grammar, spelling, or punctuation alone. Instead, it seeks to make suggestions that improve the quality, depth, and emotional resonance of the story. What is Creative Editing? Creative editing is a type of editing that focuses on improving the overall quality of a manuscript. It goes beyond just correcting grammar and spelling errors to help authors strengthen their characters, develop their plot, and refine their style. At its core, creative editing is about collaboration. It is an opportunity for authors to work closely with an editor to gain new insights into their work. By bringing a fresh perspective to the table and taking the time to understand what the author is trying to achieve, our editors can provide constructive feedback that helps to enhance and elevate your manuscript. Why Hire a Creative Editor? Here are a some reasons why authors should hire a creative editor… Improved Quality A good creative editor can help you to improve the overall quality of your manuscript. They will identify and correct any errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. They will also help you to strengthen your characters, develop your plot, and refine your writing style. Increased Chances of Publication A well-edited manuscript is more likely to be picked up by a publisher or literary agent. This is because a polished manuscript shows that you are a serious writer who is committed to your craft. More Time to Write Let’s face it, writing is hard work. If you’re spending all your time editing, it can be hard to find time to write. A creative editor can help you to free up your time so that you can focus on what you do best which is writing! Find a Creative Editor Creative editing can help to lift an author out of writer’s block or address any issues with pacing, plot or structure. Many authors experience writer’s block, particularly when working on long projects, and creative editing can act as a stimulus to reignite creative flow by providing a sounding board for new ideas and an objective perspective on the manuscript. It is important to note that the creative editing process is not a quick fix. It is a collaborative and time-intensive process that requires authors to be open-minded and receptive to feedback. A high-quality editor will bring their unique perspective and insights to any manuscript and ask pointed questions that challenge the author’s concepts. As such, it may take several rounds of revision before a manuscript is ready for submission or publication. To reap the full benefits of creative editing, authors should work with an experienced editor who understands the nuances of the publishing process and genre-specific storytelling. It is important to choose an editor whose skills align with your manuscript’s genre and voice to ensure that their feedback is informed, insightful and serves the manuscript’s intended purpose. Reasons to Hire Us for Creative Editing: ✅ Experienced editors with expertise in a variety of genres. ✅ Detailed reports with feedback on plot, character development, dialogue, and pacing. ✅ Multiple rounds of revisions until the author is satisfied. Here’s what our authors had to say.. - Susan M. Thanks for your thoughtful and generous response. I look forward to speaking with you. In the meantime, may I include a quote from you on the promotional website I’m building to show prospective publishers? Thanks again, Susan. - Susan M.Read Moreread less - Philip K. Hello Declan – I have been through your further assessment, thanks for those insights I can certainly work with those and will follow up on the contacts you suggest asap. I’m pleased to report that after many months of research and writing I have finally been able, this week, to self publish on Amazon the novel named “Treaty or Treason”! A close call with Penguin Ireland sadly didn’t work out for traditional publication. I would like to pass on particular thanks to Declan at Writerful Books (Dublin and Melbourne) who assessed the manuscript and helped me with many comments and kept me trudging or swimming on. Some famous author once commented that writing a book is like swimming the English Channel, you don’t know where you are, don’t know how far you have come or how far it is to go, but you have to keep swimming! Couldn’t agree more. Philip Kerrigan. - Philip K.Read Moreread less - Danielle B. Thank you so much for your detailed responses to all of my specific questions and also your general feedback! This all helps SO much. The two most important things I took from your feedback was that 1.)[...] I just thought of some scenes/ideas of how I can do this so now I just have to write them out and see which ones work best 🤞 2.) There needs to be a stronger hook in the first chapter. I can see now that where I started the story probably isn't the best place to start it. And 3.) there definitely needs to be downtime between the intense scenes. Someone actually suggested this to me before but I was wary because I was afraid of slowing down the story and boring the reader but I think I just have to figure out a balance. [...] Best, Danielle Brown - Danielle B.Read Moreread less - Margaret D. To cut a long story short. Could you improve the story and if so what would it cost me to do so. I'm thinking that a bit of tweaking will help the story tremendously. Margaret - Margaret D.Read Moreread less - Rob D. I am happy with the advice you have provided, it is practical and identifies real areas on how I can improve it further. Seems I underestimated how “ready” the manuscript is and may explain why there has been a lot of rejection. - Rob D.Read Moreread less - Morgan G. Thank you again for taking the time to look over my work. I never thought it would actually go somewhere so I'm beyond excited to have a stranger think it has potential for more. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! Best Wishes, Morgan - Morgan G.Read Moreread less - John B. Hi Declan, I finally got The Last Five Swords published and would like to send you a copy as you were very instrumental in getting it over the line! Thanks for your help, John. - John B.Read Moreread less - Alessandro S. Thanks so much for the essay and the editing, it's all very encouraging and it has gotten me back into self-editing at full speed! [...] Sorry for babbling a bit, but I felt inspired! Thanks again for this, and by all means feel free to ask anything you like. If you or the reader want to talk about it face-to-face (digitally so to speak) I am also very open to it, I don't have much opportunity to speak about my writing with people in the industry so it would be a great experience for me to chat about it. Kind Regards, Alessandro. - Alessandro S.Read Moreread less - Jeffrey M. I totally get why it took longer to read. I feel a little goofy pestering you so much, I just wasn’t sure. You have nothing to apologize for. You were right, this was a top notch reading which will greatly help my revisions. - Jeffrey M.Read Moreread less - Amelia N. Thank you for the report! The beta read was very helpful to let me know what to edit and work on next. Pass on my thanks to the reader. Regards, Amelia - Amelia N.Read Moreread less Thanks for the good advice. I’ll keep working on it. Read Moreread less - Terry M. Very helpful, I'll read through your edits a few times and may step into Gus' shoes as you suggest and try the three act - although I have possible further incursions in mind for a second book, if I ever write one. Wish me luck, it was all OK when I was writing for family and friends and children's books for grandchildren - who will be gentle with feedback - and when I made the foray into a novel I knew I was not well positioned - I really did write it for a circle of people who would be used to and appreciated my sense of humour and 'who cares about structure' etc. But I will move outside that circle and rewrite. You have been helpful in giving me that kick. Regards, Terry. - Terry M.Read Moreread less - Elizabeth S. Thanks very much for this. I will work on the recommendations, especially to speed up/improve the beginning. I’m feeling a little more hopeful about the story overall. Best regards, Elizabeth. - Elizabeth S.Read Moreread less - Tanya D. Thank you so much for your report. I sincerely appreciate your swiftness and all the great things you had to say about my manuscript. It was a true blessing to read your responses to the questions from the book; thank you for sharing those with me. I will forever be grateful that you gave me the original source of the quote, “We do not see things as they are; instead, we see them as we are.” I had it listed as anonymous, and the gal who did my citations insisted I change it; I am much happier to reference Talmud! I found your comments especially encouraging and will incorporate many of your suggestions. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with you. My most sincere thanks! - Tanya D.Read Moreread less - Paul B. Hi Declan, I will definitely be keeping Writerful in mind for future projects! Thank you again, Paul B. - Paul B.Read Moreread less - Stephenos M. I wanted to take a moment to thank you so much again for the meaningful and insightful feedback you left on the manuscript assessment. I really appreciate your work and the ways your feedback has led to the improvement of my writing. Sincerely, Stephenos. - Stephenos M.Read Moreread less load more A creative editor can help you to take your manuscript to the next level. Benefits of Hiring a Creative Editor: ✅ Help you to identify and fix any plot holes or inconsistencies. ✅ Offer suggestions on how to improve your pacing and structure. ✅ Help you to strengthen your characters and make them more believable. ✅ Polish your writing style and make it more immersive. ✅ Provide you with feedback on your manuscript and help make it the best it can be. Creative editing is a collaborative and creative process that adds value to any manuscript. It is much more than just correcting grammar and spelling errors. Creative editing helps to refine an author’s story, gives the manuscript a unique voice and emotional depth, and increases the manuscript’s potential for publication. At its best, the creative editing process results in a story that deeply resonates with readers and leaves a lasting impression. If you’re an author seeking to elevate your manuscript, consider investing in creative editing to make your story shine! Our team of experienced editors are committed to providing you with the highest quality service possible. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the quality of our work, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We will work with you to address any issues or concerns and either redo the service to your satisfaction or provide you with a full refund. We are dedicated to exceeding your expectations and helping you create the best book possible. You can have full confidence in our commitment to quality and client satisfaction. Request a Quote Below! Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Service Required *Beta ReadingCopyeditingDevelopmental EditingLine EditingManuscript EvaluationManuscript AssessmentSensitivity ReadingOther ServiceCountry / Currency *Australia (AUD)Canada (CAD)Ireland (EUR)United Kingdom (GBP)United States (USD)OtherTurnaround Time *Wordcount *Any Questions?For example: specific areas to request the book editor focus on.Submit Your Manuscript Click or drag a file to this area to upload. EmailSubmit * We take your privacy seriously and will always protect your copyrighted material.