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MICHAEL FAULKNER

EDITORIAL SERVICES

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I am an experienced UK-based editor, an Advanced Professional Member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders and a member of the Society of Authors. I have had several non-fiction books published and continue to write, but most of my working week is spent editing.

More on my own books here.

I work with writers and publishers to arrive at text that is

• elegant
• engaging
• error-free

Specialties include:

• Developmental editing of fiction for independent/self-publishing authors
• Proofreading and copyediting of fiction and non-fiction for publishers
• Editorial proofreading of law and business texts

“Editing requires you to be always open, always responding.” Robert Gottlieb

If you have written – or plan to write – a novel, then whatever your level of experience, and whether you are intending to self-publish or to attract an agent or publisher, I can help give your manuscript the best possible chance of success.

The first step is to send me a sample of your work, so that between us we can decide the level of intervention that is appropriate and that you are comfortable with.

I offer the following services – often in combination – for novelists:

1. Developmental editing. Also known as structural, substantive or content editing, developmental editing looks at the big picture and may include substantial rewriting. Developmental editing includes the following elements:

• Layout and formatting
• Characterisation
• Setting
• Plot
• Point of view
• Pacing
• Storytelling devices
• Author intrusion
• Dialogue dos and don’ts
• Narrative dos and don’ts

2. Line editing. Also known as stylistic editing, this takes place at the paragraph level and includes:

• Style
• Voice
• Rhythm
• Clarity
• Flow

3. Copy editing. A copy edit drills down to sentence level and looks at:

• Consistency
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Grammar and syntax
• Usage

4. Proofreading. Now we’re down to the level of individual words. This is the final check of all the points of finer detail, as well as many elements from a line or copy edit (above), an important distinction being that proofreading tends to involve corrections while line and copy editing involve improvements:

• Layout and formatting
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Grammar and syntax
• Usage

Which to choose?

Typically, your novel will benefit from a combination of several of the above editorial treatments. So, which to opt for?

It can be daunting to hand your creation over to an editor without knowing what to suggest or expect; but that is where an experienced editor can help, offering professional advice and suggesting which combination might be appropriate in order to get the very best out of your manuscript.

Having put the options, however, your editor should be happy to step back – ultimately, it is your project and an editor forgets that at his or her peril!

My own approach is to use a sample edit to show what might be worth addressing, and then to listen …

I offer the following services for publishers:

• Copy-editing and line editing (fiction and non-fiction) – working direct with the author if required, with or without tracked changes according to the brief
• Proofreading (fiction and non-fiction)

Having been published several times by mainstream publishers, I have a good understanding of the process from the author’s perspective, which I find can be helpful.

I am a qualified solicitor and spent some years in private practice (in the litigation department of a large firm of Edinburgh solicitors), so I can follow a brief and am comfortable with legalese. I offer the following services to law publishers:

• Proofreading
• Editorial proofreading – as many law books are multi-author, with contributors from all corners of the world who have varying levels of fluency in written English, this extra level of intervention is sometimes appropriate.
• Copy-editing

I offer a proofreading service for students covering:

• Term papers
• Dissertations
• Theses

I work with a number of supervisors in UK universities and understand the parameters when it comes to academic proofreading. Specifically:

• I will not
• address the argument, the cohesiveness of the paper, repetition etc, as this would be inappropriate in an academic context
• check URLs, dates or other details of citations for validity
• I will (if your supervisor is happy) look at
• formatting (the look and structure of your paper, including numbered sections, table of contents etc)
• use of language (my clients are often non-native English speakers)
• formatting of citations (again, if allowed by your supervisor – policy varies between universities)

It is difficult to estimate cost without seeing a sample of the work, as every project is different and the level of intervention required (or requested) varies enormously. Normally, the procedure is that I edit a short sample without charge and we take it from there – this way, I can estimate the number of hours the project is likely to take and, just as important, you can decide whether I am a good fit as your editor!

‘Hats off – this is great work. Really chuffed with your approach to the text and the style … We appreciate proofers who will adopt an elegant scepticism to everything.’
Carolyn Boyle, Managing Editor, Globe Business Publishing Ltd

‘Mike was everything I could ask for and more in an editor, he had an excellent eye for detail, which is what every writer needs. He picked up inaccuracies that I had failed to notice in my work, gave me great advice and made structural changes in order to improve it. He was professional and friendly at all times, but above all,  he was very meticulous and thorough, tying up all the loose ends that could destroy a good narrative. As an author I needed an editor who was as passionate about my book as I was; it seemed the heavens favoured me by giving me Mike – in short, he became the fairy godmother of my book, albeit as a man.’
Seja Majeed, author, The Forgotten Tale of Larsa

‘Michael Faulkner overtook a couple of people who had done proofreading for me. He did an outstanding job by doing a thorough review of my 95,000 word Ph.D thesis; not only did he check for grammar and sentence rephrasing, but he spotted equivocal sentences, resulting in enhancing my confidence to share the document beyond the academic world. He became interested in my project, and really paid attention to the detail of the thesis, and was so particular in his comments. My document read much better after his editing. My supervisors too, were impressed!!! He is truly amazing, very efficient, friendly and professional, and delivered the work on time against a very tight deadline – ‘Fire-fighting as usual’ as he said. I definitely recommend him to others and will continue to use his services again for any future publications and articles.’
Angelina, University of Edinburgh

‘Thanks Mike. Extremely thorough, and just what the MS needed.Your proofing was spot-on, and all your comments on the text itself...’
John Barlow, author of Hope Road, Father and Son and The Communion of Saints

‘I would strongly recommend Mike’s services. His work was of a very high standard, and being a writer himself, he had many insightful and useful suggestions. In addition to this he is one hundred percent trustworthy, which having been conned by online proofreaders before, was of vital importance to me: he was honest about deadlines, stuck to them and only asked for payment when the work was finished and I was happy. I would definitely use him again.’
Julian Pollard, author and musician (www.themachinebreakers.com)

‘It’s clear from these queries that the proofreader is doing a fantastic, thoughtful job, so big thanks to them!’

Globe Business Publishing Ltd

‘Excellent work and attention to detail. Does what it says on the tin!”
Enough is Enough Publishing

‘We were really happy with the work … you did a brilliant job of the final read. You picked up lots and the mark-up was really clear.’
Blackstaff Press Ltd

‘You did an excellent job, with lots of carefully considered amends and thoughtful queries.’
Bradt Travel Guides

To enquire about my services or obtain a free sample edit and quote, click here.

£ Charges

Novelists

Publishers (for law publishers see below)

Law and business publishers

Students

Clients’ comments

Email an enquiry here

ASSOCIATION OF

INDEPENDENT

PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS

Having practised law I am used to managing time constraints and following a brief, and I aim to provide clients with a fast turnaround and a rewarding, hopefully enjoyable experience at reasonable cost.

To enquire about my services, ask for a CV or obtain a FREE 1000-word  sample edit
of your work and a quote, please email me here: