anyone recommend an editor who will proof read and help for a fee?

[50shadesofcray]

I'd like to send some of my writing to an author/editor who will look at it and review it for me and tell me areas of improvement on an ad hoc basis. I'm happy to pay. Does anyone know of someone who would do this?

V quick answer as I have to dash off but there are loads and loads of people who will do this for you - the ones that spring immediately to mind are Cornerstones and The Writers Workshop, but I am sure there are more - and if you are in a specialist area like childrens, there will be specific agencies for that genre.

There are lots, offered by individual writers and agencies/consultancies. Look carefully at exactly what they offer and how much their various packages cost. They can be very expensive. Some offer Skype/phone/face to face meetings, as well as/instead of written feedback. Some will do detailed line edits of a chapter and more general responses to x thousand words.

TLC (The Literary Consultancy) is reputable and sponsors an established new writing prize. Or identify a specialist in your genre. The problem is that a writer you admire won't necessarily be a good reader/editor of your work. If they blog about writing, you might be able to see if you think they would be good communicators about your work. Emma Darwin's blog This Itch of Writing suggests she might be good, as she writes very well about the technicalities of fiction, and I think she does do editing consultancy work.

I've been to a course run by Emma Darwin, she was very good. I believe she teaches, or has taught, for the OU, too.

OP, before parting with any money, do research very carefully. Look online for feedback/reviews of any editorial service you're thinking of approaching. Anyone can set up as an editor/proofreader; there's no way of knowing if they're actually any good.

That's nice to hear ED was good, Harriet. I actually don't know her novels at all, it was just that someone on here linked to her writing blog and I tnought it was excellent - very clear and nuts-and-bolts stuff.

I've only read one of hers, I read it when I knew she was going to be running the course. I didn't fall in love with it, but it was possibly just not my thing - no criticism of the writing intended.

I've recommended her website to people too.

Don't worry, I'm not putting myself forward for this, OP, but I would love a job doing exactly that. I like nothing better than trying to work out where the plot could change to make the story better and to edit line by line. I wish I'd gone into publishing when I was much younger.