Need a helping hand?
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I specialise in literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, psychological thrillers, and urban fantasy. I also work on narrative non-fiction and memoirs.
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The services I offer are outlined below, along with my rates. I am keen to help self-publishing writers particularly, and I offer a 20% discount for all my services listed here.
Please see my shop for my off-the-peg editorial services, where prices start at £30.
Manuscript assessment: A manuscript assessment is a good place to start if you are new to writing or have not yet experienced editorial input. I'll read the entire project and send back an editorial report of 5000-7000 words highlighting what is and isn't working, and suggesting useful next steps. I will also leave some mark-up on the manuscript using track changes. This service costs from £7.50 to £10.00 per thousand words, depending on the word count.
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Developmental edit: This looks at your story structure, and other important stuff, such as plot, characterisation, pace, and tension. Obvious typos and other mistakes will be corrected, but the main focus is on the overall structure of your project. I will use track changes on your document to make suggestions and add comments. I will also provide a set of notes to accompany the edit. This service costs £12.00 per thousand words.
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Line edit: This edit is in depth, and usually follows the developmental edit. A line edit looks carefully at every single sentence in the project, ensuring each word is working and doing what you want it to do. This edit also corrects typos and mistakes, and makes suggestions for pace, clarity, and word economy. Most of the work is on the manuscript, and I will also send a set of notes. This service costs £12.00 per thousand words.
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Proof-reading: I can proof-read both fiction and non-fiction projects. I have a good eye for detail and always do a thorough job of proof-reading. It's surprising just how many errors stubbornly persist through several rounds of edits. For example, in one of the novels I published at my indie press, we were on the second proof read and I noticed "bridal path" when of course we meant "bridle path". The error had got past the developmental, line, and copy edits, and one proof read, before it was spotted. Never under-estimate the value of a fresh, and experienced, pair of eyes going over your manuscript! This service is great value at £7 per thousand words.
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Agent/publisher submission package - first 10k words, synopsis and cover letter report: I'll look at your first three chapters or ten thousand words (whichever is the shorter), your synopsis, and your cover letter. This is the perfect service if you think your project might be ready to submit to agents and publishers. It's also a more affordable alternative to a full editorial report. In my experience, often an assessment of the first three chapters and the synopsis is sufficient for you to be able to apply the advice to the rest of your project. I will mark up all your documents using track changes, and provide a set of notes. This service is a fixed cost of £200. This can be bought at my website shop.
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First ten pages/3000 words report: I can look just at the first ten pages, or up to 3000 words, of your project. This is a useful and affordable alternative to a full manuscript report or even the agent/publisher package report. The first ten pages are crucial, and very often are enough to gauge the ability of any writer. So if you are struggling to assess your own writing and want to understand your abilities, this is the service for you. I am keen to keep my fee low for this to make it truly affordable, so it's a fixed cost of £40. For that I will read all ten pages/3000 words (whichever is the shorter), and leave mark-up on them using track changes. I will also write a mini-report, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of your writing. This service can be bought at my website shop.
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**new** Beta-reading: A professional beta read is a useful (and cheaper) alternative to a full manuscript assessment. I will read your project straight through, and afterwards I'll prepare a set of notes of around 2000 words outlining my thoughts and reactions, and highlighting the project's strengths and weaknesses. As I read I'll be assessing the big issues: structure, plot, pace, tension, and characterisation. This service is great value at £4 per thousand words.
If you would like me to work on your project, or if you have questions about any of my services, please email me on info@louisewaltersbooks.co.uk. If you are uncertain about which service might be best for you, I can look at a sample of your writing, and a synopsis if you have one, and then I'll be able to suggest which service might suit you.
I can also provide a sample edit for the first three or four pages of your manuscript to give you an idea of how I work. This is with no obligation.
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I'm looking forward to hearing from you! I can also be found at Jericho Writers and Reedsy, so feel free to approach me via those platforms if that would work better for you.
Clients say...
"Louise is a first-rate editor, so passionate and professional about ensuring that the books she edits end up the best they can be. At no point have I felt like my main character's voice has been lost during the editing process.
We've had some lively debates about some of the choices I've made in the story, but Louise's suggested changes are always logical and clearly set out.
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I have worked with her throughout my Wilde Investigations series and the effort she puts into making sure she knows the characters, and that the storylines are consistent across the novels, means she is a tremendous help for me as the author.
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I trust her implicitly and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her editorial services."
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Laura Laakso, author of Fallible Justice, published by Bloodhound Books 2024, and originally by Louise Walters Books in 2018.
Louise Walters has been my editor since I wrote my first book, and she has just completed the structural edit of my sixth book. Four of these books became Amazon bestsellers and collectively have thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I could never have achieved this without Louise’s exceptional input. Her reports are always detailed and packed with advice on how I can improve my plots, storylines, characters and prose.
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I think the key to finding the perfect editor boils down to trust. I have complete faith in Louise to guide me to make my stories the best they can be. I will be forever grateful our paths crossed.
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A J Campbell, Bookoutre author and self-publisher of psychological thrillers.
"I highly recommend Louise's services! Her editorial report helped me attract an agent."
Victoria Scott, author of Patience, published by Head of Zeus in 2021
"Louise Walters's report was really thorough and helpful."
L M west, author of This Fearful Thing.
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