ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN EDITOR?

Welcome, fellow traveller! I am a freelance developmental editor and book coach, specializing in commercial fiction. I offer a range of editorial services—from freebies like my First Chapter Critique, to full on Developmental Edits and Book Proposals. Whether large or small, I treat all my commissions with the same care and enthusiasm.

For the last two years I have been assistant to literary agent Elizabeth Kracht at Kimberley Cameron & Associates Literary Agency in California. She is the author of The Author’s Checklist, and my mentor. Thanks Liz!

I edit books aimed at adults and young adults—thrillers, crime, murder mysteries (both cozy and otherwise), historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and romance.

A lot of my work has been with American authors—(this website is spelled and punctuated in US English)—but I’m from the UK, meaning I am familiar with the requirements of both US and British English, and their associated style guides.

HOW CAN AN EDITOR HELP?

An editor can help you identify which aspects of your text might benefit from revision, without losing what makes your book special.

They can advise, and even strongly recommend a certain course of action—but they are not the Writing Police. The final choice is always going to lie with you, the creator of your world.

My job as an editor is to assess the overall health of a text, highlight areas that could benefit from revision, identify solid strategies to realise those improvements, and explain the reasoning behind my recommendations.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GET AN EDIT?

Editors, of course, are not obligatory. But some writers view them as part of their own creative process, and so the timing of the editing work writers want done can vary. Writers who self-publish may want a second opinion before going to print. Writers going the mainstream publishing route may come to me before they send their manuscripts to agents, in between agents, or to get work done before an agent shops it.

If you are going mainstream, and you know your text still needs work, it is better to wait until it is completed before submitting to an agent. Because agents receive countless submissions, and have the luxury of a wide variety of manuscripts to choose from, they generally opt for a title needing as little revision as possible because that means less work for them and a quicker turnaround. That’s only human! There are agents who will fight for a project still needing work because something about it speaks to them but, however good it is, you can best serve your book by making sure it’s fully realized before handing in, rather than assuming its potential alone will be sufficient. You will be up against stiff competition from your fellow writers, so it makes sense to plan accordingly and not give the agent any excuse to reject your manuscript. Do your best before submission, and you can sleep easy.

Agents reject manuscripts for countless reasons, some of which are to do with personal preference, but there are many common factors in manuscript rejection which a good editor will be trying to help their author avoid. Some of these are to do with structure, some with content, and some with presentation. An agent may occasionally send back a teeny weeny critique of the manuscript along with their rejection—they may say they were not gripped by the story, or that it could benefit from a professional edit, or that the word count is wrong for the genre—but most often they will not specify the reason, and just say it was not a good fit for them.

So an editor’s job is to identify not only what will help the book be the best version of itself, but also to anticipate what could cause an agent to reject it, as there will not usually be a second chance to submit it to the same agent.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

SERVICES

FREE FIRST CHAPTER CRITIQUE

Your first chapter showcases the rest of the book, so it’s arguably the most important section to get right. Allow yourself the luxury of an editor’s free read-through, notes, and a one-to-one Q&A session on Zoom—no strings attached. I get a kick out of reading so many great first chapters!

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BOOK COACHING

Invest in your skill-set by participating in one-to-one sessions with an enthusiastic and patient coach. Tailor your sessions to address whatever is getting in the way of completing or revising your current manuscript, and make life easier for yourself when planning your next.

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DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT

Strengthen the roots of your story with a thorough analysis of the elements feeding them—includes an initial 30 min/one hour meeting online, specific comments on your manuscript, a detailed editorial letter containing advice on both macro and micro issues, plus follow up meetings to support your edits.

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BOOK PROPOSAL

If you have written a memoir or a non-fiction book (or have prepared sample chapters in the hope of securing an advance ahead of writing the rest), you need to accompany it with a proposal demonstrating your book has a place in the market and you are the best person to write it.

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LINE EDIT

Focus on immersive storytelling and reveal the natural texture of your voice—includes disciplines such as removing obstacles to free-flowing text, keeping POV characters in their own lanes, tightening up dialogue, and assigning word count wisely.

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FORMATTING

Ensure all the elements of your text are where they’re meant to be—and take presentation to a standard ready for agents and acquisitions editors. Your manuscript will not only look professional, but will be free from hidden technical problems, so it’s also useful before self-publishing.

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BESPOKE

Sometimes what you need doesn’t fit within normal parameters. With this super-adaptable option, you can order red herrings; plot complication; a report focusing on specific elements of storytelling; new depths of depravity for your bad guys—you choose.

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TESTIMONIALS

  • Thank you for the time and attention you lavished on Sisters of the Midnight Sun. Your educated feedback on various issues and points helped me decide how to better complete the work. I made careful notes of all your editorial suggestions and have implemented them, especially the improvements to chapter beginnings and endings. The manuscript is now much better shaped and organized, and its content clearer.

    You have helped me finally reach this turning point in my writing efforts, and I will always be grateful to you - and wish you the very best in your own promising career of editing and writing!

    —Rebecca Wright Stevens, author of Sisters of the Midnight Sun: A Murder in Arctic Alaska, to be published July 2026.

  • Kate is that divinely arranged rescue mission you’ve been praying for as you agonise over your manuscript. Kate immersed herself in the world of my novel. As a fantasy writer, I was delighted by how familiar she became with my characters, social structure and environment. As a skilled and resourceful coach, Kate guided me through the knots and inconsistencies of my plots, making fantastic suggestions (and gently steering me away from some desperate and disastrous moves). With her feedback on the long picture of my trilogy, and her detailed developmental edits to my first novel’s manuscript, I feel absolutely confident of my story now. I look forward to a long and successful relationship with you, Kate, because I really do feel like I’ve been given the best editor for my work.

    —Saraswati Nagpal, author of Draupadi the Fire-born Princess, and Sita: Daughter of the Earth.

  • Kate has been fantastic. I received a thorough structural edit of my manuscript, and her detailed chapter reports were instrumental in helping me master the story arcs. Her suggestions were constructive and insightful. I won't hesitate to use her services again!

    —MD Villiers, critically aclaimed author of City of Blood.

  • Your transformation of my book to the “next level” is greatly appreciated. You are so talented! It was a pleasure to work with you.

    —Jeff Howe, author of Into the Roaring Fork and The Silver Pigeons

  • Kate Hirons helped me tremendously. I’d written my memoir but was at a loss when thinking about my book proposal. You mean, Now I have to write a business plan? This is where Kate comes in. From our initial conversation, she put me at ease by asking necessary and tactical questions about my project and author platform. Gently, she encouraged me to do what I could for my platform right away, before soliciting agents or acquisitions editors. She read my book to write the chapter summaries and the first pass of an overview. Then came her research for marketing and promotion—wow. I was blown away by the amount of information she was able to pull up for the various sections of my proposal. And she works quickly. From our beginning conversation to the last bullet of her formatting, I felt like I was in sure hands. A genuinely kind person, remarkable researcher, and consummate professional, Kate will work with you and your project until it sings.

    —S. Asher Sund, author of The Terminal Situation and memoir Before Our Bodies, currently being shopped.

  • What shall I say about Kate? First that she is a fantastic human being. She’s kind, considerate of others’ feelings, and never ever uttered any harsh criticism about my work. She understood my journey and encouraged me all the way through.

    When an agent critiqued me as “telling more than showing”, Kate created a report on “show don't tell” that included the underlying theory and practical tips. When my first developmental editor sent me back to her for a second developmental edit, she not only did that but also provided line-editing, chapter summaries, some copy editing, and formatting.

    So my final words should not surprise you—she is a gem. Treasure her!

    —Vee Kumari, actor, scriptwriter for Yatra: Journey, and author of Dharma: A Rekha Rao Mystery.

  • Kate Hirons is the best! My agent recommended her when she felt there were issues with one of my main characters, a famous British actor. Kate went over my manuscript with a fine-toothed comb. She pointed out that my character, although born in the late nineteenth century, spoke with too much of a Victorian tone for the 1940s when my novel took place. Although I had done my research and watched many movies featuring him, she explained that by then he would have spoken the BBC standard of English. What I used was too outdated.

    As a reader, she also felt my antagonist was too obvious and gave me some interesting suggestions for fixing it. Taking her ideas to heart, I came up with a much more suspenseful ending with a huge surprise which few would see coming.

    Thanks Kate! You were a lifesaver.

    —Elizabeth Crowens, author of Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles (released 2024 by Level Best Books), Bye Bye Blackbird (released January 2025 by Level Best Books), Silent Meridian, A Pocketful of Lodestones and A War in Too Many Worlds.

  • Kate is, without a doubt, one of the best professionals I have ever worked with for developmental edits. She's very thorough in her reading and asks questions about where I see the work going, what the characters need in their storylines, and gives quick, insightful feedback. She's flexible with my busy schedule and always works within my constraints. As well as giving me the time I need to make adjustments, Kate gives my work a thoughtful approach and thinks it over properly while still reaching my deadlines. I cannot recommend Kate enough to those wanting a smart, efficient, effective editor. My work has been changed in all ways for the better because of working with her, and I look forward to every set of notes she gives me!

    —Elena Kondor, author and English teacher

  • As I embarked on writing my first book, I submitted the first chapter to Kate. She was incredibly generous with her time and expertise in reviewing my work. With so much to learn about the book-writing process, Kate's coaching and editorial feedback have expanded my understanding. Thanks to her guidance, I now have the confidence to continue writing the book!

    —Melissa Ranalli, author

  • Kate’s feedback on my novella was invaluable. She provided a detailed review of each scene, offering thoughtful criticism, practical suggestions, and keen insights that strengthened my story while honoring its heart and creative vision. If you’re looking for an experienced and insightful editor, I highly recommend her.

    —Emily Babbit, author of short stories published in literary journals Jimson Weed, Calla Press, TeenInk and others, such as A Secret for a Secret and Russian Tea.

  • I can’t recommend Kate enough as an editor. She has an eye for detail when it comes to the line level that has really brought the quality of my writing up a notch. And she’s easy to work with!

    —Heather Robinson Teran, writer and artist

  • Kate is a skilled and enthusiastic coach. With her encouragement and expertise, I restructured my memoir with a new beginning and implemented a braided narrative I would not have been able to attempt without her. She is prompt, falls in love with the work she agrees to take on and fights for it to completion.

    Previously I’d received a lot of weak advice that pointed to general issues and offered no path forward. Kate dissected everything and was there to support me in piecing everything together again. I owe the successful completion of my current draft to her. I have been blown away by her support.

    —Paige Lammers, author of Field Horse, currently being shopped.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

I offer a free initial consultation on Zoom—or alternative video chat app—where we can discuss your project and which services may be most appropriate for you.

During our initial consultation we will talk about:

  • Your plans for your manuscript

  • If edits have already been done

  • Whether there are any deadlines

  • How much time you can assign to revisions

If you then decide to go forward we exchange emails or calls until we agree on the parameters of the job, and a price. I send a contract outlining what work will be done, with the quote. Once you have agreed in writing, we are good to go.

  • DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING CONTRACT

    Prepared 24 January 2025

    Prepared for: Joey Harrison, Author

    Prepared by: Kate Hirons, Editor

    The editor undertakes a developmental edit for Joey Harrison’s novel, Take No Prisoners and, as requested, will give special attention to plot continuity, conflict/tension, and clarity of delivery, as well as including the usual analysis of character, dialogue, scene setting, use of the three-act structure and so on.

    More generally, importance will be placed on the level of immersion in the storytelling, through the lenses of narrative distance, the reader’s grounding in the POV characters’ reality, and the use of showing and telling (both of which are needed but not in equal proportions.) This is all to improve the delivery of the story experience and keep the reader engaged.

    The developmental edit will be presented in two documents:

    ·      Manuscript – text highlighted with comments in the Review section, and Track Changes used for typos and obvious formatting issues  – these are not part of a developmental report but are easy enough to flag. Each change in Track Changes can be accepted / rejected individually, or they can be accepted / rejected en masse.

    ·      Editorial Report – a thorough analysis of the book at the developmental level, along with suggestions for revision.

    Developmental editing is the first stage of editing, the structural work. Line editing (where an editor goes through each sentence in detail) is best applied to a manuscript once developmental editing has been completed, and the author is happy there will be no more structural changes. This is to save the author time and money. However, if there are recurring issues line by line, and they affect developmental considerations like pace and clarity, they will be flagged in the manuscript and addressed in general in the editorial report.

    It should be noted that although the editor makes suggestions in order to raise the overall reading experience, these are only the editor’s opinions and it is up to the writer to implement or reject each suggestion.

    The manuscript is expected on 1 February. Based on a word count of 83,998 words and 303 pages, the total fee is $2,183.95, as already discussed — to be paid in advance.

     (Followed by author and editor’s addresses and signatures - this will be signed and dated.)

  • In the interests of fair pricing, your document should be submitted in the following format:

    Times New Roman, with 1-inch borders, 12-point font size and double-spaced text.

    If the manuscript arrives in a different condition, it will be reformatted to meet those specifications. (You will lose nothing by this as it is the standard agency format.)

    I invoice via Stripe, which means clients get an invoice email with a secure link to the Stripe website where payment can be made using a credit or debit card. My clients have told me it is absolutely straightforward. A receipt is then sent by email. I do not charge tax on top of the fee.

    Developmental Edit— For US clients $0.026 per word, or $6 per page, whichever is greater. For clients from the UK or any other country, the fee is £0.02 per word.

    Line Edit—$5.75 per page or $0.024 per word, whichever is greater (or equivalent in GBP agreed during consultation)

    Formatting—I charge between $600 and $1,200 per manuscript, depending on length of manuscript and how much work has to be done: this will be agreed after I see your manuscript, or a representative sample of it.

    First Chapter Critique—FREE

    Chapter Summaries—to be decided according to length of manuscript, number of lines needed per chapter summary, and how many chapters there are.

    Book Proposal—depending on length and density of manuscript, and whether meaningful research and editorial contributions have already been made by the client, $2,000–$3,000.

    Coaching—$65/£50 per hour.

    British Dialogue Authentication—to be agreed during consultation when I see the extent of work needed and length of manuscript.

    Bespoke—the price depends on the type of job, to be agreed during consultation.

  • As I am an entry-level member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), I am bound by its code of practice—this code also includes some responsibilities for the client to be aware of, so it’s advisable to read it before we make a final agreement.

    The Editor is required to—

    —accurately represent their skills

    —state the terms of the contract clearly and comprehensively

    —agree upon a clear and adequate brief with the client

    —respond promptly to emails from the client

    —give progress reports, if appropriate and agreed upon

    —present the finished work in a professional manner consistent with normal trade practices

    —get the client’s agreement when deciding what to name revised digital material

    —virus check any digital work just before it is sent to the client

    —keep confidential all matters to do with unpublished material: the editor, in fulfilling their editorial obligation, is acting as the client’s representative and so may not discuss details with a third party without express authorisation of the client

    —keep records of all conversations with the client

    —archive any original materials safely

    —continually upgrade their editorial knowledge

    —be familiar with current legislation relating to libel, copyright, plagiarism, reproduction of copyright material etc

    The Client agrees to—

    —make every effort to provide a clear brief for the editor, either in writing or by spoken agreement that has been written down by the editor and double-checked by the client before work starts

    —pay the agreed fee: although the editor has the right to ask for the entire fee in advance, the client can also try to negotiate payment in stages if necessary

    —pay on time: non-payment or late payment can be subject to interest and compensation, as is the statutory right of the editor

    —give some consideration to what level of editing they require before they brief the editor; the editor can also help them decide by more fully explaining during the briefing

    —virus check any digital material sent to the editor just before sending

    —hand in their text in the right format

NOTE: If you don’t mind telling me about your book before consultation, you could fill out the manuscript questionnaire below:

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MANUSCRIPT

FAQs

  • —Anyone who is not entirely sure what service they need.

    —Anyone who wants to do a little research before commiting to an edit.

    —Anyone who has finished their self-editing and wants a fresh pair of eyes.

    —Anyone who has never used an editor before, and is curious to know what editing can offer them.

  • —Writers who have got an outline done and want developmental advice before they spend time writing it up.

    —Writers who have finished their first draft and want an editor to look at what they’ve done before they go any further, figuring it will save them time in the long run.

    —Writers who have taken their manuscript as far as they can on their own and would like a professional take on it before trying to find an agent.

    —Writers who have shopped their manuscript without success and are now prepared to make changes, but may have run out of energy or don’t know where to start.

    —Writers who have been offered a contract with an agent if they can reduce their word count significantly, or make changes that seem overwhelming and difficult to define.

    —Writers who have put aside a manuscript that wasn’t working to get on with something new, but know it has potential and don’t want to let it go without a fight.

    —Writers who are already published and prolific but are in the habit of getting feedback at a certain stage in their process.

    —Writers who don’t want to do the boring stuff like formatting and chapter summaries because they are too busy doing what they really love—writing!

    —Writers who want to learn how to avoid the pitfalls of commercial fiction, and bring out the best in their work.

  • There’s no way to tell how much work you will need to do before seeing your manuscript, but the initial consultation will let us talk about how revision you’ve already done and how much time you can assign to it.

    You may also have a deadline, whether self-imposed or from your agent, and so there may have to be a pragmatic discussion about how much you think you can accomplish before handing the finished piece in.

  • I edit commercial fiction, including murder mysteries (cozy and otherwise), romance, thrillers, and crime, but I specialize in fantasy and magical realism.

    I also work with writers of non-fiction and memoir on book proposals—either coaching them through the process, or writing the proposal from scratch.

  • —Manuscripts should be presented in Word, Times New Roman, type size 12, double spaced. If the manuscript arrives in a different form it will be reformatted according to this standard in the interests of fair pricing, as I assess cost by page as well as wordcount.

    If you are someone who likes to use another format and you don’t know how to convert it to Word, I can do that for you but I will charge a little extra as often the conersion messes with the formatting of the document and means more work. (If you work in Libre Office I will not charge you for converting the file as it only takes a moment to do.)

    Publishers like to receive Word documents or a PDF, so you won’t lose anything by getting it into the right format.

  • I don’t accept manuscripts containing AI-generated text—and that extends to AI-generated synopses, chapter summaries, overviews or query letters too.

HERE FOR THE FREEBIES?

No problem. Sign up for a FREE CONSULTATION or a FREE FIRST CHAPTER CRITIQUE with no obligation to take things further.