Literally Yours Editing

I'm the editor, but it's your novel

Developmental Editing

Great stories don’t happen by accident. Like any craft, improvement comes from practice and feedback. An outside perspective can see where characters ring false or subplots have taken over the story.

The goal of a developmental editor is to understand an author’s vision, ask the questions that will allow them to view the work differently, and give them the spark they need to finish their story. I have no interest in changing an author’s style, only in making that style as compelling as possible.

Services

Developmental edit of full manuscript, detailed synopsis, or bulleted outline.

I provide:

  • In-line comments using Word's track changes focused on strengths and pointing out areas that lose focus or are unclear.
  • A separate document summarizing revision recommendations and providing resources to help tackle revisions.
  • One hour video chat to discuss follow-up questions and plan next steps.

About Anna

By completing an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, writing a novel, leading workshops, and slush reading for a genre focused publisher, I have built a strong toolbox of editing skills to help writers shine.

My passion is finding and building upon the strengths in a novel. By focusing on what is working, and communicating with you to understand your goals, I hope to make your story the strongest, clearest representation of your vision.

anna@literallyyoursediting.com

Client Publications

Testimonials

"Anna is amazing. For the first book in my series, she helped turn a mess of a draft that couldn’t decide if it was fantasy or romance into a focused, much more tightly-plotted romance. She also gave me astute suggestions for digging deeper into the hearts and emotions of my characters, and some fantastic ideas about how to develop the magic system. Our video chat was a fun, laid-back experience, and because we were face-to-face, we were able to brainstorm important elements for revision and additional scenes that punched up the conflict at the climax of the book.

We are now working on the second book in my series, and I just received her revision letter. She pointed out every weak spot that needs more structure and all of the places where I dropped threads or made mistakes. You want her working on your project. She will make your book better!"

- Author Cara McKinnon



"I approached Anna because I was feeling stuck and unsure of where to go with my story. Anna helped me by talking through my idea, pointing out plot holes and where my world building was incomplete, as well as coaching me to feel more confident in my writing and my story. The result was my story and character felt more real and complete.

One thing I liked was Anna’s method of building up author confidence. Her feedback is supportive and critical to the improvement of my overall writing. I found the experience wonderful and will continue working with her. I would recommend Anna and Literally Yours Editing to people who need help tightening up their manuscript, fleshing out their characters, and improving their world building."

- Author Symantha Reagor