Colm Farren

Colm Farren – Editor

I provide editing and assessment for manuscripts at all stages of development. I specialise in literary fiction, short stories, and memoirs.

Overview

As an editor, I have helped authors with character-development, plot-development, structuring, pacing, etc. Whatever is needed for the advancement, refinement, polishing, or completion of a piece of work.

I have experience copy-editing and proofreading in both British and American English, and according to various house style manuals.

Since 2013 I have appraised hundreds of manuscripts, both fiction and non-fiction, providing analysis, criticism, feedback, and endorsement for work from such authors as Donal Ryan, Mike McCormack, Elske Rahill, Pat McCabe, Rob Doyle, Sara Baume, Sam Coll, J.P. Donleavy, Richard Kearney, Aidan Mathews, Michael D. Higgins, and others.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Short Story
Languages
English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Lilliput Press, Dublin

Feb, 2013 — Present
I have provided developmental editing and editorial assessment for the Lilliput Press (Small Press of the Year 2020 - British Book Awards) for more than a decade. I edited the Lilliput Press-published books Beat (Rowan Somerville), Oona (Alice Lyons), and Ravelling (Estelle Birdy, May 2024), working in close collaboration with the authors over many months and drafts, honing the works and guiding them to completion. I have also appraised hundreds of manuscripts, fiction and non-fiction, as principal out-of-house reader for Lilliput over the last decade, providing analysis, feedback and advice to authors such as Donal Ryan, Rob Doyle, Sam Coll, Elske Rahill, Pat McCabe, J.P. Donleavy, Mike McCormack, Richard Kearney, Aidan Mathews, Sara Baume, Michael D. Higgins, and others.

Dalkey Archive Press, Illinois

Oct, 2018 — Apr, 2019 (6 months)
I worked as a freelance copy-editor and proofreader for the celebrated Dalkey Archive Press, on published work such as Narcisse on a Tightrope (Olivier Targowla, trans. Paul Curtis Daw), The Round Dance of Water (Sergey Kuznetsov, trans. Valeriya Yermishova), To Kill a Serpent in the Shell (Boris Akunin, trans. Ileana Alexandra Orlich), and others.

Portfolio

Ravelling

Birdy, Estelle

The Lilliput Press

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Oona

Lyons, Alice

The Lilliput Press

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Beat: The True Story of a Suicide Bomb and a Heart

Somerville, Rowan

Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
The Round-Dance of Water (Russian Literature)

Kuznetsov, Sergey

Copy Editing Proofreading
To Kill a Serpent in the Shell

Akunin, Boris

Copy Editing Proofreading
Narcisse on a Tightrope (French Literature)

Targowla, Olivier

Copy Editing Proofreading
Fragma

Kumerdej, Mojca

Copy Editing Proofreading
The Ironsmith: A Tale of Obsession, Compulsion and Delusion

REYoung

Copy Editing Proofreading
Charlie Chaplin's Wishbone: and Other Stories

Matthews, Aidan

Editorial Assessment
In White Ink

Rahill, Elske

Editorial Assessment
Autobibliography: From the 'dynamite' author of Threshold

Doyle, Rob

Editorial Assessment
Here Are the Young Men

Doyle, Rob

Editorial Assessment
Spill Simmer Falter Wither

Baume, Sara

Editorial Assessment
We Don't Know What We're Doing

Thomas Morris

Editorial Assessment
The Cruelty Men

Martin, Emer

Editorial Assessment
Reclaiming the European Street: Speeches on Europe and the European Union, 2016-20

D. Higgins, Michael

Editorial Assessment
When Ideas Matter: Speeches for an Ethical Republic

Higgins, Michael D.

Editorial Assessment
A Slanting of the Sun: Stories

Ryan, Donal

Editorial Assessment

Colm has 20 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Eduardo C.

Eduardo C.

Apr, 2024

Pinned
After a brief chat with him where we outlined the goals and challenges of the copy-editing task, Colm went through the manuscript quickly and with great detail. He made relevant comments and addressed each of my concerns. I've worked with other editors and was pleased to see how professional, res...
Read more
Jeremy M.

Jeremy M.

Aug, 2026

Colm delivered exactly what I hired him to do: a serious, independent and unsparing assessment of the manuscript. His report went well beyond line-level criticism and identified substantive issues of structure, voice, emotional depth and execution. The feedback was difficult to receive, but it wa...
Read more
Valentina L.

Valentina L.

Jul, 2026

This was my second time working with Colm, and he was just as insightful and constructive as the first time. His feedback helped me see my work in a new light and notice issues I had never considered before. Some of the questions and problems he identified even gave me new ideas for the story and...
Read more
Valentina L.

Valentina L.

Jul, 2026

Colm provided an exceptionally detailed and insightful assessment of my story. He understood what the piece was trying to do, including its more experimental elements, and offered revisions that would strengthen the story without pushing it into becoming something entirely different. His communic...
Read more
Cam K.

Cam K.

Jun, 2026

Colm was extremeley responsive throughout the entire process and provided clear guidance and suggestions for my piece. I happily incorporated much of his feedback and would not hesitate to work with him again!

Sign up to read more reviews

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

Professionals similar to Colm

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

Hassan K.

Specialist fiction proofreader in speculative (fantasy/sci-fi) and literary fiction with 16+ years collaborating with writers and creatives.

London, UK

92% reply rate

View profile

Jonny D.

Creative editor with 10+ years of experience specialising in genre fiction (weird and SF), anthologies and editing translations to English.

Bristol, UK

100% reply rate

View profile

Erin C.

Devoted, thoughtful editor specializing in literary & experimental fiction, cookbooks, and narrative nonfiction about nature.

Seattle, WA, USA

100% reply rate

View profile