Kim Smith - freelance editor

It might seem contradictory to be highly creative and have an annoyingly pedantic attention to detail - but these are the essential skills an editor requires. I don’t just fix your written copy, I make it shine.

I mainly work with Australian and British English authors but have done a number of US English projects. I focus on line/copy editing but often find an annotated manuscript appraisal (with Zoom discussions) can be beneficial if your MS is not quite ready for that final edit. Often, these appraisals have also involved some book coaching. I do love the educative aspects of working with authors to help them improve their skills. If not engaging a proofreader, I offer a free final proof-check of your formatted book. Note: this is a check for problems like spacing errors and hyphenation issues only.

I am semi-retired and only work on one book project at a time to keep my headspace in your narrative.

I work across a number of genres as well as narrative non-fiction. My favourite genre is humorous sci-fi/fantasy. I don't do horror (too scary) or erotica (too old) but I do not object to (and might even enjoy) the occasional (tasteful) sex scene. I also have experience with middle-grade children's fiction.

I work collaboratively with my authors and keep them regularly updated on progress. My authors enjoy working with me and find me very approachable. Maintaining author voice is key and I am not a prescriptivist editor.

You can read my 5-star reviews on Facebook and on my Reedsy profile.