Category: Meet the Editor

Coffee with Colleagues, Meet the Editor, What Does an Editor Do?

UK Crime Book Club – Ask the Expert Interview

Rebecca Millar

Last month, I was delighted to be invited by the UK Crime Book Club to speak in one of their Ask the Expert slots. So far, the series has featured publishers, police specialists as well as marketing aficionados, and now it was my turn to talk all about editing!

If was a fantastic evening, and Samantha and I chatted all about editing, writing crime fiction and, strangely enough, cheese, along with much more. If you weren’t able to watch the interview live, it’s now available to view both on the UK Crime Book Club YouTube channel (see below), so do check it out. It is a great chance to find out more about what an editor does in general, how I personally help authors with their manuscripts, as well as the nuances of working in the grisly but addictive world of crime fiction, in a fun and informal format.

If you enjoyed that, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, and follow me on social media (links at the bottom of the page) for more news, updates, and general chit chat.

And don’t forget to check out the UK Crime Book Club interviews with my authors Catherine Yaffe, Simon McCleave, Sally Rigby and Morgan Greene!

Coffee with Colleagues, Meet the Editor, What Does an Editor Do?, Writing Tips and Tricks

Editors in Conversation: Q&A with Inspired Lines Editing

Rebecca Millar

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to chat with my friend and fellow editor, Isobelle of Inspired Lines Editing. We discussed all things editing, including what to look for when finding an editor for your manuscript – and how to appeal to your ideal editor! – as well as how an editor can help push your writing to be the best it can be. 

If you couldn’t catch it live, take a listen and find out what we had to say and so much more. And if you missed the chance to submit your own question, please don’t hesitate to add to the comments below – we’d love to hear from you! 

Thanks to everyone who took part, and the lovely Isobelle for joining me over a cuppa.

Watch our chat here!

Continue reading “Editors in Conversation: Q&A with Inspired Lines Editing” →
Meet the Editor, What Does an Editor Do?, Writing Tips and Tricks

The Importance of Editing: Part 2: Finding and Working with the Right Editor for You.

Rebecca Millar

Last month, I was invited to talk to a group of aspiring authors at the Book Brilliance’s monthly Voice and Pen networking event on the topic of the importance of editing. It was lovely to hear from so many motivated and talented authors about their current projects, and it was a privilege to be invited to speak.

However, for those of you who were unable to make the event, I wanted to make sure I was able to share my advice, so I’ve converted my speech into a two-part blog, all about the importance of editing.

In Part 1, I discussed the reasons why you should work with an editor, such as an editor adds a fresh and objective eye to your work as well as brings years of experience to your manuscript (to find out more, check out Part 1 here). Now, I’m back with Part 2, which is a collection of handy tips and tricks to consider when searching and working with an editor.

If you’d prefer to watch the full talk, the event was recorded, so you can check out the full presentation here. But if not, dive into Part 2: Finding and Working with the Right Editor for You.

Continue reading “The Importance of Editing: Part 2: Finding and Working with the Right Editor for You.” →
Book Review, Meet the Editor

Totally Addictive Crime, Thriller and Suspense on the Small Screen – what you should binge-watch this weekend!

Rebecca Millar

Despite how much I love my job of helping crime, suspense and thriller authors’ manuscripts to ooze tension and grip readers, spending all day staring at words on the page can take its toll – I think my glasses prescription has got even stronger in lockdown! – so sometimes there is nothing better than curling up on the sofa and watching a good drama of an evening. 

Addictive Thrillers

Despite how much I love my job of helping crime, suspense and thriller authors’ manuscripts to ooze tension and grip readers, spending all day staring at words on the page can take its toll – I think my glasses prescription has got even stronger in lockdown! – so sometimes there is nothing better than curling up on the sofa and watching a good drama of an evening. 

So, I thought I’d share what gripping TV is having us glued to the small screen.

Continue reading “Totally Addictive Crime, Thriller and Suspense on the Small Screen – what you should binge-watch this weekend!” →
Meet the Editor, What Does an Editor Do?, Writing Tips and Tricks

The Importance of Editing: Part 1: Why You Should Work with an Editor on Your Next Book

Rebecca Millar

Earlier this week, I was invited to talk to a group of aspiring authors at the Book Brilliance’s monthly Voice and Pen networking event on the topic of the importance of editing. It was lovely to hear from so many motivated and talented authors about their current projects, and it was a privilege to be invited to speak. The event was recorded, so you can watch the full event here, but here is a rough transcript – because, yes, in true me-style, I dropped my notes! – of the first part of my speech: Why You Should Work with an Editor on Your Next Book.

Continue reading “The Importance of Editing: Part 1: Why You Should Work with an Editor on Your Next Book” →
Coffee with Colleagues, Meet the Editor, What Does an Editor Do?

Coffee with Colleagues: Interview with Isobelle Lans from Inspired Lines Editing

Rebecca Millar

One of the best parts of working in book publishing is that some of the most gifted, talented, fun and just generally great people form the majority of the workforce. We are all united by the love of the written word, but each person has such a wide variety of skills and knowledge that even if you’ve worked with someone for years, they’ll still surprise you with a little nugget of wisdom when you least expect it.

However, now that I’m freelance, my nearest physical college is Sammy the Editorial Assistant cat (who is currently snoring away by my desk). And now that the whole word has effectively moved to working from home – look at you all, jumping on the bandwagon! – I thought it would be lovely to reach out to the publishing community and get to know some of my colleagues in the industry a little more – albeit over a Zoom chat, rather than the lunches and coffees that publishing professionals are known for.

Interview with Isobelle Lans from Inspired Lines Editing

Isobelle Lans is a UK-based author and freelance fiction editor at Inspired Lines Editing. In 2019, she left her in-house editing job to start her freelance business, and since then has been helping fiction writers to refine their manuscripts and hone their writing skills. Isobelle works on a range of fiction, including fantasy, crime, romance, and historical fiction. If you’ve got a manuscript or story idea you think would benefit from a professional eye, get in touch to ask her how she can help you or what advice she can offer! You can connect with her on Instagram, where she shares insights, tips and encouragement for other writers.

Hi, Isobelle. So tell me a little about yourself and your journey to becoming a book editor?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me on your blog! I’m Isobelle Lans, a fiction editor from Australia who now lives in England. My favourite genres to edit are fantasy, romance, crime, and historical fiction.

I suppose like many editors, my assent into going freelance was quite slow. Editing was a skill I realised I had (and something I realised I enjoyed doing), so I decided to look into it as a career. I did an online training course in Australia and, from there, reached out to a few freelance editors to see if they had any mentorship programmes available. I got lucky and worked on a few projects under the guidance of an experienced fiction editor. That really sold it to me. I knew this was what I wanted to do. I then managed to get a few more freelance projects by simply cold calling other editors, or small businesses that I thought would benefit from a proofread.

After I moved to England I completed training with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and became a member. I got a few freelance jobs through them in the beginning. I then also took a course on developmental editing and the skills required for this in-depth edit. That was an amazing course, and I fell in love with developmental editing. During all my training I kept working on freelance projects. I then got a job at an indie publisher in London. My boss there was so incredibly knowledgeable and working alongside her definitely taught me a lot about what it takes to work with writers. I originally planned to stay working in-house in London, but I realised it just wasn’t for me. I went to interview at one of the big publishing houses down there and thought ‘I don’t actually want to work a 9-5 job and commute in London!’ So, I decided to go freelance instead, and Inspired Lines Editing was born!

Continue reading “Coffee with Colleagues: Interview with Isobelle Lans from Inspired Lines Editing” →