Shannon Cave - Editor

My mission is to help writers bring clarity to their manuscripts and make their work shine through detailed, insightful, and encouraging editing, while keeping true to their unique voices and remembering the reader on the other end.

Are you a writer who feels confused about your storyline and you just can’t look at it ONE. MORE. TIME? Or maybe you’re confident about the story, but know that grammar and punctuation aren’t your strength? Or are you looking for a new team member to support your writing career and to help you take things to the next level? If any of these are true, we may be the perfect fit!

As a traditionally published author in the romance genre, I know what it’s like to be an unsure new writer, as well as an experienced writer trying to up my game with each new book. Thanks to that experience, I can relate to my authors from a point of view of having "been there, done that." Additionally, I’ve worked with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors, as well as debut authors, both traditionally and self-published.

Whether you’re prepping for submission to agents or New York editors, or want to self-publish your book, I can help! My experience and eye for character and story issues can help you organize your story better, making sure you’re hitting all the plot points, and that your characters are consistent and believable. My eye for detail can help rid your manuscript of spelling errors, clarity issues, funky grammar, and typos (like the copy editor who saved one of my characters from receiving a “bouquet of floors.” Yikes!). My #1 goal is to make YOUR book the best it can be!

Here's what you’ll get from me:

* Honest but gentle feedback in my edits or evaluations. I love to point out the passages I enjoy as much as I do those that might need more work! Every reader needs encouragement! But I won’t BS you with fake praise either. If something is confusing to me as a reader of your book, it’s likely to be confusing to your future readers, too, and I’ll be sure to give you the opportunity to fix it.

* Respectful treatment of your work. I’m thorough, and I ask questions where clarity is needed, rather than just assuming. It is your work, your words!

* I work in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes for in-line editing. You’ll get lots of comments, with questions and suggestions. I’ll send you the marked-up copy upon completion, and you’ll always have the right of refusal if anything doesn’t fit your vision for your book!

* A Style Sheet of facts, names, locations, timeline tracking, etc. Anything that needs consistency will be tracked on the Style Sheet and provided to you at completion of the project. HINT: Bonus points if you can provide me with a Style Sheet that YOU kept during your writing process!

* If our project is an editorial assessment/manuscript evaluation (a super in-depth critique) or developmental edit (a deeper, more thorough edit, including in-line editing, along with higher-level story editing), you’ll get an editorial letter outlining any issues with the story that may need work.

* Prior to editing, we’ll talk about your vision and goals for your book, as well as anything you might see as weaknesses that I can keep an eye out for. It’s all about teamwork!

Whatever your needs are, don’t hesitate to ask. And, if you’re not exactly sure WHAT your needs are, let’s talk about it! I can help you determine what your next step might be and how to best go about it.

Hiring an editor is a big investment in your writing career, and I’ll do whatever I can to ensure it’s the best investment you ever make!

"Shannon's editing skills are spot on and her suggestions always make my writing better. As both a traditionally and independently published author, it's such a relief to have people I can count on who understand the business." - Teri Brown, author of Born of Illusion Series (Balzer + Bray)

"Shannon is a wonderful copy editor to work with. She's professional, timely, and easy to work with. More importantly, she can edit without editing out my voice. Her feedback was spot on, and exactly what the manuscript needed." - Erin Fleshman