Editorial Services

Hi. I'm Michelle, and I’m a writer and editor in Nairobi, Kenya.

I’ve tried my red pen hand at several different genres over the past ten years or so, but romance holds a special place in my affections, and so I am looking to edit a lot more of it. If you've got people falling in love and figuring out how to stay in love in your story, I'm probably going to have an excellent time in it.

I also enjoy stories about Kenyan women by Kenyan women. Women from other African countries are also quite welcome because sometimes Africa is a country.

If you would describe your story as romance or women’s fiction and its vibe using words like heartwarming, light, sweet, funny, sensual, relatable… here is how I can help with your manuscript.

“Michelle is a keen and gentle editor. I felt comfortable entrusting my work to her.”

~Harriet Anena, Poet and Author~

Manuscript critique

This is an editorial report which summarises the issues that appear in your manuscript and suggestions on how you might fix them. It is an assessment of your story that highlights major strengths and areas for improvement.

FAQ

Where does a manuscript critique fall in the publishing process?

A manuscript critique is helpful for authors who have completed their first or second drafts and would like some insights about how to improve the story structurally. It would precede developmental editing for longer manuscripts. For shorter manuscripts, a critique could cover the developmental editing.

How do I know whether I need a manuscript critique?

If you know that you can improve your story but you’re not clear on exactly how to revise it to achieve this, a manuscript critique would be helpful.

If you don’t have much experience as a writer and are trying to figure things out as you rewrite your story, a manuscript critique can offer clear guidance and some of the basics of creative writing.

At the very least, a critique offers you the opportunity to see your manuscript through a different set of eyes.

“I enjoyed working with Michelle on my novella. She had a keen eye for detail and helped me focus my story into something coherent and cohesive. She asked all the right questions and I was really happy with the final product.”

~Nkatha Magiri, Young Adult Author~

Developmental editing

This is useful for authors who need feedback on how to improve their story in terms of big-picture issues such as characterisation, plot, narration, themes, and pacing. It can also be called structural editing or substantive editing. It is especially important for longer works, which are more prone to plot holes, inconsistencies in characterisation, unclear themes, poor pacing, and weak story goals.

FAQ

Does my manuscript really need developmental editing?

Developmental editing is beneficial to all authors because it tells an author how readers will receive their story and also how they can give their readers a reading experience they will not readily forget. Fiction readers, especially those as voracious as romance readers, are looking for a structurally sound story with an interesting plot, memorable characters, an engaging narrative style, and some authorial insight into what makes and breaks romantic love. And that’s what what developmental editing can get you.

If you can’t invest in developmental editing or you have a short manuscript, consider getting a manuscript critique, which will give you shorter, quicker, and more general recommendations about what is working in your story and what isn’t.

“Michelle is without a doubt the best editor I’ve ever worked with. She is thorough, easy to work with, and will hold your hand every step of the way. She managed to bring out the best in me and transformed my story into a flowing, magical piece. I highly recommend her.”

~Sarah Haluwa, Author~

How is developmental editing different from a manuscript critique?

Developmental editing is far more comprehensive than the manuscript critique, and comes with both an editorial report and an annotated manuscript. It is also more suitable for longer manuscripts that are likely to have more and bigger structural issues.

How long does developmental editing take?

This is often the longest step in the editorial process because it involves collaboratively reworking the major elements of the story. Sometimes, the manuscript that emerges after developmental editing is vastly different from the one that existed before. There is a lot of discussion between editor and author as we figure out together what the story will become. One of my mentors likes to say writing is rewriting. This is especially true with developmental editing.

“Michelle is one of the most efficient editors that I've ever worked with. We have worked together on two different writing projects and both times the experience was quite pleasant. Her editing made sense to me and all her suggestions made my stories way better. The best thing was that my manuscripts stayed mostly the same even after her editing. She did make alterations and improvements but the story remained MINE. Her fees are reasonable and she's one you can definitely trust with your work!”

~Lubnah Abdulhalim, Poet and Author~

Line and copyediting

Copyediting focuses on the mechanics of your writing. It addresses grammar, spelling, word usage, punctuation, and minor inconsistencies that come up in your story. Typically, you will also receive line editing, which strengthens your prose and ensures that it flows. Copyediting comes after developmental editing and is therefore useful for the author who is confident that their story is solid and now only needs to be cleaned up.

FAQ

Can you copyedit without interfering with the author’s writing style?

I should hope so. With the caveat that the author needs to already have a clear understanding of their style and vision. In some cases, this is one of the areas an author would like some help with, in which case, some of my own style will likely seep in. Every book retains some mark of the people who work on it, and I prefer to see this as a feature of collaboration, not a bug.

However, before any copyediting happens, I engage the authors I work with in a discussion on details about language use, non-English words, different characters’ speech patterns, and any other creative choices the author made that may not be “standard” in English but which the author prefers to retain. Plus, while I make recommendations on how to achieve greater clarity and impact in the story and sentences, the author maintains creative control and makes the final decision on what their story will look like in the end.

“She demonstrated impressive language skills and a keen story sense which allowed her to identify where and what a story was lacking and where it shone. Her knack for connecting with authors allowed her to collaborate effectively with them to produce several books published by Storymoja.”

~Muthoni Garland, Children’s Author and Publisher~

Does copyediting get rid of all the grammatical errors in the manuscript?

Unfortunately, I cannot promise 100% accuracy from copyediting. I don’t know that any editor can. There are always some errors that escape even the most highly trained eyes. Our goal is to end up with a manuscript that is as clean as possible, and I go over the final copyedits multiple times, including with editing software. The errors that are missed after this, well, that’s now a task for proofreading.

Why do I need copyediting if I can edit my manuscript myself?

Self-editing matters because it ensures that by the time you give your manuscript to your editor, it is already as good as it was going to get without an extra set of eyes. However, by the time an author has written multiple drafts of a manuscript and then self-edited it, their eyes are already too used to the text to see errors. This is why it is not advisable to publish a book that has been edited only by the author, even if the author is also a professional editor.

Are there different levels of copyediting?

Yes. Some manuscripts need a heavier copyedit and others need a lighter one. Manuscripts that get to the editor in the form of raw drafts will need a lot more work and take a lot more time, and will ultimately be more expensive. See the bit above on the importance of self-editing. Whether a manuscript will need a heavier or a lighter copyedit is dependent on the quality of the manuscript, the wishes of the author, and the recommendations of the editor.

“She is a delight to work with. Her editing is premium stuff, up there with the best of them. I wouldn't hesitate to give her another one of my novels to edit.”

~K.Kimuyu, Author~

Proofreading

This is the last stage of the editorial process. Proofreading ensures that your story is as close to error-free as possible when it is finally published. If your manuscript is ready for publishing (preferably already typeset) and you only need to give it one last look, then proofreading is the kind of editing to go for.

FAQ

What is the difference between proofreading and copyediting?

Because proofreading is the final step, it is much lighter than copyediting in terms of the changes made. The proofreader is looking for typos, missing or repeated words, minor inconsistencies in spelling or punctuation, errors to do with the book design, and others that would not require rewriting whole sentences or paragraphs, for example. This is why a proofreader can work on a hard copy manuscript but it would be quite challenging for a copyeditor to do the same.

“In each project Michelle has worked on with me, her insight has been helpful and inspiring. She holds each piece of writing to a high standard, and in doing so, ensures that every manuscript leaves her hands better than it was before.”

~Jennie Marima, Young Adult Author~

Does proofreading get rid of all the errors in the manuscript?

Again, I cannot offer this guarantee. What I can offer is the assurance that I will do everything I can not to miss anything: multiple passes in different ways (sometimes backwards) and some editing software.

After some time has passed, I re-read the published book to find any errors I missed the first time. These can then be changed quickly and easily by your designer before another reprint.

Can you copyedit and then proofread a manuscript right after?

It is possible. However, I find it challenging because by this point my eyes are also too used to the text and I may miss some obvious things. So I may recommend a different editor for proofreading.

“Michelle is a knowledgeable and skilled editor who pays attention to detail. It was a pleasure working with her and she really helped to improve the quality of my manuscript.”

~Muthoni wa Gichuru, Children’s and Young Adult Author~

So how about it?

If you’d like to work with me on your manuscript, please send me an email on michellekorir4 [ at ] gmail.com. We will start by talking about your manuscript, how the writing process has been, what you would like to achieve with it, and whether we are a good fit for this collaborative process. Then we can go from there.