Mrs Alexandra Dawning

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https://www.instagram.com/alexdawningwrites/

About

Hi, I’m Alexandra!

I offer developmental editing services for fantasy, sci-fi, magical realism and speculative fiction.

If you’re looking for an experienced, trained and sympathetic editor who understands the trials and tribulations of writing and publishing, then you’ve come to the right place.

However, If you’re looking for tough love, then I’m afraid I’m not the editor for you.

I firmly believe that you should come away from your developmental editing experience renewed, reinvigorated, and reinspired, and feeling like you’ve fallen in love with your manuscript all over again.

My aim is not only to highlight where you can improve, but champion where you’re already excelling. I understand that your work is more than just words on a page; it is a labour of love, and I am passionate about helping you to craft it into the best book it can be.

The path from first draft to publishable is a long, arduous one, but I attempt to make the journey enjoyable and empowering.

To learn more about me and how I can help you elevate your writing, please visit my website.

Services

Manuscript Critique

You’ve written your novel and you know it’s good, but you’re in need of some direction on where it can be improved, finessed and polished.

This service offers a bespoke editorial report that gives constructive, encouraging feedback on the ‘big picture’ elements of your manuscript, championing where your narrative excels and highlighting ways in which it can be improved.

Developmental Edit

You’re committed to this manuscript. You’re ready to give it the best shot to make its way in the world. You want the full package.

A full developmental edit includes not only an editorial report, but in-depth, detailed edits and notes within the manuscript itself. The developmental edit will use in-text comments to highlight specific examples and give suggestions for improvements throughout.

Drop-in Consultancy

Stalled? Edits have you going around in circles? Unsure how to deal with feedback from beta readers?

If you aren’t looking for anything in-depth, but just want some feedback or advice from a developmental editor then this might be the service you need to get you back on track with your edits. This ‘drop-in’ option gives you three hours of my time for a specific issue you are struggling with.

Bespoke Developmental Services

Still not sure which service you need? Or perhaps you would like something a little more bespoke? 

I offer other services that can be specifically tailored to your needs, including opening chapter critiques or beta reads, for example.

Contact me directly to discuss your needs and I’ll see what I can do to provide a service specific to you.

Qualifications and Training

I’m never not learning. It’s vital that editors regularly brush up their skills and refresh their knowledge. This is something I take very seriously. Plus, it’s just good fun! Here are a few of the courses I’ve taken:

Developmental Editing: Fiction Theory (Liminal Pages), 2021

Developmental Editing: In Practice (Liminal Pages), 2020

Online Copywriting (College of Media and Publishing), 2020

The Visible Editor (Liminal Pages), 2020

Developmental Editing of Fiction, Intermediate (Editorial Freelancers Association), 2018

Developmental Editing of Fiction, Beginning (Editorial Freelancers Association), 2017

How to Master the Art of Press Releases (OJ PR Academy), 2017

Brush Up Your Grammar (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading), 2018

Introduction to Adobe InDesign (WebStudio Training), 2015

Copy-Editing by Distance Learning (Publishing Training Centre), 2015

MA in English Literature - University of Leeds (2008)

BA in English Literature and French - University of Hull (2006)

testimonials

By far the most helpful feedback I’ve received on my manuscript! Getting any sort of critique on your work is hard. Alex is tactful and honest in her feedback, and presents her constructive analysis in an easy-to-follow format. This process was an enormous help and extremely beneficial as it allowed me to take a necessary step back from my story to view it on a more structural level. It’s imperative to have someone take a fresh, unbiased look at your manuscript, and this was exactly what I needed to help take my manuscript to the next level. I commend Alex’s expert approach in her critique while maintaining my creative intention and keeping my publishing goals in mind. Easily 5/5 and 100% recommend!

J.D.Dobson 

It was a joy to work with Alexandra. Her attention to detail is impeccable, and her suggestions fit in perfectly with the overall tone of the book. I would not hesitate to work with her again on future projects and would highly recommend her to all writers!

Samantha Stein

Alex served as a beta reader on two of my book projects and she is wonderful! She has such a fantastic eye for scene, character development, and pacing. I appreciate a developmental editor that can see the bones of a book in terms of each individual scene within a chapter, but also the broader arc and pacing for the story as a whole. I’m an overwriter, so her feedback was essential for trimming the fat from my story without harming the integrity of the plot and character arcs. I would absolutely work with her again, and I encourage anyone seeking beta or developmental feedback to give her a chance!

Emily Rath -- Author of the Second Sons duology

Alex is a fantastic developmental editor! She rolled with the changes I made to our original plan, and I'm so pleased with the result. She picked up everything I wanted her to within my story and provided valuable feedback for me to improve my character development, plot, and worldbuilding. Her ideas and recommendations will be instrumental in my editing process and I have no doubt that my book will be better because of it. She will be my go-to editor for every book I write. THANK YOU for your hard work, Alex!

Ceara Nobles -- Author of the Rising Elements series

Alex was incredibly patient with all of my questions and was genuinely interested in helping me work it all through and decide what sort of edit was right for my story. I personally get the best out of feedback when it’s given in a supportive way – I want to know how my work can be improved but I also want to know what is already working. Alex balances this perfectly! What I got back blew my mind! The comments and suggestions she made were kind and encouraging, insightful and actionable. She challenged me in the best possible way and also called out the things she loved about my story. I was absolutely thrilled with quality of Alex’s work and there is no doubt my story is better because of her help. I would work with Alex again in a heartbeat and have already booked my second edit!

Lauren Searson-Patrick -- Author of Amber Wolf

I was blown away with the level of thought and care that Alex put into editing my novel. Her skill in dissecting stories shined a light on all the cracks in my project, and she provided such a wealth of information, both about writing craft and about my novel. Alex showed me how a few missing pieces can join the dots and make the whole story come together. She re-inspired my confidence in both my manuscript and in myself as a writer, and I cannot wait to work with her again!

Hannah Sears