Have you written and/or published a book this year? If so, congratulations! 2021 has certainly been a busy one in publishing terms. Despite the intense effort involved, countless new books have been drafted and written (and revised countless times!) and are now out in the world. Including many that I have personally been involved with, I’m happy to say!
Here’s a round up of all the editing, proofreading and formatting projects I have had the pleasure of helping indie authors with this year, my third year in business. I haven’t included all the yet-to-be published books I have worked on (due to confidentiality), but follow me on Instagram for updates about those. So, without further ado, let’s get to Penning and Planning: 2021 in Review!
Editing
Of the ten editing projects I have worked on this year, four fantastic books have already been published! They are:
Isle of Chaos: Golden Age Tales by Sophie and Chris Brousseau
Grab your cutlass and prepare for an exhilarating adventure on the Isle of Chaos. Six lives intertwine in the quest for money, power and revenge in this swashbuckling tale!
A Witch’s Heart by Rose Stone
Four hunters fight for the upper hand between good and evil, enduring bloody battles and dodging deathly spells while protecting a small town and a big secret.
Of Blood and Shadows by Carol Kerry-Green
Betrayed by his father, hunted by blood-thirsty monsters and pulled into a fight with his erstwhile kidnapper Fenton, Jerome and his allies must also fend off the Striga, a blood-thirsty species who will stop at nothing to destroy Donati and humans alike.
Half a Bag of Frozen Brussels Sprouts and a Cadbury’s Creme Egg by Kit Blencoe
From Royal Marine Commando to police detective to royal bodyguard to private investigator. This enthralling autobiography covers Kit’s personal and professional life, including overcoming acute anxiety and PTSD and being diagnosed with cancer. A true survivor’s story!
My editing service begins at just £13 per 1,000 words and I offer free 1,000 word editing samples to determine whether we’d be a good fit for each other! Mutually agreed payment plans are also available for all editing services, if required.
Proofreading
Although I have completed three proofreading projects in 2021 – all playscripts by the same playwright – only Uploaded by Colin Sinclair Bartholomew has been published so far. The next two plays will be out in 2022! I tend to do less proofreading than editing as I personally prefer the challenge of line or developmental editing as opposed to proofreading. Editing is really getting stuck into the deep grooves of a story whereas proofreading is more the final varnish. I adore delving into a manuscript and helping to tweak twisted timelines and/or craft characterisation and/or pinpoint plot holes and/or make suggestions to improve sentence structure or vocabulary choices. All whilst remaining authentic to the author’s unique voice.
My proofreading service begins at just £11 per 1,000 words and I offer free 1,000 word proofreading samples to highlight the thorough spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency checks I complete throughout entire documents. Although I primarily focus on full length manuscripts (50,000 words+), I also proofread blurbs, synopses and short stories.
Formatting
Formatting (using Vellum software) has been my most popular service throughout 2021, with fifteen out of nineteen books formatted now published. As mentioned, I edited a few of these before formatting them for publication. However, I formatted the others after they had been edited and proofread by other professionals (or the authors themselves). My formatting service includes both print and digital publish-ready files as standard, which are fully compatible with all the major online bookstores, including Amazon KDP. Click the links below to find out more about these fantastic books!
Broken Branches (Silver Linings Series Book 1) by Vaneeta Kaur
Broken Branches follows Kris through his beautiful and privileged life as everything is ripped from him bit by bit. This book presents grandeur, realism, profound relationships, genuine love, simplicity and opulence sprinkled with supernatural quirks that also bring about humour in the form of classic British sarcasm.
Brimming Boughs (Silver Linings Series Book 2) by Vaneeta Kaur
Fast forward four years on from the tragic events of Broken Branches and Kris is slowly moving on from his past. Unexpected experiences around him are forcing him to look at his own unhealed wounds. Brimming Boughs involves splendour, pure love, humility, mental and emotional health, supernatural elements and eccentric humour. Content warnings: depression, anxiety, abuse, bullying and death.
Isle of Chaos: Golden Age Tales by Sophie and Chris Brousseau (see Editing section above)
Uploaded by Colin Sinclair Bartholomew (see Proofreading section above)
FREE To Be Me by Mary V. Macauley
FREE To Be Me is a multi-faceted international novel that begins in Britain and ends in America, spanning two centuries. It follows the love, loss, and journeys taken for want of a better life for multiple people. The central theme of this novel is a century’s old wealth-producing plantation and those who come to live there or flee from it.
30 Reasons to Swipe Left by Jane Fulton
Dating has gone digital. Technology has taken over and matching online is often the new norm. Fetishes, flatulence, funerals, panic attacks, catfishing and cheats are some of the encounters Jane has experienced through her dating journey.
How to Get the Kick-ass Career You Deserve by Rebecca Pay
Are you playing it safe, settling for humdrum, or feeling stuck with the career you have spent years in? This book is full of empowering and practical advice on how to choose what you want to do then go out there and get it! With a mix of conventional and unconventional advice from the author, who is not just an experienced kick-ass CV writer but a catalyst for change in her clients’ lives. This book contains detailed CV writing help, LinkedIn advice and mindset guidance.
Of Blood and Shadows (see Editing section above)
A Witch’s Heart (see Editing section above)
A Candle for Consuela by Mike Kingston
This gripping, disturbing political novel explores a strong woman’s rage and her quest for revenge; forbidden love and a tortured romance; a gay priest who finds love, and an explosive story where love triumphs over religion.
The Adventures of Me and Patrick by Ian Fry
When we are given those three little words – ‘You have cancer’ – we are expected to gird our loins, fall into battle formation, ready to fight this insidious enemy. I did not want it to be a fight. I didn’t have the energy to fight. This was a journey. A journey I needed to endure and complete successfully…if only to shut Patrick up.
Ariel Hope: The Last Space Cadet by G. P. Moss
When Ariel Hope is sparked out at world’s end, things seem disastrous. However, good fortune and resilience helps StarTapped’s brightest find a dumped star cruiser, though a brutal universe was never in her flying dreams. A clean, family-friendly sci-fi parody (ludicrous, some might say)!
Double Vision by Andrée Roby
Vince, a young male escort, is found dead in a South London hotel room. Unfortunately, the female client last seen with him is nowhere to be found. The police enlists the help of Amanda King, a psychic medium to bring a new perspective to the case. Will Amanda be able to locate the murderer? What other secrets will Vince’s death uncover?
The Genesis Order Chronicles: Legacy by D. K. Boyce
Nineteen-year-old Jensen Brady is unremarkable. He is certainly not extraordinary. At all. A casual December evening turns into his worst nightmare. He discovers the truth about the Genesis Order and his close associations with this legendary group. Everything he’s ever known is a lie. Trapped with a grumpy superhero, a sassy robot, a mum he can’t bear to look at, and tech that blows his mind, he has no idea what to do.
Meet Me in the Café Around the Corner by Virginia Collier
Following an incident in the workplace, a train of events occurs – from betrayal to murder. Instinctively, the detective on the case soon realises everyone is hiding something and anyone could be capable of such an act. Will the detective find the killer in time, or will it be too late?
Other Author Services
As well as all the editing, proofreading and formatting projects I have worked on this year, I have also written synopses for authors’ books, ready for them to submit their work to agents in the hope of following the traditional publishing route. Additionally, I have helped debut authors write back page blurbs and sales copy for their Amazon author pages. I would be pleased to help you with yours too!
So that’s Penning and Planning: 2021 in Review! I’m now booking new fiction or nonfiction editing and/or proofreading and/or formatting projects for 2022. If you’re an indie author who will need help making your manuscript(s) even more marvellous in the coming weeks/months, secure your slot sooner rather than later by email: penningandplanning@gmail.com. Alternatively, please contact me to ask any questions or to request your free 1,000 word editing or proofreading sample. I work on a range of genres but I particularly enjoy and am most familiar with crime fiction, domestic suspense and psychological thrillers – the darker/grislier the better!
Additionally, take a look at my other blogs for information on all things editing, proofreading and formatting! If you’re a newer author, you may find the following posts particularly helpful:
12 Ways To Beat Writer’s Block
Penning and Planning – The Editing Process
