Federica Leonardis

Federica Leonardis – Editor

Experienced proofreader and copyeditor for romance, crime and thriller, women's fiction, and sci-fi. Let's make it a page-turner.

Overview

I'm an experienced copyeditor and proofreader for big publishers such as Headline, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Canelo and Bonnier, working on books by seasoned authors and first-time writers of commercial fiction: from romance to historical sagas, from crime and thriller to sci-fi and more.

Years as a literary agent gave me the tools to help first-time authors to get on the path to become best-seller authors. And now I'm doing what I really enjoy, which is working on the text.

Pedantic but flexible, I'm thorough, prompt and communicative. I have the analytical brain of a sleuth and I'll spot continuity errors and discrepancies in the plot to make Poirot proud. I'll protect your voice with everything I have while at the same time smoothing out the bumps in the prose that can snag the reading experience.

I'm Italian by birth and speak the language fluently, so if your book is set in Italy or has italian connections and you want to be confident the natives won't be horrified, then you should definitely get in touch.

"Federica has the great advantage of being not only completely fluent in English but also in Italian. Add to this the fact that she knows Italy and Italian life intimately and I can confirm she has always been the most valuable copy editor not just for her editing skills but for her knowledge of my favourite country. She is also meticulous and organised. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her and I will do so again."
T.A. Williams, author of the Love from Italy series

Services
Fiction
Chick Lit Cozy Mysteries Dystopian Humor & Comedy Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Thriller Romantic Comedy Time Travel
Languages
English (UK)

Work experience

Martin Leonardis Literary Agency

Jul, 2016 — Jan, 2020 (over 3 years)

I represented a diverse roster of clients such as Pernille Hughes, Jeevani Charika aka Rhoda Baxter, Emily Kerr Rachel de Thample and Thom Eagle.

Self-employed

Jul, 2016 — Present

I regularly freelance for big publishers such as Headline, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Canelo and Bonnier, working on commercial fiction titles by authors such as Lynda LaPlante, T.A. Williams, Caroline Bishop and Patricia Wilson.

Rogers, Coleridge and White

Jan, 2014 — Jul, 2016 (over 2 years)

I worked with two directors, Peter Robinson and the late David Miller, assisting them with all aspects of representing clients such as Ian Rankin, Victoria Hislop, Denise Mina and others.

Orion Publishing Company

Nov, 2010 — Dec, 2013 (about 3 years)

Portfolio

Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Vital Organs

Suzie Edge

Proofreading
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Silent City: A Novel

Davis-Goff, Sarah

Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Copy Editing
A Song for Tomorrow

Peterson, Alice

Proofreading
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing

Federica has 6 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Tim W.

Tim W.

Jul, 2024

Federica was such a pleasure to work with. Her feedback and critical eye was so helpful. My first time going through this process and it was such a joy.
Loulla C.

Loulla C.

Apr, 2024

Federica was prompt with the edit, and replies promptly to questions. I find her work excellent.
Catherine K.

Catherine K.

Feb, 2024

Federica was an absolute joy to work with. Her communication was prompt and friendly and she completed her work. to a high standard. I would happily work with Federica again on my future projects. She has made me feel so much more confident in my manuscript.
Federica L.
I loved working with you on your novel. I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope it flies!
Crawford S.

Crawford S.

Jan, 2024

Overall, disappointing. The experience was not collaborative - I submitted the MS, I got an edit back 3 weeks later, end of story. I knew it was a risk going with a UK-based editor for a US-based book; maybe the process is different there.
Federica L.
I'm genuinely sorry you felt the experience was disappointing. You asked for a copyedit and in my offer I went into details about what that entailed. This is what I wrote in my offer: I'll ensure ...
Read more
Emily P.

Emily P.

Nov, 2023

Federica has been a pleasure to work with. Her communication has been clear and her suggestions very helpful. I hope to work with her again on other projects.
Federica L.
I loved working with Emily. She was professional, courteous and always prompt in her communications. I’d love to work with her again.

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