Beth Dorward

Beth Dorward – Editor

Seasoned editor and proofreader with more than 20 years' experience in multiple genres. I have worked with several best-selling authors!

Overview

I am a seasoned professional editor and proofreader with more than two decades of experience. I have worked with Amazon imprints, smaller publishers, and indie authors crafting both fiction and non-fiction manuscripts for publication. My projects have included the genres of crime, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, YA, dystopian, self-discovery, romance, self-help, and more. I can tighten up your prose, improve pacing, unearth the inconsistencies, and polish your language whether you write 120,000-word manuscripts or short stories. I also have experience working with authors on their entire series, helping to ferret out the discrepancies.


Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Dystopian Horror LGBTQ Fiction Mystery & Crime Science Fiction
Non-Fiction
Health & Wellbeing Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-Employed

Jul, 1994 — Present

I focus on making each manuscript the best it can be in every aspect. When editing a manuscript I will make the author think about issues he/she may not have contemplated. As a writer myself, I understand that each manuscript is a part of the writer and I am sensitive to that while still nudging the author to create the best possible finished product. When proofreading a manuscript, nothing escapes my attention. I pride myself on being thorough and a bit obsessive.

Portfolio

Bulletproof

Maci Bookout

*** NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ***Maci Bookout was just a normal, slightly overachieving high school girl in Chattanooga, Tennessee. But then she got pregnant, and everything turned upside down. Even as she rose to fame on MTV's hit series Teen Mom, Maci ... read more
“If you’re reading this, then you haven’t heard from me in three weeks, maybe more. If that’s the case, call Marty Singer. He’ll know what to do.” That’s the note Karen Reynolds, ex-wife of friend and former US Marshal Karl Schovasa, hands retired cop Marty Si... read more
Life Debt

Whitaker, Channing

Calla surrendered everything she had ever known to save April from a fate worse than death, only to discover the world she and April now face may be just as horrific as the one they left.With an entire population facing the greatest famine humankind has ever k... read more
Calla Wilkinson should obey the rules of the immediate empire. There's no reason not to, considering they were made to keep her and the other members of the elite alive.But she can't.The year is 2145, and humans are starving. The world's livestock industry has... read more
She believes he's a con-man. He believes he's a victim of what happens when greed and giving collide. Special Agent Kari Wheeler refuses to accept the hero label, even after receiving the FBI and the City of Philadelphia's Medal of Bravery. She just wants to g... read more
An organization has begun an assault on animal abusersThey think he’s dead. That isn’t the case. James is in hiding after the gladiatorial fighting ring that pitted animal abusers against each other is exposed. A part of him wishes to remain anonymous while re... read more
Twist is the third installment in the Upside Down trilogy. The Tilt citizens conflict with humans heats up.
In the second book of the Upside Down series, Ayaka, Millicent, and the rest of the team return to Tilt in order to save their comrades, but things don't go as planned. A new menace, the Resurgence, are hot on their heals, and the team has to move quickly to s... read more
Ayaka and Millicent are researchers on the planet Tilt. They believe, though they are having trouble proving, that they have developed a true general artificial intelligence; the problem is that these intelligences are so strange, so different, that it is hard... read more
Drift (The Flow Series)

Clare Littlemore

She wanted freedom. But freedom comes at a price.Quin believed that a life away from The Beck would make her happy. But when a cruel twist of fate forces her to leave sooner than planned, she struggles to come to terms with her new reality. Haunted by memories... read more
Broken.It’s been three months since Quin transferred to Patrol and discovered the terrifying truth about the community she lives in. Citizens of The Beck are disposable and those in charge are capable of terrible cruelty. Vowing to protect those around her, Qu... read more
Flow

Clare Littlemore

A world in tatters. A society where rebellion is not tolerated. A girl desperate to discover the truth.Sixteen year old Quin lives in The Beck, a saviour society. Her community has risen from the ruins of a land shattered by Mother Nature. But Beck law is toug... read more
The first in the bestselling Danish series of historical mysteries The newly crowned King Cnut of Denmark has conquered England and rules his new empire from Oxford. The year is 1018 and the war is finally over, but the unified kingdom is far from peaceful. Ha... read more
Picks up where the first novel left off. Boone is being nursed back to health and trained by Rainford and the dark Lord's vampires. Olga Coyle finds the mutilated body of her dead son, Bowie, who used to run with Boone and Frank. Invoking the dark arts, Olga b... read more
The novel is set in the summer of 1998 in New York City. Beneath the surface of the city, gangs of vampires have been living, preying on the dregs of society--the homeless, destitute, prostitutes--no one cares about. A crew of thieves robs vampire families rob... read more
The Devoted

Eric Shapiro

It’s the last day in the life of the cult.At 6PM, The Leader will pass out the knives and everyone in the cult will Ascend to the next level of existence.But Matthew Barrett begins to have second thoughts. He’s just a brainwashed kid trying to reclaim the abil... read more
The Near Enemy

John Ligato

Lone Wolf terrorists are about to kill 100,000 people at an Ohio State football game--can FBI agent John Booker stop the carnage?FBI Special Agent John Booker was in deep cover until a Mob guy was found fermenting in the Staten Island landfill. “It wasn’t ‘tec... read more
If you have a passion for marketing and analytics and are looking for practical experiences to help you learn the science behind success, Digital Analytics 101 is the book for you. It is perfect for recent graduates and recognized marketers alike and provides ... read more
Enjoyed THE SEARCH by Clare Littlemore? Want to hear Penny's story? Read this absorbing romantic thriller novella and steel yourself for a shocking twistEver wanted to just...start again?Desperate for a fresh start when her relationship ends, Penny Morgan move... read more
The Search

Clare Littlemore

Read this engaging tale of a woman's desperate search for her lost sister.When Kate Morgan sets off for the picturesque island of Menorca, she isn’t planning on an idyllic vacation: her visit has a far more serious purpose. Her frustrating older sister Penny h... read more
A quest to find a Stone of Power is a torturous ride hunt throughout the land for rare clues.Willowvine knows that the elves will finally accept her when she replaces all the Stones of Power. She refuses to believe otherwise. But this quest may break her. The ... read more
She-ology shines a light on the vagina, answering our most embarrassing questions with the goal of healthier and happier vaginas for women of all ages.Many women still suffer a long-ingrained dissociation with their own vaginas and a misunderstanding of what g... read more
As Seen on the Today Show! The USA Today Bestseller! The last book you’ll ever need about cellulite, and the first book you need to take control and change your health forever! Forget everything you’ve ever been told about cellulite—it’s a myth! Ashley Black, ... read more
A collection of recipes and anecdotes, inspired by the world famous restaurant Joanne Trattoria, owned by Joe Germanotta, father of Lady Gaga.Family, food, and love are the foundation upon which Joe and Cynthia Germanotta raised their daughters. Built on those... read more
Beaten. Battered. The "good guys" escaped the crazed Russian Borovinsky's death dungeon. Though not without casualties. Now they're in hiding. Trying to figure out how to stop Borovinsky once and for all.But Borovinsky's failure to kill Saim and Dallas has gar... read more
It's always about the boy.NYPD Officer Saim Dajani is on a mission. He's fighting to save the son of a junkie ex-con bartender, and bring down a psychotic Russian drug kingpin named Borovinsky. What he didn't count on was the involvement of a brutal hitman nam... read more
Junkie ex-con Kieron Palmer will do anything for his son. Hell, that's why he got off drugs in the first place. But being buried under an avalanche of doctors' bills is pushing Kieron in some very illegal directions. Like hitting a little Russian mob score.NYP... read more
Most Americans are facing higher premiums and spending more of their own money on healthcare. To make things worse, the laws and rules are confusing and change almost daily. Dr. Dennis Deruelle uses the NFL like a Rosetta Stone, using simple football analogies... read more
When a new mother becomes manic overnight from a rare form of bipolar disorder, she stops at nothing to find the mental stability she needs to stay alive.After the birth of her baby triggers a manic maelstrom, Dyane Harwood struggles to survive the bewildering... read more
The lost chronicles of King Arthur - before the legends grew.Voices of the Stars is the true chronicle of King Arthur and his star-crossed love for Morgan. Woven into its rich Dark Age tapestry are ancient rites, Goddesses, Seers, Enchantresses, Druids, Dragon... read more
Almost nothing gives rise to more national intrigue than the murder of an American president. And on November 22, 2013, the nation remembered the 50th anniversary of one of the most traumatic events in modern American history, the assassination of President Jo... read more
The Dutchman is destined to travel through realities, the harbinger and—as so many believe—the cause of the end of one variation of the earth after another. Ahead of each devastation flee the Scattered Ones, refugees from one of those lost earths. Yet in our w... read more
From the best-selling author of the Dragonrealm comes the shadowy fantasy of Grigori Nicolau, a wizard whose dreams have been haunted for centuries by the malevolent gargoyle he calls Frostwing. From Publishers Weekly:Elements of gothic romance, epic fantasy a... read more
From best-selling author Richard Knaak comes a tale of the Grey. They are the shadows we see out of the corner of our eyes, the visions flickering past in the middle of the night. They are the elves, the fairies, and the other legends of our minds. They are th... read more
The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the North Carolina settlemen... read more
Alien warfare is no match for Michael Talbot and his best friend; from gladiator flights to amassing an army, they are a force to be reckoned with.A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and for Michael Talbot that step is taken at Indian Hill ... read more
Dallas in the near future–a city full of high-tech companies, sprawling tent cities, miracles, and dangerous secrets. Eli's family thinks he just plays computer games with a group of harmless nerds called the Merry Men. But when he disappears, the CIA, an unde... read more
Sundowners

Tonia Brown

Sundowners is a backwoods southern horror about the importance of family, the power of gossip and the nature of the artistic muse. Fifteen years ago, siblings Coil and Cassiopeia suffered an incident in the woods behind their family home. An incident that neit... read more
My Townie Heart

Diana Sperrazza

Laura DiStefano is torn between dreams of a new counter-cultural life and the undertow of a dysfunctional family.Laura DiStefano has flunked out of the University of Massachusetts just as the counterculture reaches its peak in the 1970s. Reluctantly, Laura ret... read more
Never Too Late

Amber Portwood

When Amber Portwood debuted on MTV’s hit reality series 16 & Pregnant, no one could have predicted that the teenager from Anderson, Indiana with the dry sense of humor would go on to become one of the most controversial young celebrities in reality TV history.... read more
“When he comes to his enemies,their houses will tremble.When he comes to his allies,they will stand in awe and fear.And when the Dagaz comes to his people,his people will weep.”For more than a century, the fervent believers of the Cohors Ignota sect known as t... read more
Assassination has rocked the Global Alliance. As one Family falls, the others rush to claim the spoils. The victims of treason seek revenge, but the layers of manipulation and deceit thicken around them.The unrest the Alliance was so desperate to suppress has ... read more
In the year 2060—after decades of war, famine and financial collapse—individual nations ceased to exist, borders were blurred, different currencies were abandoned, and the new world order was complete. The dominion of the Global Alliance, ruled by the heads of... read more
The Truth is Contagious…the epic conclusion to the award winning Contagium Series…"A mysterious virus has infected most of the world’s population. This sickness transforms the living into violent “crazies” and eventually into the flesh-eating undead.Orissa and... read more
Contagious Chaos, the highly anticipated third book in the Contagium Series, winner of the Contagious Reads Horror Con’s 2014 best horror series, follows Orissa and her friends as they struggle through a zombie filled world. When the compound starts to fill an... read more
Orissa Penwell will do anything in the zombie plagued world to keep her friends safe. After the discovery of a zombie-proof safe house, she thinks things may actually work out and they can get through the apocalypse together. The compound offers more than just... read more
I can't give this post-apocalyptic story six stars but I wish I could! -Tamara Rose Blodgett, USA Today and NY Times bestselling author"I wasn’t afraid of death. If I died, it would be over. My worst fear wasn’t of dying, it was of living. Living, while everyo... read more
Based on interviews with William "Billy" Lester Suff, convicted in 1995 of torturing, maiming, and murdering twelve prostitutes in California, a psychological study of Suff traces his sordid career and explores his unflappable duplicity.
An edgy, powerful, and moving debut novel about a childhood lost—and found again.Kevin Hurley’s younger days were something to survive, rather than celebrate, so it’s no mystery why he is reluctant to return to his hometown. After nearly twenty years of keepin... read more

Beth has 85 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

ted R.

ted R.

Mar, 2024

I have worked with Beth more than once and will continue to do so as long as I am writing. Utter professional. Top quality. Good people. Highly Recommend!!
Kady H.

Kady H.

Jul, 2022

This is the third time I've worked with Beth, and I wouldn't go to anyone else. She is professional, knowledgeable, delivers on the agreed-upon date, and is spot-on with her corrections and suggestions. If you're looking for the best proofreader and copy editor, Beth is the person for you!
Sandy N.

Sandy N.

Jul, 2022

Beth is an excellent editor. I worked with her on my last novel and chose to work with her again because I was so pleased. She did not disappoint! Her work on my current WIP is spot-on. She pointed out issues in the book that I missed and made many suggestions to help me correct them. If she is available, I would not hesitate to work with her again!
Kristie C.

Kristie C.

Apr, 2022

Beth is the best proofreader I've worked with yet! I could tell that she cared about my book and read it with interest. She is professional, thorough, and punctual. Most importantly, she is kind and considerate in giving constructive criticism. She made some saves by finding a few plot holes which I, my line editor, paid beta readers, and ARC readers had not found, which was really helpful to ...
Read more
Brian A.

Brian A.

Apr, 2022

Beth did great work!

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Beth and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Beth

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Richard Sheehan

Richard S.

Copy-editor and proofreader of over 300 novels. Genres include literary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, horror and historical fiction.

Leicester, UK

100% reply rate

View profile
Anna Bierhaus

Anna B.

Experienced editor specializing in commercial fiction, romance, women's fiction, thrillers, and literary fiction

New York, NY, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Sasha Grossman

Sasha G.

Copy editor and proofreader focused on genre fiction (sci-fi/fantasy, romance/erotica, mysteries/thrillers).

Chicago, IL, USA

100% reply rate

View profile