Case Studies
The Career Author
The Debut Novelist
Case Study #1: The Career Author
When Matthew first contacted me about working on his latest book, he had already written several novels previously and by then was on the third instalment of what would become the long-running Acid Vanilla action thriller series. We had already connected on social media, and I'd purchased and enjoyed several of his self-published books. Having not had entirely satisfying experiences with editors up to then, he asked if I could help. It was a no-brainer. I was delighted.
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Although Matthew wasn't writing and publishing full time at that point, he had exceptionally clear goals and this came through quickly in our communications. It was evident that he understood a great deal about self-publishing, had researched his genre (his market), and knew how to reach readers and then how to nurture them into a growing fanbase. This level of knowledge had been driven by one focused overarching goal, and that was to quit his job and write and publish for a living.
It didn't take me long to realize that there was little I could offer Matthew in the way of guidance about the steps he could take to reach his goal; he already had it figured out. But I could do his goal justice by making the manuscript of his latest book as effective and professionally well-presented as possible.
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Structurally, the book was in great shape. Matthew knew what was needed to create a strong foundation upon which the rest of the story could unfold. So we began with a copyedit, tightening up the narrative, addressing repetition, tweaking dialogue, varying word choice, ensuring consistency throughout, all with the fast-paced action thriller genre and its audience in mind. Following this, we finished up with a proofread, cleaning up any remaining spelling, grammar and stylistic issues until the manuscript was polished and ready to go.
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As an editor, it's always a pleasure and a privilege for me to work on a writer's manuscript regardless of what stage of their writing journey they're on, but ultimately the greatest satisfaction comes when that writer feels their manuscript has benefited from the service they've received. Suffice to say, Matthew was so pleased, he subsequently sent me his back catalogue to work on, and since that first book four years ago, we've now worked together on 15 of his books across three series, developing an efficient process that suits us both.
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Matthew has long since reached his goal and is now writing and publishing full time. He has a large fanbase of eager readers who hungrily devour his new releases, and just recently he's signed a contract with a publisher who will take the marketing tasks off his hands so he can spend more time doing what he loves - writing great books.
Every time one of his manuscripts lands in my inbox, it's like meeting up again with old friends, and I'm reminded just how fortunate and grateful I am to do this job. Find out more about Matthew, and dip into one of his superb series at: matthewhattersley.com
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Case Study #2: The Debut Novelist
When Author A first approached me, enquiring about my manuscript assessment service, they were understandably nervous about whether I would be able to give them the kind of in-depth, constructive feedback they were looking for. This was the first time we had spoken.
To set both our minds at rest, and as this was their debut novel, I suggested I carry out a sample 'mini' assessment on the first few chapters. Their response when I returned my sample assessment report and findings based on those initial chapters was to immediately request a full assessment of the complete manuscript.
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From our discussions, it became clear that Author A's goal was to query agents and publishers, but I could see during the manuscript assessment there were significant structural issues to address before we could dive deeper into the line-by-line intricacies of a copyedit.
Following my extensive report, Author A worked on the areas I suggested needed strengthening. I had provided guidance via my comments on the manuscript so they weren't left floundering over what to do next, and had detailed how the changes could benefit the story as a whole.
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When they had done all they could, Author A requested help rewriting the parts they were still having difficulty with; and after negotiating a new fee and clarifying the scope of my intervention, this we did, adhering closely to their narrative voice and the style of the book at all times.
Whilst rewriting isn't one of the core services I offer, given that I'd already spent a great deal of time on the manuscript, Author A was by then comfortable entrusting me with this task, and I was confident I could do the narrative and the author's work and voice justice.
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The result was a strong structural foundation that then allowed us to move on to the copyedit. At this stage, we were addressing issues of flat secondary characters, repetition, dialogue issues, and timeline inconsistencies. But bit by bit these issues were ironed out, and the story Author A had spent years working on began to shine through the haze of problems that had plagued it and plagued them. We completed the project with a proofread.
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Having finally brought the manuscript closer to the vision they'd intended for it, Author A wasted no time preparing a query package for publishers. With a final request for me to copyedit the synopsis and query letter, they were then ready to submit the first few chapters, and in only a couple of months received an offer of a publishing contract.
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While considering this contract, Author A then received an offer of representation from a highly commended literary agent who has previously ​worked for several of the Big Five publishers - an offer too precious to refuse!
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At the end of this intensive project, both Author A and I had learned a considerable amount from the process. But most importantly we had been able, with careful thought and patience, to shape the story and bring it back to life, allowing Author A to fall in love with their work once again, and to submit it to publishers and agents with pride and confidence.
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