As well as being a published writer, I am a freelance editor working independently. I  also carry out editing work for Bridge House Publishing.

I am a member of the Society of Authors and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. More on editing services below.

I am also happy to give talks and have judged writing competitions. I am also happy to speak about flash fiction, its benefits, and run workshops.

SPEAKING AND WORKSHOPS

ALLISON SYMES – WRITING BACKGROUND

I am a blogger on Chandler’s Ford Today, usually writing on topics of interest to other writers.

I’m also a published short story writer and flash fiction fan. My work has appeared online and in print via Bridge House Publishing, Cafelit, and Chapeltown Books.

The latter published my first flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again, in 2017 (book trailer below).

My second flash fiction collection, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, will be published by Chapeltown Books later in 2020.

For details of my published works, please see my Amazon Author Central Page.

 

 

I would be happy to give talks on the following:-

Flash fiction – what is it? What appeal has it for readers/writers?
Writing for online and print markets
Writing for competitions
Blogging – what is it? What appeal does it have for readers/writers?
What to look for when writing for the indie press
The Pitfalls – watching out for the scams in the publishing industry
Developing a writing career – things to consider
Why Writers Need Readers (and not just for the obvious reason!)

I would also be happy to run workshops on the following:-

Flash fiction – setting various exercises

How to prepare stories for submission to competitions and what to look for when submitting work.

Blogging – why do it? How it helps you as a writer. The idea here would be to work out what YOU could do with a blog of your own.

Contact Info

I can be contacted at:-

Email: allison@brenebourne.co.uk

Via Facebook Author page – https://www.facebook.com/Allison.Symes.FairytaleLady/

Also via  From Light to Dark and Back Again Facebook page –
https://www.facebook.com/fairytaleladyallisonsymes/

EDITING SERVICES

As a freelance editor, I can offer the following services for flash fiction and short story collections, for novellas and novels:-

STRUCTURAL EDIT

The structural edit is an overview of your novel/novella/collection.

A detailed report would be provided covering topics including:-

• Is the story/character arc etc believable?
• Are there any plot holes?
• Does the theme come across well?

I would also look at each chapter or story as a single “unit” and analyse where it could be stronger/weaker.

• Is the ending appropriate and satisfying?
• Does the ending fulfil the promise of the opening?
• Are the characters true to themselves? (If they act out of character is there a good reason for it?)
• What is the point of view? Is it consistent? Is there any “head hopping”?
• Is the pace appropriate for the story?
• Is there the right level of tension and drama for the story?
• Does dialogue sound realistic? Does it sound clunky?
• Does dialogue move the story onwards?
• Are any characters telling other characters what they should already know?
• Does the story flow well? Are there any tangents that need to be cut out?
• Is there enough back story to make sense but not so much it swamps the main point of the story?
• Where there are subplots do these make sense? Do they complement the main story? Are there any loose ends?

I would make suggestions for where the story could be improved.

Price:  £300 based on 30,000 words. Prices adjusted according to word count.

COPY-EDITING

This would include ideas on how to strengthen your work and to give it an “edge” as a result.  I would also be looking for consistency. For example I would highlight if a character name changes halfway through your novella and that kind of thing. It happens! I would also be looking for grammatical and spelling errors. This is a line by line edit.

Price:  £200 based on 30,000 words. Prices adjusted according to word count.

PROOFREADING

This is the final stage of any editing work to make sure your work is as perfect as possible. Again this is a line by line task and again takes time.

Price:  £170 based on 30,000 words. Prices adjusted according to word count.

I am happy to offer a 10% discount for repeat business. For example, if you decided to have just the structural edit at this stage on a 30,000 words collection or novella, you would pay £300.00.  If, later, you decided you wanted a full copy edit instead of paying £200.00 for that, you would pay £180.00. Likewise if you just wanted a proof-read, having had the structural edit, you would pay £153.00.

If you decided you wanted the “whole bundle”  I would be happy to offer a 15% discount so you would pay:

£300.00 for the structural edit

£200.00 for the copy edit

£170.00 for the proof reading.

£670.00 in total – 15% discount of £100.50 so you would pay £569.50 for the whole.

Payment would need to be by BACS or by cheque and I would email an invoice. Later once the work was completed, I would issue a receipted invoice.

I would send a sample of the report, ask for payment, and once that was in, then I would send the rest of the report. You would be welcome to come back with questions afterwards.

Time scales to be agreed separately.