Jennifer Collins – Editor

For more than ten years, I've served as a full-time freelance editor offering developmental and line/copyedits, and also offering support as a writing coach as needed. My passion is helping authors to find the full potential in their manuscripts so that they can move toward publication, whether in the self-publishing space or the traditional space. I excel at offering personalized, constructive feedback that keeps in mind an author's voice, goals, and particular project. Whether examining plot, character, genre fit, worldbuilding, or language clarity/detail, I take pride in making sure that no aspect of a project goes unexamined. Prior to becoming a full-time freelancer, I was also an award-winning English teacher; those years spent teaching set me up to be an editor who can not only polish novels and help writers achieve their dreams, but also offer such clear and detailed feedback that their craft improves through the editing process.

Working with me, you can expect clear and professional communication that comes directly from me, without any implementation of AI or assistants. I track all suggestions and comments via Word's Track Changes features, and as a full-time freelancer, I'm able to meet with my clients via Zoom as needed to talk about the big-picture, revision plans, or any follow-up questions that may arise. I pride myself on building supportive, long-term relationships with my clients, and believe the greatest testament to my talent is the fact that many of my clients have worked with me on multiple books; my most prolific clients have had me edit literally dozens of books.

I've also helped dozens of writers with publishing strategies and query letters. I've got extensive knowledge of the different publishing paths, so I've often helped writers examine their own situations alongside the pros/cons of following the traditional path or self-publishing. I'm a firm believer that there's no one right path for everyone; what's important is to know the options, examine personal goals, and make a plan to go forward. To that end, I've helped writers determine the best path for them and their work, and then create a detailed plan and timeline to move toward those goals. Querying is also an area where I have extensive experience. On two different occasions, I've overcome the querying trenches myself and landed representation, and I've also helped novelists in a wide range of genres draft and revise their queries, leading to a number of them landing representation. Giving tips on the publishing industry comes naturally to me, as does helping authors tackle querying, plan and track their queries and agent communications, and make a personal plan for publication.

**An important note on AI: If you've used a LLM or generative AI to draft or edit your manuscript, I'm not the right editor for you. Using something like spellcheck or Grammarly is absolutely fine! But for ethical and moral reasons, I do not use generative AI and I try to avoid working on projects developed with the help of systems like ChatGPT, Claude, Sudowrite, Campfire, etc.**