This service offers a substantive edit of your short story (up to 8,000 words), focused not just on language but on the architecture of the piece. I approach fiction as a working writer and editor with a critical background, not as a cheerleader or a hobbyist. If you're looking for a line-by-line close reading from someone who understands form, style, and narrative mechanics, this is it.
The process is straightforward. I read the work carefully. I mark what's working and where the structure breaks. I cut what's repetitive, flag what's vague, and question what feels underdeveloped. If your dialogue meanders, your tension dissolves, or your point of view drifts, I'll note it. If a sentence is sharp, I'll say so. If it isn't, I won't pretend it is.
This is for short fiction. Literary or genre doesn't matter to me; what matters is whether you're serious about the work.
Deliverables include:
• A marked-up manuscript (via Track Changes or Google Docs)
• A marked outline of major issues and possible approaches
• Notes on clarity, structure, pacing, voice, and sentence craft
• Light proofreading
Delivery time: 3–14 days
Let's get started.
FAQ
Do you change my writing style?
No. I work with your voice, not against it. If something’s overwritten or unclear, I’ll show you how to fix it without flattening your tone.
What genres do you work with?
Most genres: literary, speculative, slipstream, light horror, realism, romance. If it’s a story trying to do something true—even if it’s weird—I’m interested.
Do you help with dialogue or pacing?
Yes. I’ll give notes on how dialogue flows, where pacing slows, and whether your beats are hitting hard enough.
Can I send a longer piece?
Yes, but we’ll need to talk first. If it’s longer than 7,000 words, we might be looking at a novella here. We can do a custom gig for those.
“Libby James is an intuitive, practiced editor. She hits on all the spots that I was questioning about this piece of writing. I really appreciate how quickly she turns around the editing process! Deeply grateful.” – Naomi Klouda
Line edits plus structural analysis—a complete, sentence-level and story-level review.