Fiction Editing and Consultations
I have a variety of packages to fit different budgets. Contact me with details of your project for an estimate.
Services Offered
- Developmental Editing
- Story Consultations
My areas of specialty are middle grade and young adult novels of most fiction genres (I am not as familiar with horror). I also work with picture books and with science fiction and fantasy for adults case-by-base. I will take other projects, as well, if I feel I am a good fit for them.
I offer developmental editing on full manuscripts, on selected chapters, and on synopses. I also offer story consultations using video meetings.
With developmental editing, I’ll analyze your manuscript for big-picture elements that can be improved. Are there any plot holes? Do the characters fall flat? Does the dialogue seem realistic? I’ll point out these instances in the manuscript and compose a revision letter to help guide you in making your manuscript the best it can be.
If you haven’t completed a manuscript yet, but you’d like help brainstorming or figuring out your story, my story consultation in combination with a synopsis review might be just the thing. (And as a writer, I have been in this position!)
I look forward to helping you finish your project and grow as a writer.
About A.W. Downer
Education and Experience
I hold an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts where I studied with such award-winning authors as Kathi Appelt, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Marion Dane Bauer. I’ve completed the Developmental Editing for Fiction Intermediate Course through the Editorial Freelancers Association. My years of experience include hosting workshops, both privately and through the SCBWI; teaching creative writing courses on character, plot, conflict, setting, worldbuilding, etc.; teaching composition courses from elementary to the college level; and providing coaching on individual projects.
Publications
My middle grade contemporary novel, Best Friends Playbook, is available from Chicken Scratch Books (you should check out their other books, too).
A. W. Downer 