Elizabeth Ward – Editor

I am a freelance editor with over eighteen years experience in publishing. My skills include structural/developmental editing, copy editing and proof reading over a range of genres including fiction, historical and academic works.

As a structural editor, I give guidance in an effective yet sensitive way. I have had lots of experience with authors over many genres and I know how difficult it can be to step back from your work and edit it efficiently - so that's what I am here for. With regards to copy editing and proof reading, I have an exceptional eye for detail and can guarantee that the finished manuscript will be error-free, not just in terms of grammar and punctuation errors that can easily slip through, but facts and plot consistency too. I have received extremely positive feedback on the various documents I have edited over the years - I understand how personal writing can be, and I can guide authors through the editing process very smoothly. I also have a background in teaching English as a foreign language, which means I not only have an excellent grasp of grammar, but I can edit text as necessary so it is fluent and coherent but without losing the author's 'voice', which is particularly important when editing a manuscript from a writer who isn't a native speaker.

I very much enjoy editing fiction, and I always try and work on as many different genres as I can. Some of the titles I have worked on over the years include thrillers and crime-based novels by authors such as Claire McGowan, Andy Maslen and Mark Edwards, fantasy novels including 'The Drowned Woods' by Emily Lloyd-Jones and 'The Wickwire Watch', an award-winning YA fantasy/drama, stories for children including 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse', and most recently 'On His Majesty's Secret Service', a new James Bond novel by Charlie Higson. I was awarded an MA in English Literature in 2018, and I really enjoy editing historical fiction and travel books as well.

I also offer sensitivity reading, please ask for further details!