Portfolio
“She finished on time and the feedback was exactly what I was looking for.” – Ross Hightower
When editing a manuscript, it’s important to know what your client is looking for. From basic proofreading to substantive editing, every writer’s needs are different. That’s why I like to keep the lines of communication open between myself and all my clients, and encourage my clients to bring any questions or concerns they may have to me as soon as possible.
Below, I’ve provided a few screenshots of my work, as well as a little bit about each author and the project we worked on together.
When editing a manuscript, it’s important to know what your client is looking for. From basic proofreading to substantive editing, every writer’s needs are different. That’s why I like to keep the lines of communication open between myself and all my clients, and encourage my clients to bring any questions or concerns they may have to me as soon as possible.
Below, I’ve provided a few screenshots of my work, as well as a little bit about each author and the project we worked on together.
Seen enough? Find the right type of edit for you on my Services Page!
Independent Projects
All the content featured in my portfolio is the property of the original author and is used with permission. I have not included unpublished works or projects that I worked on through publishing companies.
Check out my Testimonials page to see what my clients have to say about our collaborations!
All the content featured in my portfolio is the property of the original author and is used with permission. I have not included unpublished works or projects that I worked on through publishing companies.
Check out my Testimonials page to see what my clients have to say about our collaborations!
Case Studies
Copy/Line Edit: "Tomorrow's Child"
By Doug Barnes
Line Edit: "Tomorrow's Child"
By Doug Barnes
LGBTQ+ inclusive fiction? Yes please! Tomorrow’s Child hits all the right spots for sci-fi & romance lovers alike. Vivid descriptions and engaging dialogue make this story a must-read!
Doug heard about me from his fellow Nova Scotian and client extraordinaire, Edge O. Erin. It was a good chance to really dig my teeth into some good ol’ fashioned space/time-faring science fiction. I did have a few notes for Doug on certain story points, and encouraged him to elaborate towards the end to make the conclusion more satisfying. I also suggested that he create another chapter to encase the first half of the epilogue, as otherwise the story didn’t wrap up until then. My exact words: If the epilogue was ripped out of the back of a book, you should still have a fairly satisfactory story on your hands. The way you’ve got it here, the story isn’t complete without the epilogue. Too much is left unresolved, too much unexplained. I would be so flippin’ mad if I got to the end of chapter seventeen and that was it! I would rail against the heavens and curse your name and never read another book you wrote!
It may have been a touch dramatic, but it worked! Doug took my advice and I believe the book is much stronger because of it—but don’t take my word for it, get the book yourself here, and be sure to leave a review if you enjoy it!
Copy/Line Edit: "Time Sneak: Emergence"
By Edge O. Erin
Line Edit: "Time Sneak: Emergence"
By Edge O. Erin
Time Sneak: Emergence is an intelligent (and funny!) science fiction thriller. With a witty, dry humor and an impressive collection of technical terms, it was engaging and had me giggling at more than a few points. At just under 50,000 words, it’s a bit shorter than most of the projects I’ve taken on, but it was something quite different that allowed me to stretch my editorial skills in a way I hadn’t previously had much chance to. I learned several new words (for example: tetrachromat) and had the opportunity to do some research on terms and phrases that are more often used in Canada vs. the US, as Edge lives in Nova Scotia.
When Edge contacted me on Twitter (@EdgeOErin1) I was very excited because he was the first client I’d gotten outside of Upwork or Fiverr. That meant that my networking was, well, working! It also meant I needed to drum up a contract. I found a nice template from The Editors’ Association of Canada, and changed the relevant clauses to tailor it to our specific needs.
When TS:E was published, it was my first mention in an actual, physical book! It’s a very cool feeling. Edge and I keep in contact and have worked together on another project of his, Odin’s Tillit, and I’m looking forward to working with him again. There are links to buy his books on both Amazon and Goodreads on Edge’s website here.
Copy/Line Edit: "Holding the Stars"
By Heather Stephens
Line Edit: "Holding the Stars"
By Heather Stephens
Holding the Stars is Heather Stephens’ debut novel, a contemporary romance with lots of heart. I was immediately engaged as I started reading it. Heather’s writing style gives the reader a lot of details to feed the imagination, without too much exposition.
Heather and I actually attend the same church, and when I started editing she read about it on Facebook and contacted me. She wasn’t quite ready yet at the time, but when she finished up she sent me the first part (one of four) and we got to work.
Heather is one of those rare authors who has a firm grip on the principles of grammar and punctuation, so, apart from a few instances of awkward phrasing, there wasn’t a whole lot to do on the proofreading front. Heather was mostly looking for anything she’d missed plot-wise, and opinions on character development. We communicated back and forth quite a bit, talking about various story points, and by the time I finished we had developed a much closer relationship. She is currently working on the sequel to Holding the Stars and has promised to return when she has finished!
Make sure to check out Heather’s website here!
Copy/Line Edit: "Spirit Sight"
by Ross Hightower
Line Edit: "Spirit Sight"
by Ross Hightower
Ross reached out to me after a mutual friend shared my contact information with him. He was on a tight deadline but wanted to get an idea of how much trouble he was in (his words, not mine!) He engaged me to do a “quick and dirty” edit of the first 75,000 words of his 213,000 word fantasy novel. When I was able to complete the project quickly and he was pleased with my work, he hired me to do the next 75,000 words as well!
Ross’s writing style is engaging and dynamic, and his book is exactly the type of fantastic adventure I love reading in my free time. Spirit Sight is now published, the first book of the Spirit Song trilogy, and I keep up with Ross by reading his blog at rosshightower.com.
Beta Read and Copyedit:
"The Last Lion of Karkov"
by Dale Griffin
Beta Read and Copy Edit:
"The Last Lion of Karkov"
by Dale Griffin
Dale had written his first novel, but, at 100k words, it was a bit long for a debut and he’d been advised to split it up into a trilogy. He’d had a few beta readers already but, since he’d done some revisions, wanted some fresh eyes on his manuscript.
As I mentioned, this was Dale’s first venture at publishing, so there was, understandably, a lot of work to be done. The story was good and the characters well-developed; he just needed a bit of help getting it polished up. I was excited to be involved in that process, and we communicated steadily throughout the project, which took about a month and a half. Much of the trilogy was still written as though it were all one book, so a few tweaks were needed to sustain readability over the course of all three books.
This was one of my first freelance projects and I was still learning my style. I wasn’t using tracked changes at first (Dale had mentioned he was kind of sick of it!) and was instead putting all my thoughts into a separate document and highlighting the passages they referenced in the original manuscript. It was a lot of work, and after a while we agreed to switch over. It was an incredible learning experience, though, and helped me develop my process as an editor. It was very exciting to see Dale’s story published!
Michaeli lives in Harvest, Alabama with her husband, Mark. They have three cats, Henry, Louise, and Jefferson Twilight, and live the quiet and satisfying lives of two nerdy introverts. In her spare time, Michaeli enjoys gardening, playing the piano, singing, playing JRPGs, Tabletop gaming, and (of course) reading.
Michaeli lives in Harvest, Alabama with her husband, Mark. They have three cats, Henry, Louise, and Jefferson Twilight, and live the quiet and satisfying lives of two nerdy introverts. In her spare time, Michaeli enjoys gardening, playing the piano, singing, playing JRPGs, Tabletop gaming, and (of course) reading.
