Victoria Bell

Victoria Bell – Editor

I'm a friendly, thorough, supportive Certified Professional Editor who provides copy-, line-editing and proofreading services to authors.

Overview

Hi! I'm Vicky, and I'm lucky enough to work with words for a living. I hold a Certified Professional Editor designation from Editors Canada and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (novel) from the University of British Columbia. I mention this because as a writer(-slash-editor!) myself, I know how hard you've worked on your writing, and I'm committed to helping you get it to the highest possible level before you send it out into the very competitive marketplace! Over the last 30 years of my freelance career, I've worked with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction clients, most recently Dundurn Press, Arsenal Pulp Press, and UNICEF. I'm particularly keen on romance and fantasy fiction, as well as sci fi--give me a world I can get lost in!


I'll copy-edit, line-edit, or proofread your fiction with a light but thorough touch (I'll fix your typos, grammar, and awkward phrasing and check for consistency, but I promise not to mess with your voice!). My feedback style is friendly and supportive, I'm organized and responsive, and meeting deadlines is my superpower. I'm at home with numerous style guides, including the Chicago Manual of Style, and with a somewhat world-spanning upbringing, I'm comfortable editing in various Englishes (UK, US, Canada, South Africa). I offer free sample edits (usually 5 double-spaced pages), so you can get a feel for whether my editing style works for you, and payment plans are definitely an option. I'd love to hear from you whether you're considering self-publishing or submitting to an agent, publisher, contest, or literary journal -- please let me know your plans when you get in touch.


For an idea of my fees, as well as different types of editing, please see the handy guide here: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/editing/cost/.

Services
Fiction
Fantasy Literary Fiction Romantic Suspense Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Certified Professional Editor

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 1994 — Present

I have 30 years' experience in copy-editing and proofreading text of all types, from novels and short stories to journals and academic writing.

Canadian Medical Association Journal

Mar, 2017 — Present

I work as a copy and stylistic editor on medical and humanities articles, helping to produce 50 issues of the journal per year.

CADTH

Apr, 2011 — Mar, 2017 (almost 6 years)

I copy-edited and proofread technical reports on drugs and health technologies, for the public and for health care decision-makers.

Portfolio

Copy Editing
In the City of Pigs

Forget, André

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Màgòdiz

Calderón, Gabe

Proofreading
The Petting Zoos

Covert, K.S.

Copy Editing
Autonomy

Hetherington, Victoria

Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Red Oblivion

Shimotakahara, Leslie

Proofreading
Escape Plans

Teri Vlassopoulos

Fiction. My father drowned in the Aegean Sea, fifty nautical miles northeast of the port of Piraeus. When it happened, my mother and I were at home in Toronto. It was early evening in Greece, ... read more
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Mirror Deep

Landry, Joss

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
The Bliss House

Bartley, Jim

Copy Editing
South

Lakghomi, Babak

Copy Editing
How do you kill a shadow? As a raging storm descends on the Blasted Coast, the crippled young rigger, Caleb Rusk, meets a stranger on the road. Little does he know that the encounter will pull... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Hamartia

Raquel Rich

Grace’s nine-year-old son, Jordan, is dying. First, the Metagenesis disease will tear his soul from his body, and then it will kill him. Desperate for a cure, Grace agrees to take part in an i... read more
Copy Editing

Victoria has 1 review

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

John B.

John B.

Aug, 2024

Pinned
Working with Victoria Bell was amazing. Her insights have made my body of work better than imagined, encouraging with more ideas and better words. Would not hesitate to work with again and again.
Victoria B.
Thank you so much, John! I would love to work with you again and again, too :-) Best of luck with the novel; keep going, and keep me posted!

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