Nicola Perry

Nicola Perry – Editor

Development editing maven. 25 years' industry experience. Penchant for metaphysical novels, healing memoirs, and fairy-folk tale leanings.

Overview

Hello, I'm Nicola, Lead Story Development & Editorial Consultant.

Working for 25 years at the intersection of traditional publishing (Bloomsbury, Writers & Artists, Amazon), story world building and commissioning (Working Partners, Cornerstones), a writer myself (Borderlands, Bread Loaf, La Muse, ghostwriter, travel writer, novelist, Master of Poetics of Imagination) and teaching (BFI, Lyric Theatre, Writers Centre), you see and learn a lot from the mistakes and success of thousands of manuscripts.

"I knew I had problems with my manuscript. All the previous professionals I worked with, tried to provide suggestions to resolve those but none of them addressed the root. Nicola identified it, suggested a major restructuring of my work, told me which sections should go where, and also showed me why certain parts did not work. This is development editing as it should be," from a happy Reedsy client.

Please check out more positive client experiences and reviews below...

What makes for a winning editor is not someone telling talent what to do but drawing on real, varied experience to show you, the Writer, how to make more informed decisions and the right calls for your work. Empowering you to make the finest creative decisions for yourself. Bringing forward the transformative moment when you go from writing a book to authoring one.

A developmental edit is the most comprehensive edit you can get.

Who do I want to help succeed? Deeply thinking, feeling individuals who want to harness the power of story and their own creative potency to show the world something it is NOT seeing. For me, I don’t just inspire others to commit to their own success but show them precise ways to harness their narrative power in service to their art/craft, message, and audience.

Entrust me with your work and in stewarding your creative welfare and professional enhancement. Let's talk. Writers welcome, worldwide. Last spots for Autumn + pre-booking for Winter 2024-2025.

2024 SERVICES + MY FEES

WAYFINDER SERVICE: STORY DEVELOPMENT & SHAPING Creative Direction

Working with determined writers with 25-35,000 words completed. Those seeking direction and input from an expert on how to grow and develop their story's potentialities + plot outline. A blend of developmental exploration + attainment. A masterclass in craft along the way.

£28 per 1,000 words

3-IN-1 BLENDED FULL MS EVALUATIONS Comprehensive Audit

What you can expect:

1. A full read-through of ms + returned copy with constructive comments as annotations + extensive report on personal strengths, recurring patterns, blind spots. Editorial Assessment £25 per 1,000 words

2. Editorial Assessment + Line-by-Line Edit £30 per 1,000 words

3. Services 1&2+Integrated Plan or Next-Level Structural Revision. £35-45 per 1,000 words.

COACHING 1-ON-1 Creative Growth Service

Nourishing deep conversation + motivation to make great strides. 4 months with 5 zoom calls + submit 5,000 words prior to each session to build upon.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Inspirational
Fiction
Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction Cultural & Ethnic
Languages
English (UK)
Certifications
  • First-class Masters in Poetics of Imagination

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2012 — Present
Writers who attend my workshops become authorities on their stories. My role is to help writers prioritize their own well-being while navigating the challenges of writing, publishing, and life.

Writers & Artists, Bloomsbury PLC

Dec, 2010 — Jan, 2012 (about 1 year)
Developing and rolling out 12 new services to support writers and champion their craft and work.

Working Partners (Coolabi) & Cornerstones

Mar, 2006 — Nov, 2009 (over 3 years)
Meeting with publishers to brainstorm series concepts; further developing projects in-house. Writing story lines (40-page story world bibles). Collaborating with a team of writers and in-house training of editors. Commissioning and editing professional fiction writers. YA, Adult and Children's series fiction including the hugely popular 25-novel series Heartland and Warriors' fantasy series.

Amazon.co.uk

Aug, 1999 — Jan, 2002 (over 2 years)
Literature & Fiction / Crime & Thriller Editor.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
Coming Home (Heartland #1)

Brooke, Lauren

Scholastic Paperbacks

From Grief to Love: Walking Around England and Wales

Carter, Laurence

Edward Marmalade Publishing

Developmental Editing
Black Boy Can't Fly?

Roujade, Marcelle

Conscious Dreams Publishing

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Fully illustrated with more than 250 color photographs and 33 mapsPart of the international 111 Places/111 Shops series with over 150 titles and 1 million copies in print worldwide Experience the less explored nooks and pockets of Britain's capital through the... read more

Nicola has 24 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Sofia A.

Sofia A.

Jun, 2025

Nicola did a fantastically thorough job throughout the assignment. She has heart and skill, and blends her professionalism and understanding of text as regards to structure, form and pace with encouraging comments and advice. Like a good doctor she delivers bad news softly, and like a great coach...
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Sean M.

Sean M.

Aug, 2024

Nicola offers a deep, thoughtful professionalism in her editing work. Her written responses to my manuscript went beyond my expectations. I felt I had truly received excellent, and immensely usable, value for my investment. I already plan on using her talents again.
Elliot C.

Elliot C.

Aug, 2024

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Nicola as my book coach over the past six weeks, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the experience. Nicola reviewed 30,000 words of my memoir in 10,000-word segments every couple of weeks, providing extensive, thoughtful notes and then holding in-depth, on...
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Julie B.

Julie B.

Jun, 2024

Working with Nicola on my manuscript has been such a wonderful experience. Nicola is incredibly thorough and knowledgeable, consistently asking the right questions and offering thought-provoking ideas. I initially sought someone to help me finish my manuscript, and Nicola exceeded all my expecta...
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Ray M.

Ray M.

May, 2024

It was great speaking with Nicola. She was professional, caring, and eager to help with my mountain of a project. Many thanks!

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