Sharon Gray – Editor

They say that the secret to a happy life is doing something you love for a living, and ever since I can remember I have rather been reading than doing almost anything else in the world. So I decided to give up being a bean counter and return to the love of my life: books.

I now take great delight in helping self-publishing authors get their books ready to be released into the wild.

I'm an Advanced Professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and I've been editing books since 2019.

I'm a Partner Member of ALLi, an Associate Member of the CWA and an Associate Member of Crime Cymru, a collective set up to promote Welsh crime writing and writers.

Creative storytellers, you shouldn't have to worry about whether your grammar, spelling or punctuation is good enough; your business is coming up with spellbinding tales that keep readers gripped. It's my business to make sure your readers aren't tripped up by technical errors in your English, to help them stay immersed in the story and keep them coming back for more.

A good editor will set your manuscript alight, not put a match to it. Let me provide the spark for yours.

Don't worry about your commas – you concentrate on where the bodies are buried; let me sort out the rest.

This is what some of my clients have said:

'I came to Sharon after an unhappy experience with a previous editor, and she didn’t let me down. It was a great choice. She was thorough, professional, on time and reasonably priced. Mostly, she knew her stuff. I would have no hesitation in recommending her services to other crime authors.'

Nick Rippington, indie author

'I used Sharon’s proofreading services when I decided to self-publish a novel. This was after a career in traditional publishing where one essentially has an army of professionals to handle numerous editorial tasks. It was quite a culture shock. After sending the manuscript out to a large team of advance readers, all of whom provided numerous corrections, I wondered if I still needed a final proofread. I’m so glad I decided to go for it. I discovered that there is much more to it than simply getting your friends to spot typos; a professional eye catches things most of us are not even aware of. Even if one is not consciously aware of these details, I believe they register subliminally, much like the difference between a hand-tailored suit and one from Primark. More than anything, it is tremendously reassuring to know your manuscript has been professionally proofread and that no one will be able to tell the difference between your work and that of a high-quality mainstream publisher. Sharon was also a pleasure to work with, and I thoroughly commend her services.'

Malcolm Pryce, indie author

'Sharon is a sensitive, meticulous and thorough proof editor who always delivers on time. I am very happy with her services.'

Heather Peck, indie author