Mrs Bryony Leah | Self-Publishing Romance Fiction Editor and Proofreader

About

I’m a full-time fiction editor and published writer offering friendly, professional book editing services to self-publishing authors. I live in England, but having spent some time living in Miami, I’m trained and experienced at copyediting and proofreading both US and UK fiction. I edit and proofread books in many genres, but my specialisms are romance, women's fiction, romantasy, contemporary, and new adult fiction.

As an editor, my primary focus lies in your words and ensuring clarity. I edit only what’s necessary to give your writing a professional polish. I believe in a lighter touch where possible to deliver accuracy and consistency, which means I’ll adapt to your writing style and take the utmost care not to impose my own voice on your work. To me, the mark of a good quality editor is one who leaves no mark – and that’s a skill only acquired through hands-on experience, plenty of training, and a big dose of word nerdery!

My favourite genre is anything that glues me to my desk in anticipation of the next scene. I enjoy pulse-racing stories with unpredictable twists and irresistible romances, and you’ll never find me without a dictionary or thesaurus open somewhere. That's mostly because I've convinced myself I need to double-check everything – but, hey, that's a good trait for an editor to have!

I have 10+ years' experience writing and editing fiction. I’m a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, ACES: The Society For Editing, and the Editorial Freelancers Association, all of which I regularly train with. From 2016–2017, I worked as Editorial Coordinator for a popular serialised fiction app, and I've also been a fiction ghostwriter for a large traditional publisher. As an author of romance and women's fiction, I'm now represented by Diamond Kahn and Woods Literary Agency.

Rather embarrassingly, my teenage writing received more than 14 million reads online, so I'm especially empathetic to the process of sharing your work with an audience for the first (or fiftieth!) time, and I understand the unique fears and frustrations of self-publishing a book, particularly if you're doing it without the backing of a large team. I enjoy using my experience to empower authors and help you to view your work from a fresh perspective. I approach all feedback fairly and professionally, with a strong helping of positivity and an even stronger helping of respect for you and your writing. You won't ever find me claiming to know everything, because I've been writing and editing (and having my own work edited!) for long enough to know that there will always be something new to learn from every author I work with, and from every book I read – and isn't that a wonderful thing to look forward to? I'd like to think it's another essential trait for an editor to have.

I live in Staffordshire with my husband, a noisy Dalmatian, and two manuscript-hungry bunnies who used to share my office but now live in a back-garden rabbit mansion, safe from any more potential manuscript-eating crimes (though I'm sure the Dalmatian would be more than happy to take over those duties ... shoutout to whoever invented stair gates – a real hero!). Things that speak to my heart: horses (still dreaming of owning one 'when I grow up'), muddy welly walks, good coffee, mashed potato, books about women who are much cooler than me, cowboy boots, crying nostalgically and unironically at concerts, glazed donuts, poetry, performing for an imaginary audience while I cook, laughing to the point of tears, spending rainy days indoors writing, relentlessly feeding the magpie family who live in our back garden (my lucky charms) and chatting with all the other locals (birds) who stop by for mealworms and suet.

I pride myself on offering an attentive, professional book editing service for authors on all routes to publication, though I especially enjoy working directly with self-publishing authors, particularly romance writers. I’m readily available 5 days a week to reply to my clients’ emails, share advice, and cheerlead for the authors whose books I edit. 

I'm always open to new projects that don't quite fit into the box too, and I love to collaborate creatively with book-loving, word-nerdy teams and individuals, so please get in touch if you think we might be a good fit! I can't wait to hear from you.

My email address for all contact is: [email protected]. You can also find a contact form on my website (linked above).

Genres I edit

• Romance fiction (all sub-genres, all heat levels)
• Women's fiction
• Contemporary
• Erotic fiction
• Horror
• New Adult
• Young Adult
• Romantasy

Companies I've worked with

• AwesomenessTV
• BDJ Team (nature.com)
• Child Protection Company
• Cherry Pie Records
• Dental Nursing Magazine
• Dreamworks Press
• Early Years Childcarer magazine
• Fire Training Company
• Gallery Books
• Galatea
• Indoor Play magazine
• Inkitt
• Lionsgate
• Netflix USA
• Q&A LA
• Radish Fiction
• Rakuten Kobo
• Simon & Schuster
• Wattpad
• Written Word Media

Services I offer

• Proofreading
• Copyediting
• Line editing
• Manuscript assessments
• Query letter/synopsis help
• Book descriptions
• Bespoke packages
• Ghostwriting

My full list of current rates for each service can be viewed anytime at https://www.bryonyleah.com/rates. 

Training and certifications

• CIEP P1: Introduction to Proofreading
• CIEP P2: Proofreading Headway
• CIEP P3: Proofreading Progress
• CIEP C1: Copyediting Introduction
• CIEP: Art of Querying
• SfEP: Editing with Word
• Curtis Brown Creative: Pitching Your Novel
• Curtis Brown Creative: Writing Your Synopsis
• Certitec Adobe InDesign Masterclass
• Certitec Adobe InDesign Introduction
• Certitec Adobe InDesign Advanced
• BookMachine Audience-Centric Book Marketing...
• EFA Proofreading and Copyediting with the Chicago Manual of Style
• BookMachine Content Marketing for Freelance Editors
• BookMachine Adobe InDesign for Publishers
• Louise Harnby Training: How to Write the Perfect Fiction Editorial Report
• Louise Harnby Training: Narrative Distance: A Toolbox for Writers and Editors
• Lainey Cameron: Book Blurb Mastery 101
• EFA Sensitivity Reads: What You Need to Know...
• EFA Setting (or Resetting) Your Freelance Rates...
• EFA Problem Clients 101: Common Dilemmas and How to Avoid Them
• EFA The Art of Feedback
• EFA Editorial Freelancing 101
• EFA Editing Sex and Intimacy
• EFA Trans Allyship for Writers and Editors

Awards

• Print Futures Award 2020 (The Printing Charity)

Testimonials

“Bryony is a truly wonderful editor. She’s thorough, meticulous, and knowledgeable. Even better, she has that rare, highly sought-after talent of editing while keeping in-line with both the author and character voice. She’s brilliant and a joy to work with.” – Sarah Ready, Author

"Bryony is nothing short of phenomenal—as a person and in her work. All nerves and doubts were eased about the editing process from day one, and from her free sample edit, her expert skill level and attention to detail is immediately apparent. Bryony’s edits are invaluable, and her comments of both praise and constructive feedback gave me the confidence to publish a novel I’m proud of. Bryony goes above and beyond and will really treat your manuscript with the care and attention it deserves. If you need a professional, affordable editor, look no further than Bryony as you’ll also receive a cheerleader for your hard work and an abundance of advice and support. I can't wait to work with her again." – Chloe C. Peñaranda, Author

"Bryony has an incredible attention to detail and is a joy to work with. Her feedback made my novel so much better and I’m so happy—and relieved—that I found her." – Danielle Lori, Author

"As a new author, finding an editor seemed daunting. It's such an important step, and you want to make sure you find the right fit. I shouldn't have worried. From Bryony's first email to her sample edit, and all the way through the editing process, she exceeded my expectations. Her skill level is immediately apparent and working with her has helped me produce a book that I'm proud to publish. If you're searching for an editor who's friendly, responsive, and who truly puts time and care into your novel, then hire Bryony. I'm looking forward to working with her again in the future!" – Jenna Collett, Author

"Bryony has been a delight to work with, lending her deep knowledge and keen judgment to projects across very different genres, including a complex translation project. Her professionalism and strong communication are truly appreciated. I look forward to working with Bryony on more projects in the future!" – Michelle Kaatz, Director of Original Content at Rakuten Kobo

"Bryony was a joy to work with. She was quick to respond to emails, friendly, and did an excellent job with the manuscript. The comments she provided were clear, she had great attention to detail, and she had a positive energy throughout. I’m so happy with how the manuscript turned out! Thank you, Bryony!" – Lauren Palphreyman, Author

"Bryony has worked with us on numerous proofreading and editing projects and is one of our most reliable contributors. She produces high-quality work with very quick turnarounds and is able to clean up error-riddled manuscripts without altering the unique voices of our writers." – Matthew Daniels, Project Manager at Inkitt

"Working with Bryony was an absolute dream. She was my top choice while I was hunting for editors and she did not disappoint. Her professionalism and friendliness make for such a pleasant working relationship that even if her edits hadn’t been so spot on, I’d still want to work with her. Not something I had to worry about though because her edits were incredible. As a writer, you worry your editor might squash your unique voice to follow all the grammar rules, but Bryony has such an eye for the author’s voice and her edits enhanced my voice and truly elevated it. She doesn’t go overboard, nor does she ignore any details. I’m so grateful I found her!! Bryony is worth every penny!" – Liz Leiby, Author

"Bryony is such a fantastic proofreader and editor, and it was such a pleasure to work with her. I felt I needed one good read through of all my books before publishing wide to correct misplaced commas and any snarky errors left that I couldn't see due to 'author blindness.' Not only did her corrections make me extremely confident to put the books out on multiple platforms, but she got them back to me so quickly! Also, I would have questions from time to time and email her, and she would always respond back within minutes, which wasn't needed but was very much appreciated. I can't say enough about the skill and service she provides. I will absolutely be using her for final proofreads of all my books moving forward!" – Rebecca Hefner, Author

"As a new author, working with Bryony is an eye-opening and excellent experience. She is very insightful, responsive, and shows incredible attention to detail. Her recommendations, editing, and proofreading are valuable while not infringing on the storyline or writing technique. These traits make working with Bryony a pleasure, and I'm eager to work with her in the future." – Reneé D. James, Author

"Just the thought of self-publishing my first book absolutely terrified me. There were so many moving parts to it, so much work involved, and so to say I was daunted would be an understatement. What I can say though is that I could not have picked a better editor to help me through the process. Bryony was an absolute dream to work with. She was reliable and quick to reply to any queries and silly questions I sent her way—and goodness, were there a lot! Not only that, but she polished my manuscript so that it became the best it had ever been. When I read it back the first time it was like reading it for the first time. She has a light touch but a keen eye. I honestly don’t think I’d work with another editor, and I’ve already booked her in for the second book of my series." – Scarlett Drake, Author

"Bryony is the best! She is a wonderful person and a wonderful editor. It was a joy to work with her because she made herself readily available and responded to emails in a timely manner. Her comments, advice, edits, and opinions were so worthwhile, they made my manuscript a thousand times better. She saw hidden areas in my story and provided great ways to strengthen them, which transformed my book into a more polished product. I cannot thank Bryony enough! Without her, I don’t know where I would be." – Sara M Schaller, Author

"A close author friend referred me to Bryony, and I am thanking my lucky stars for it! She is personable, professional, detailed, thorough, communicative, prompt, and pleasant. Yes, she truly is all those things. I've worked with many betas, editors, and proofreaders, and it's not every day you find such a gem. I'm confident in her work, and I'm happy to highly recommend her." – T.L. Martin, Author

BookMachine

https://bookmachine.org/people/bryonyleah/

• Editor
• Proofreader

• Fiction
• Children & young adult
• Drama
• Erotica
• Horror
• Paranormal
• Romance

• Book publishers
• Indie authors

• Self-publishing
• Writing
• Ebooks
• Book coaching