Fantasy & Romance Editing with Clara Carlson-Kirigin
Manuscript Evaluation
- Big-picture story editing
- Resolve the largest story issues
- Genre expectations
- Plot, characters, & setting
- Often the best place to start
Developmental Editing
- Big-picture story editing
- Detailed scene-level story editing
- Genre expectations
- Plot, characters, & setting
- The second level of story editing
Copyediting
- Improve your prose
- Fix distracting errors
- Identify inconsistencies
- Grammar, spelling, & punctuation
- Should be done after story editing
Query Assistance
- Query letter editing
- Synopsis editing
- Sell your novel to agents and publishers
- Free for authors planning to query
Book Marketing
- Blurb & author bio editing
- Keyword research
- Sell your novel to your target audience
- Free for self-publishers
Developmental Editing for Fantasy & Romance
What is it?
During a developmental edit, I provide feedback to resolve big-picture issues, fix plot holes, and help you turn your manuscript into a story your future readers will love.
Big-Picture Fantasy Editing
As a fantasy editor, I put additional focus on worldbuilding to ensure that it feels believable and internally consistent, which is what will help it to draw readers into your story.
Big-Picture Romance Editing
As a romance editor, I pay special attention to character development to help readers connect with your characters and understand their relationship.
Clara was the perfect editor to swoop in and save me from myself on more than one occasion. Although swoop isn’t the best term, she professionally listened to my banter and helped guide me accordingly.
As a debut epic fantasy author, I was overwhelmed and struggled from understanding my book’s needs to figuring out how to write a blurb. Clara was happy to lend her knowledge and outline the best use of my budget. She went above and beyond multiple times during the all too familiar imposter syndrome we all face while helping me shape my story into the best it could be as my developmental editor.
I’ve been incredibly satisfied and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to new or seasoned fantasy authors who really want an editor who puts in the time. Clara not only dug in deep but was very careful to keep my voice and story my own. That to me is worth gold.
~L.R. Bryant, Epic/Dark Fantasy Author of Bound by Blood and Shadow
Copyediting for Fantasy & Romance
What is it?
During a copyedit, I help you fix distracting errors and inconsistencies and make your writing clearer and more engaging. I also resolve mechanical issues so readers can stay focused on your story.
Copyediting for Fantasy
Copyediting fantasy involves checking spellings and capitalization for your worldbuilding terminology. This ensures that everything is consistent to avoid confusing readers or distracting them from the story.
Copyediting for Romance
Among other things, copyediting includes ensuring that all your character and place names are spelled the same throughout your book. This eliminates distractions that pull attention from your characters.
One of the hardest parts of finding an editor was finding someone who understood my writing style and knew how to strengthen it. I sent samples to many editors over several projects, and it wasn’t until I received a sample back from Clara at Prometheus Editorial that I knew she was the one for me!
She knows how to edit my work while also keeping my word choice. When she finds something that might change the way my story is written, she asks questions and communicates options with grammatical rules, giving me the choice to make the changes that work best for my story. I plan on having Clara edit all my future novels, since I love working with her!
~Dee Rollings, Contemporary Romance Author of A Liar and a Thief
Marketing Coaching for Fantasy & Romance
Self-Publishing
With my knowledge of book marketing, I can show you how to implement stress-free and time-effective marketing strategies to help your target readers find you and convince them to buy your book.
Traditional Publishing
I offer query editing to help you put your best foot forward with agents and publishers. This makes your query letter more likely to capture an agent’s attention and increases your chances of winning them over.
Always included
All my editing packages include either marketing coaching or query coaching. The market research I do as a fantasy editor and romance editor gives me a good sense for what readers and publishers are looking for.
Clara was wonderful to work with! Blood of My Heart would not be what it is without her. She copy/line edited this book for me and even caught a few tiny plot holes while doing so. She was great at explaining her decisions, refrencing her sources, and answering all my questions in a way that felt like she was truly trying to help not only the book, but me as a writer. Aside from the copy/line edit, she also helped me make some important decisions, listened to my ranting, responded to my many emails in a quick manner, and encouraged me in the places I was doing well.
She also did a fantastic job at helping me navigate the cruel task of writing a blurb. It took many revisions and new attempts on my part, but she made it pain-free and figured out what parts of my several blurbs worked best to piece together one that worked perfectly for the book. I only wish I had asked for help sooner!
I look forward to working with Clara on the next two books in this series!
~K.P. Burchfield, Epic/Dark Fantasy Author of Blood of My Heart
Why choose me to edit your fantasy or romance novel?
We might be a great fit if you…
- Are looking for a fantasy editor or romance editor or are writing in a related genre/sub-genre
- Love your book enough to make the investments it needs to be successful
- Enjoy learning from the editing process and continuing to improve your craft
- Want to be given the information you need to make the best choices for your novel
- Are looking for honest feedback that is presented in a way that feels encouraging rather than mean
- Feel overwhelmed by the idea of marketing your book or querying agents
We may not be the right fit if you…
- Wrote a thriller, a mystery novel, or a nonfiction work that doesn’t contain fantasy or romance elements.
- Want to book a cheap $200 edit rather than investing in quality editing
- Aren’t interested in putting in the effort needed to create a high-quality book
- Have no interest in learning more about writing and storytelling
- Want your manuscript to be fixed/rewritten for you without you needing to be involved
- Are only writing for yourself and don’t plan to publish your book or share it with readers
Fantasy and Romance Editing Packages
Manuscript Evaluation
- General big-picture feedback presented in a separate revision letter with no comments or redlining in the manuscript document
- Covers the same areas as a developmental edit
- Includes complementary marketing coaching for self-publishers or query coaching for traditional publishing
- The best place to start for authors who want a two-part developmental editing process that resolves more story issues than one edit could.
- Good for authors early in the writing process who don’t need the in-depth feedback of a full developmental edit
- Can be a cheaper alternative to developmental editing for authors on limited budgets
- May cost $.008-$.015 per word or $680-$1,275 for an 85,000-word manuscript.
- I only offer manuscript evaluation for fantasy, romance, and women’s fiction (and related sub-genres)
Developmental Editing
- In-depth big-picture feedback with comments alongside the manuscript and sometimes a small amount of redlining
- Focuses on areas like plot arcs, character development, point of view, and worldbuilding (for fantasy editing)
- Suggestions to make the story more marketable based on what readers in your genre are looking for
- Includes complementary marketing coaching for self-publishers or query coaching for traditional publishing
- One of the best places for authors to start the editing process (along with manuscript evaluation), whether you plan to self-publish or go the traditional route
- May cost $.025-$.04 per word or $2,125-$3,400 for an 85,000-word manuscript. Costs vary by manuscript and can sometimes be lower with adjustments to the scope or higher if extra work is needed.
- Because a developmental editor needs experience in your genre, I only offer developmental editing for fantasy, romance, women’s fiction, and subgenres that contain significant elements of these genres
Copyediting
- Redlining and comments alongside the manuscript point out errors and inconsistencies
- Occasional feedback on story inconsistencies and internal contradictions, though big-picture feedback is largely beyond the scope of copyediting
- For fantasy editing, careful tracking of your worldbuilding terminology and assistance in making spelling and capitalization choices where needed
- Includes complementary marketing coaching for self-publishers or query coaching for traditional publishing
- Good for authors who have already gotten developmental editing and/or are confident that big-picture issues have already been resolved
- May cost $.02-$.03 per word or $1,700-$2,550 for an 85,000-word manuscript. Costs vary by manuscript and can sometimes be lower with adjustments to the scope or higher if extra work is needed.
- Besides fantasy, a copyeditor’s job is similar across genres, so the genres I work with can be more varied
Marketing Coaching for Fantasy and Romance:
With years of experience as a fantasy and romance editor, knowledge of book marketing, and specialized training in blurb editing and Amazon keyword research, I offer the following as part of my editing packages for authors planning to self-publish:
- Identifying your genre(s) and sub-genre(s) and helping you figure out who your target readers are
- Keyword research that helps your future readers find your book on Amazon
- Blurb editing that helps your book sell itself by showing your target readers that it’s a good fit for them
- Author bio editing to convince future readers that they want to read your books
These can be done on completion of the edit or several months later after you’ve had time to make revisions.
Query Coaching for Fantasy and Romance:
With years of experience editing fantasy and romance, an understanding of what publishers are looking for, and specialized training in query editing, I offer the following as part of my editing packages for authors working toward traditional publishing:
- Identifying your genre(s) and sub-genre(s) to help you figure out which agents and publishers to approach
- Query letter editing to help you put your best foot forward with agents and publishers
- Synopsis editing to give agents and publishers a clear idea of your story
- Moral support and encouragement during the stressful process of landing an agent and publisher
These can be done on completion of the edit or several months later after you’ve had time to make revisions.
Fantasy Editing
In addition to my years of experience as a fantasy editor, I have taken specialized training in fantasy developmental editing and regularly spend time on market research. This allows me to advise you on what readers are looking for and how to keep them engaged at every turn.
I can help you decide which sub-genres fit your novel best and how to pitch your story to readers (or publishers) in order to attract the people who will truly love it. As a fantasy editor, most of my experience in the genre has been with epic fantasy, dark fantasy, and fantasy romance, but I edit all fantasy sub-genres.
When I edit fantasy, I pay special attention to worldbuilding. I can point out any internal contradictions and make sure that it feels believable and complete so that it will draw readers in. In addition, I can help you integrate any exposition related to your worldbuilding in a natural way that doesn’t pull readers out of the story.
Romance Editing
I have years of experience editing romance, along with specific training in romance developmental editing. This has given me a strong grasp of the common tropes and sub-genres within the romance genre. I also regularly spend time on market research to stay aware of what’s currently working for authors and what isn’t.
When I edit romance, I draw on my knowledge of what romance readers want and expect in order to give you objective advice on how to reach your target audience and give them a book they will love.
Much of my experience editing romance is from contemporary romance and fantasy romance, but I edit other sub-genres as well. And I can advise you on which sub-genres fit your novel best and how to target the right readers in your marketing efforts.
I will also help you ensure that your story concludes in a way that feels satisfying, since romance readers in particular often have specific expectations for how they want the story to end.
Fantasy & Romance Sub-Genres
Fantasy Editor Sub-Genres
My experience as a fantasy editor includes but is not limited to the following sub-genres:
- Epic Fantasy & High Fantasy
- Fantasy Romance & Romantasy
- Dark Fantasy
- Urban Fantasy & Low Fantasy
- Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
- Mythology and Fairy Tale-Inspired Fantasy
Romance Editor Sub-Genres
My experience as a romance editor includes but is not limited to the following sub-genres:
- Contemporary Romance
- Fantasy Romance & Romantasy
- Romantic Comedy
- Historical Romance
- Literary Fiction Romance
Other Genres
In addition to editing fantasy and romance, I have experience with developmental editing, copyediting, and manuscript evaluation of women’s fiction manuscripts. I include women’s fiction in my market research, and if needed, I can help you figure out where your manuscript falls on the line between romance and women’s fiction.
While I primarily work with fiction, I do have some experience editing narrative nonfiction.
In addition, my experience includes novels that fit in the categories of fantasy and/or romance but have elements of literary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, mystery, and horror.
Additional Experience
I have training and experience editing for conscious and inclusive language. Because of this, I can broaden your novel’s potential readership by reducing unintentional noninclusive or prejudicial language.
My experience also includes editing manuscripts with LGBTQ+ characters, including characters with nonbinary identities. I can therefore provide advice on proper terminology and pronoun usage.
And I have experience identifying unintentional racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and unrealistic depictions of neurodiversity, mental illness, and trauma.
Some free articles on writing & publishing:
Character Goals and Motivations: What Authors Need to Know
The right character goals and motivations will make your novel more interesting and help your readers get absorbed in the story.
Marketing for Authors & 6 Easy Ways to Get Started Today
Book marketing is about sharing your book with the people who want to read it. This is how you build a loyal fanbase.
Inspiration vs. Plagiarism: When You Should Be Concerned
It’s great to draw inspiration from other works, but you want to write something new and different and avoid plagiarism.
Clara Carlson-Kirigin
Fantasy Editor & Romance Editor
My editing business has been my full-time job since early 2019. I spend most of my time editing fantasy and romance novels and helping my clients to attract the right audience.
If you want help sharing your stories with the world and turning your hard work into income, I’d love to hear from you!
I have a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College where I majored in Latin, with minors in History and Ancient Greek. I know way too much Middle-earth trivia that nobody cares about and spend an unreasonable amount of time with my copy of The Chicago Manual of Style.
When I’m not working, I enjoy reading, crocheting, and spending time with other people’s cats.