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.. - Anni T. Thank you so much for the quick turnaround on your beta read! Your report was very insightful and will help a lot in understanding a reader's perspective. I am so glad the story came together for you - that alone is extremely helpful. Yes, the subject matter is dark, which is always difficult when trying to write a story that is entertaining! I have lines that I won't cross, esp. when it comes to writing about children. I think writing for shock value is a race to the bottom. I'll go back and work on the dialogue that is stilted/unrealistic - yes, it would be awful for the narrator to have to read stilted dialogue! Also, I have to thank you for ploughing through the story despite it being so messy! My editor is finding 100s of errors and many inconsistencies. I've been under pressure to make a deadline for my audio publisher and I've had issues caused by the border closure in Victoria (we were meant to be moving there). I agree with the border closure, but it's been a difficult time - as have these past months been for many, many people. - Anni T.Read Moreread less - David J. Thanks for that, your reviewer made some pretty encouraging comments and I can see the sense in the bits they criticised. I've made notes of a few things I'm going to modify or even remove. I hope you are also well. Kind regards, David. - David J.Read Moreread less - Mark P. Thank you for the helpful and detailed feedback! - Mark P.Read Moreread less - Joanne O. Thank you so very, very much for your feedback. I don't think I was expecting anything quite so resoundingly positive and I feel tremendously uplifted to know that you enjoyed reading my novel! This is my first attempt at writing and I have been working away at this manuscript for a good two years now, through various rounds of feedback, fine-tuning and the like. I'm not quite sure what to say! I would absolutely love to submit the piece and I confess I really have very little clue as to how to go about contacting agents. I will look into that and let's see where it takes me. Thank you once again - it really did make my day! Regards, Joanne. - Joanne O.Read Moreread less - Frank Thank you for your report by Carrie. Please pass on my thanks to her also, particularly for her involvement in the story. I have made some changes in accordance with Carrie's recommendations. [...] Well Declan I guess it is time to test the publishers. I am still deliberating on whether to use a Literary Agent or just go direct to Publishers. Any ideas on this would be gratefully received. All the best, Frank. - FrankRead Moreread less - William Thank you so much for the invaluable feedback on Zoa's Arks. I am grateful for the cogent points you brought up. - WilliamRead Moreread less - Mark R. Just back from being out of town and opened your beta read at the airport. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this. Will be getting into your feedback now and using it to make the book a better read. Sincerely, Mark - Mark R.Read Moreread less - Tore H. Thank you for your kind words. Actually, I had expected much harsher feedback, as I've mulled the sorry over in my mind after I sent it to you and come up with a number of scenes / ideas I felt were bad or even cringe worthy. Also, of the 6-7 friends I have asked to beta read, none seem to have bothered to read past page 30ish. - Tore H.Read Moreread less - Jodi D. Thank you for the report. Both readers finished commenting around page 200 - I understand one beta reader totally disliked the manuscript, hence not finishing it but was that the same for the second beta reader? I only ask, in case my Word document stopped displaying the comment boxes. Jodi. - Jodi D.Read Moreread less - Sean C. Thank you so much for your report. And I agree with, say, 95% of it. I always wanted to better describe the technical aspects of the business and I could have written 200,000 - 300,000 words, but I learned as I went along that that was not the route to take. I’m happy now to say hello again to the text and begin to revise it pretty much in the manner you suggest. I must say that it’s the journey of writing the book that is so satisfying – I suspect I will be lost when it’s actually finished (although I have an idea for another one). Good luck with Heart of Darkness, one of my favorites; you’ll easily breeze through it since it’s so short, then think, “what was he actually talking about”? Enjoy! - Sean C.Read Moreread less - Jo D. Thank you for the report. I like my premise for this work, but clearly I’m having trouble pulling it off. Thanks for catching so much. Best, Jo - Jo D.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 - Pat K. Thank you for the valuable feedback on both the strengths and weaknesses of Windshift. I'll be working on those improvements during the weeks ahead. Thanks again, Pat. - Pat K.Read Moreread less - Luther R. Thank you for your review and comments. I have read the report and now in the process of going through the comments. If I have any questions I will get back to you. Thank again. Sincerely, Luther. - Luther R.Read Moreread less - Stephanie H. Thank you ever so much! Hope to send more business your way soon. Stephanie Hansen - Metamorphosis Literary Agency - Stephanie H.Read Moreread less - Mitchell L. just wanted to thank you for your feedback when reading Last Man’s Last Stand. I found your feedback very fair and helpful. I especially appreciated all the examples you gave me in the notes sections. I am a new writer and I found those examples to be very helpful when studying how to improve my writing. I just wanted to write this up to show you my appreciation. Thank you. Mitch. - Mitchell L.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. WebsiteSubmit * We take your privacy seriously and will always protect your copyrighted material.