“Writing gives voice to the deep things we cannot say.”
—Britta Jensen
Writing is not a solo endeavour. It requires collaboration, revision and a willingness to learn. Often success is a matter of finding the right partner to help you. With sixteen years combined literacy and publishing experience, I have seen what methods help my clients win awards, get published and reach their educational goals. I work with authors seeking traditional and indie publishing as well as university students and teens seeking a variety of literacy solutions to meet their writing needs.
I believe in a holistic editing process that involves:
Addressing the intention and focus of your work in its current state,
Focusing first on what you are doing well as waypoints in the revision process,
Incisive feedback on structure, flow, integration of sources/source material (non-fiction); characterization, setting, POV, voice and character intentions (fiction) so that you’re aware of the structure your book, story or article is resting upon before we inspect the more granular aspects of your writing.
Identifying skills you need to acquire to become a stronger writer,
Setting goals and deadlines for the next phase of your work,
Reading recommendations to help with developing your craft as an author,
Clear feedback that allows for one-on-one discussions and questions to be answered,
Publishing advice for both indie and traditional publishing (including economical solutions),
Agent submissions and book title upload preparation,
Addressing a variety of routes your writing can take so you are always at the helm making the decisions regarding where you’ll take your work next.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS CLIENTS
“Britta was awesome and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an editor. She did a great job on not just the edit itself, but book-ending the work with extra effort. Before I hired her, she was already putting in extra steps to understand what I needed and where my manuscript was at. After the edit, she gave me a very detailed summary, letter, and follow-up meeting to go over it. I would not hesitate to work with her again.” -Kyle Cooper, author of Annals of Arlion
“Britta is an absolute pleasure to work with. I had taken my project as far as I could on my own, and I knew I needed a developmental edit to help shape and structure the story I want to tell. I knew I had found a match with Britta after interviewing a LOT of editors. Her communication is professional, her responses timely, and she has a great personality. The feedback she’s given me through an editorial letter, in-line comments, and online discussions has been invaluable in improving my manuscript and getting it ready for my next steps toward publication. She has the perfect mix between honesty and encouragement and is an excellent communicator. I look forward to continuing to work with Britta in the future, and I can’t recommend her enough. If you’re still reading this review, go ahead and send her a message already! -Donovan Bergin, author of In Her Image
“Britta left amazing and insightful comments throughout my manuscript. The video and cover letter walked me through the major issues and helped me develop an action plan to start making big improvements in my work. Being able to leverage her experience in our follow-up conversation was invaluable, thank you!”-Jonathan Munz, author of Imperial Colours
Past clients have gone on to win awards, get published and gain admission to their top university of choice. You’ll not only polish your work, but gain lifelong skills to help you become the writer you dream of becoming!
We’ll be a great fit, if you are:
Ready to dive in and start working on your project.
Keen to revise and develop your writing.
Believe that reading is essential in developing your voice as a writer.
You are willing to meet deadlines and set goals.
You treat me as a partner in the work and submit your work within appropriate publishing/educational formatting guidelines.
Understand that quality editing does require financial investment: the longer the extract submitted/less revision completed, the more time will be needed to provide feedback.
Enthusiastic about improving your writing and flexible with your vision.
I am likely not a good fit if:
You’re looking for someone to only “clean-up” your rough draft (check for spelling, sentence structure and formatting) but aren’t interested in the bigger picture and structure that first need addressing in writing that hasn’t had significant revision.
You don’t believe that revision is essential to becoming a better writer and getting published.
You have a very fixed idea of what your story is about and aren’t interested in outside feedback.
You need quick fixes and gimmicks to become an instant bestseller.
You believe writing is a way to get “easy money.”
You don’t like reading in the genre you’re writing because your idea is so original that there’s nothing out there like it.
Writing is something you only do when you “feel inspired” and aren’t open to showing up to the page on a frequent basis.
You want me to work for free.
SERVICES I OFFER
Private Book Mentoring (or Writing Coaching)
Manuscript critiques and evaluations (including a budget-friendly Manuscript Quick Edit)
Developmental editing, Content editing/Line editing, Copyediting*
Agent submissions: Query Letter, Synopsis, Sample Pages Editing & Advice
Indie publishing consultations
Traditional publishing consultations Choose from 40-60 minute appointments
Workshops & Classes
Indie/Self Publishing Book Layout in preparation for title upload
College Essay Revisions
*I’m an especially good fit for individuals writing big worlds/historical novels who need continuity checks as I have a great visual memory for where elements of the story world aren’t lining up.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
FICTION
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
YA/MG and Coming of Age
Literary Fiction (Particularly multi-cultural/cross cultural narratives)
Women’s/Contemporary Fiction
Mystery/Thriller
Historical Fiction
Romance
NONFICTION
Memoir
Narrative non-fiction
University essays/applications