My editorial services

What I can and can’t offer you…

I understand what it feels like not to know whether what you have written is good enough for publication. I understand how difficult it is to disentangle yourself enough from your material to be able to see clearly what to do to make your words better.

If you are looking for someone to correct your grammar and punctuation, then I’m not your woman, but if you want someone who has experience of commercial fiction to give your work in progress a big picture edit, I may well be.

I have published four novels and worked for fourteen years as a free-lance journalist. I also have a lot of experience of writing all kinds of copy from reports to social media campaigns. I’m good at knowing what works and what needs work.

I will provide constructive feedback on the fundamentals of your novel, including its narrative drive, style, structure and characterisation. I will send comprehensive, written notes, with suggestions for additions and improvements.

I cannot promise that you will get published as a result of my endeavours, but I can promise that the work I do for you will give you more confidence as a writer and a greater insight into what goes into shaping a novel.

Editors and writers need to be a good match. I cannot help everyone, and not everyone would benefit from my kind of editing, so if you are interested, please get in touch via my contact form to arrange a time to discuss what you want and what I can meet those needs. I may ask to see the first few pages of your book to ascertain whether or not we could work together.

“Without Madeleine I would never have finished my novel. Her acute insight and almost forensic understanding of plotting and structure was invaluable. I genuinely believe that without her guidance my novel would have remained a story with potential, but never one ready to be sent out into the world. Her ability to cut to the chase, coupled with her infinite patience and kindness feels like a rare gift.”

Thomasina Jones