WAYFINDING. Story Development & Shaping
Expect imagination with creative direction.
At last, a service for determined writers with min. 35,000 words completed. Those seeking genuine guidance, direction & input on how to fully grow & develop your story's potentialities + plot outline.
Because, with 1st drafts, what hardly anyone appreciates is how much everything wants to flood out: competing protagonists, multiple points of view, ideas that cancel one another out, and back story - oh, so much back story. Sadly, the norm is to steer writers towards generic expeditiousness over respecting that glorious tree of imaginative branches. That’s where a professional story liner, like me, can be your champion. What you can expect: Well, a glorious blend of developmental exploration, a deepening grasp of the layers to the work, lessons in applied craft, + a genuine sense of attainment by process end.
Fee: £900/$1140
MENTORING. Creative Growth Service
Coupling vision & craft with true guardianship.
Enjoy a unique 1:1 creative education with a master in story craft. Make great strides. Intensive rounds of submissions and feedback; stimulating pace and drive.
Lessons and steering in craft, creative process, and theory. Bespoke to you. Complemented with deep, nourishing conversation, authentic intelligence and motivating force.
Fortnightly video calls + submit up to 7,000 words per month for feedback and editorial development.
Mentoring Fee: £440/$555 per month. Across 3-4 months .
Consultation. Together, we’ll get to the root of what the problem really is. Based on written context(up to 500 words), 1 hour professional reading of a chapter or synopsis (up to 2,000 words), and 1 hour consultation via video call.
One-off Consultation Fee: £175/$220
DEEP ROOTS DEVELOPMENTAL: Full Ms
Forge Your Vision into its Strongest Form
Enough with blind faith. Enough with deferring to a system that would keep you second guessing yourself. The writers with whom I work want to know what is and isn’t working, and what they can do about it. With me, you’re going to get absolute sincerity and conviction because there will be a way to put story in service to your vision. Working with me will be intense because I’m going to take in the Whole Picture - vision, story structure, plot, genre, audience, marketplace. But I’m not going to leave all that hanging over your head. Not only are you going to understand the rationale behind weighing up one creative option over another, you will walk away with an integrated plan for attending to those revisions in a layered and strategic way.
Will you entrust me with your manuscript today?
Fee for 75-90k ms: £1850/$2350
Welcome
Right now, when you’re not thinking of how you can better serve humanity, you’re worrying that…
It's time for this story to be out in the world but you're mindful there are gaps, fault lines even, and you have too much integrity to not deploy everything you can in service to this work.
You'll miss the mark somehow.
People won't get you or what you're trying to do. Or simply don’t get it.
Rewards of a Full Developmental Review.
A developmental edit is all-encompassing. It leans most into your creative and career potential. An accomplished developmental editor will take in the whole picture. The best will approach your work from two directions; what you want to get across and what is there on the page. She has trained her focus to run along parallel lines. On things like form, narrative structure, character development, theme, point of view, plot etc. But, more critically, on how the logic falls down and where the emotional connect is missing for the reader. She’ll see how to best bring those elements back into alignment. Working with her should prove an incredibly fulfilling experience.
“I have searched high and low for an editor that would understand enough of my story to give suggestions and not just say, “I don’t get it.” Nicola has been extraordinary in her ability to submerge herself in my manuscript and grasp the concepts. It was not an easy task for her to look into my messy closet of a story, connect the dots and come back with constructive suggestions. I am so, so grateful I found her.”
— Linn Aspen, award-winning author of Dreamtidings, USA
Your Guide
Hello, I'm Nicola Perry.
Former Fiction & Crime Editor for Amazon. Head of Writers’ Services for Writers & Artists Yearbook (Bloomsbury). Professional story liner, story world builder, script writer. All-round editor. An author myself.
Coming up through the industry the way I did, you become somewhat of a maven. Dedicate yourself to the creative process long enough, and you come to know and implicitly trust in its unfolding. No wonder so many are tuning in to the potential to go beyond their workaday lives and reach for something so deeply connective and affecting.
In my experience, what makes for a winning writer-editor team is a dyed-in-the-wool practitioner drawing on real, varied experience to show you, the Writer, how to make more informed decisions and the right calls for yourself and your work. It is not someone telling talent what to do. Extraverted intuitives, like me, care to explore the possibilities alongside a Writer – with them, for them, on behalf of their intended audience. We can share our gut feelings and decisions with others through logical explanation and a keen sensitivity. Empowering you to make the finest creative decisions. Bringing forward the transformative moment when you go from writing a book to ‘authoring’ one.
Entrust me with your work. To steward your creative vision. To reach your desired reading audience. Writers welcome, worldwide.
testimonials
“I have searched high and low for an editor that would understand enough of my story to give suggestions and not just say, “I don’t get it.” Nicola has been extraordinary in her ability to submerge herself in my manuscript and grasp the concepts. I am so, so grateful I found her.”
—Linn Aspen, award-winning author of Dreamtidings of a Disgruntled Starbeing.
“Like a blindfold being taken off that I didn’t know was there.”
— Scott M., another happy Reedsy client
“I knew I had problems with my Manuscript. All the previous professionals I worked with, tried to provide suggestions to resolve those but none of them addressed the root. Nicola identified it, suggested a major restructuring of my work, told me which sections should go where, and also showed me why certain parts did not work. This is development editing as it should be.".”
—Sandeep S., a happy Reedsy client
"I left my summary document and annotated manuscript feeling refreshed, encouraged, and rejuvenated with clarity for the next phase of my book's journey!"”
- Alyssia Charpentier
stages
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In the query box below, I'd love to know more about your writing (genre, length, subject) and why you'd like to work with me. Most importantly, what would you like me to know about your manuscript? (max. 150 words).
I'll email you back within 48-72 hours and invite you to send over a sample of the first 20 pages or so. I can then review what you’ve sent over and respond accordingly within 2-3 days.
Should both parties be happy to proceed, we can get you booked in.
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Quotations and fees
A quotation for the work will be provided by the Editor on consultation with the Author and after evaluation of representative sample materials.
If the Author extends the word count of the job or requests additional services, a revised quotation and job-completion date will be negotiated, or the Author and Editor will stick to honouring the original agreement and word count.
15% deposit to confirm and book your editorial slot.35% on start date of project.
and 50% on completion of the editorial project (after proof of completed assignment supplied)
[Payment Plans are available and work can be staggered accordingly but my rates are non-negotiable]
Invoices will be sent out 24-48 hours prior to agreed-upon dates. To be paid before 4pm GMT . Clients can pay direct into Editor's bank account (bacs) or via paypal or some other means should that be necessary for US or International Clients. Cheques or cryptocurrency will not be accepted.
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What you can expect while you are waiting:
A full read-through of your ms.
Email correspondence to query any aspects of "the reading" that require more context or understanding on my part.
Within 3-4 weeks of our agreed start date, you can expect to receive:
A returned copy of your manuscript: annotated, line edited (no major overhauls; simply mindfully attended) and packed with constructive comments.
An extensive report on personal strengths, recurring patterns, blind spots.
An Integrated Plan for how to approach revisions or developments in the most strategic and layered of ways. Also the rationale behind weighing up core narrative choices and putting the ones in place most in service to your vision, genre, message and audience.
Email correspondence, or follow-up zoom call, once you've had a chance to read through the material, so you can feel clear and confident on the main points.
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Confidentiality
Editor agrees not to reproduce, give, or show to anyone any material sent to her by the Author.
Limitations
No guarantees are made as to the saleability or marketability of the edited manuscript and editorial materials. No guarantees are also made as to the acceptance of the edited manuscript by an agency or an offer of publication from a publisher.
Terminations/Cancellations
Once the contract is signed, the deposit will be non-refundable as the Editor will have booked out a slot and turned away other clients to work on the Author’s project.
If the Author terminates the agreement after the agreed start date, the Author will pay the Editor for work done up to the date of termination.
In the unlikely event that the Author is affected by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay outside of this time (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), the Author should contact me (The Editor) to discuss. The Editor aims to be fair and helpful at all times and will try to work out a solution that is best for both parties, however if the original slot is missed, the Editor will only be able to offer their next available slot, which could be vastly different to the original specified.
Likewise, if the Editor is touched by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), the Editor will contact the Author in writing at the earliest opportunity and do their best to renegotiate the time frame of the project or refund any money, including the deposit.
