Manuscript assessments, editing, mentoring
Let’s take your masterpiece to the next level
Whether you need a kick-start to get going (or to keep going), or a full-blown assessment and structural edit, or some final polishing before you submit it to a publisher, I can help you achieve your goal.
Why me?
Because l genuinely LOVE helping other writers, and have a veritable array of relevant qualifications, backed up by several …(ahem)… decades of experience:
30+ years of experience writing and editing everything from captions for artwork to textbooks, poetry. novels, memoir, and academic theses.
Qualifications in literature, linguistics, education and writing, including a Masters in Creative Writing.
30+ years lecturing, presenting, and running workshops in writing
“Lyn is the go-to person if you want your writing to be spot-on.”
Find out more about …
Manuscript assessments
Ideal if you’ve completed all or most of a work-in-progress and want a “big-picture” analysis to help you move closer to submitting your work to agents and publishers.
What you’ll receive
- A comprehensive report objectively addressing elements of your work such as:
- themes, issues, stylistic and literary devices
- structure, plot, narrative arcs, beginning and ending
- credibility, consistency, timings, plot holes, pacing
- character development, relationships, interactions, credibility, flaws, motivations
- voice, language, dialogue, points of view
- suitability for target audience
- title, length, and opening and closing lines and scenes of each chapter (especially the first and last chapters).
- An annotated version of your work with feedback relating to specific paragraphs and lines.
- Meetings (in person, or via phone or Zoom) to discuss your work.
Editing
Manuscripts: Ideal if you’ve completed all or a substantial part of a work-in-progress, and want some help polishing your words before submitting your work to agents and publishers.**
What you’ll receive
An annotated version of your document, complemented with comments, suggestions and questions.
A customised style guide setting out rules and conventions for your document, covering grammar, spelling, punctuation, use of particular words or patois, and so on.
Meetings (in person, or via phone or Zoom) to discuss your work.
Writer/artist pitching docs, and more: Ideal if you're getting ready to pitch to agents, publishers, curators or producers. Let's make your submission docs stand out from the crowd and reflect your art, vision and personality. I've worked with authors, dramaturgs, screenwriters, visual and performing artists...developing and polishing everything from bios, pitches, and synopses, to program notes, titles and captions, treatments for screen productions, and even celebratory docs such as invitations and acknowledgements.
Theses: Ideal if you've completed all or a substantial proportion of a thesis and need some help to make it not only well argued and well written but properly structured, formatted and referenced. I’ve edited theses across many disciplines (e.g. creative writing, law, history, education) at Honours, Masters and PhD levels.
Mentoring
**Ideal if you need some help to get going or keep going, no matter where you are in your writing career or your current work-in-progress.
What you’ll receive
Regular scheduled meetings (typically monthly or fortnightly) to:
discuss your progress
tackle obstacles you might be experiencing
discuss advanced MS Word functions that can help you master your manuscript
identify books, podcasts, articles and other works that could help you
expand your network
find early readers
prepare a synopsis and other pitching documents
explore publishing options
Ad hoc meetings at mutually convenient times.
Reviews of your work in progress.
Meetings can be via phone or Zoom, or in person.
My areas of expertise
Adult fiction (e.g. literary, commercial, crime/thriller, drama, comedy, uplit, experimental/post-modern, science fiction, speculative, etc.)
YA fiction
memoir
short stories
non-fiction (books, articles, essays, reviews, etc.)
creative non-fiction
academic theses
articles, reviews, interviews, speeches and presentations
treatments for screen productions
bios and pitches
artist statements, program and exhibition notes, titles, captions.
“I will happily sing your praises to anyone and everyone.”
Fees
I charge an hourly rate based on rates recommended by the Australian Society of Authors.
As a guide:
a manuscript assessment of a 70-80,000-word novel costs approximately $2000.00
editing of a 3-page pitching document costs approximately $250.
Actual costs obviously depend on the quality of your work and any specific concerns or needs you have.
Let’s talk…
“Lyn is an ideal editor. ”
Authors I’ve helped
JP Pomare, author of The Last Guests
Glenna Thomson, author of Stella and Margie
Susan Hurley, author of Eight Lives
Jane Leonard, artist and author of pandography: making sense of a bewildering world
Nick Gadd, author of Melbourne Circle: Walking, Memory and Loss
Miriam Zolin, author of Tristessa & Lucido
Justine Sless, author of Mistress of Mirth’s Comedy Tour
Xavier Fowler, author of Not Playing the Game
“Intelligent, insightful and kind. Best ms report I’ve ever received”
“You’ve given me gold and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Ken Chau, author of Possible Lyrics for Chinese and Western Pop Songs
Quinn Eades, author of All the Beginnings: A Queer Autobiography of the Body
Stella Glorie, author of Kiss of Death (WIP manuscript long-listed for the UK Women in Comedy prize, recipient of ASA mentorship)
Maha Sidaoui, (recipient Varuna/Affirm 2022 Mentorship Award)