Lea Taylor
(Edinburgh)
Having a good editor that knows your work, your voice, someone that you trust implicitly is vital. Finding such an editor is a rare and precious thing. In Claire you have all these things. Working with her is always a privilege. She has an eagle eye for detail, understands the subtle nuances of your work and what will serve the story best. Her style is generously nurturing. She is kind in her dealings with you but, at the same time, she will not give platitudes: if something doesn’t sit right, she will tell you.
I have worked with Claire for four years now, having come to her as a complete novice. She has brought out the creative in me, and I now consider myself a writer. I’m about to launch my third publication and will continue to work with her. I think that speaks for itself.
Gemma Wright
(London)
I first met Claire in August 2020 when she tutored a local writing group. At that time I felt I needed some support with my writing – I’d written a novel and was lacking the skills, knowledge and willpower to follow my project through to completion.
I reached out to Claire and haven’t looked back since. I have 1:1 mentoring sessions, which I’ve found really motivating. Claire provides formal tutoring on various subjects that we select together, or I can choose. We work on writing and development exercises, and the sessions also serve as a general sounding board for problems or questions – it’s a developing writer asking an experienced writer for help and advice (a bit like a writing agony aunt)!
I’ve also had several portions of my manuscript formally line-edited by Claire. The editing comes with suggestions for improvement, as well as correcting basics like formatting, punctuation and grammar. I recently asked Claire to undertake a Reader's Review of my whole manuscript and this is serving as a fantastic guide for me. It's made the editing process seem more doable by working through it in small chunks, rather than a big scary whole.
Claire is warm, friendly, patient and very supportive. She is inspiring, and her sessions and input make me want to succeed. She has helped me to develop my technical abilities and my writer's voice. I actually feel like a writer now, thanks to Claire’s support and guidance.
Alison Stickings
(Buckinghamshire)
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Jill as an editor. As an accomplished writer herself, her literary instincts are sharp. She is able to spot a grammatical error, plot inconsistency or repetition at a hundred yards and has a well-tuned ear for good sentence construction. She knows what will make a work ‘sing’. Needless to say, she is also technically proficient and has patiently guided me, as a virtually computer-illiterate, pen-to-paper writer, through the online process.
I have found Jill to be prompt, professional and diligent. Her editing suggestions demonstrate a creative understanding of the work as a whole and the overarching message I wish to convey. Working with her is a genuinely collaborative process, as she is always mindful of whose work it is. Her sensitivity as a fellow writer is what stands out to me as the most important aspect of Jill’s many editing skills.