Fantasy Editor
Clara Carlson-Kirigin
Are you looking for a fantasy editor to bring your novel to the next level? I would love to help you improve your story and polish your writing so readers won’t be able to put your book down. Then we can help your story sell itself with query editing (if you plan to publish traditionally) or blurb editing and keyword research (if you plan to self-publish).
3 Types of Fantasy Editing
Manuscript Evaluation
- Big-picture story editing
- Resolve the main story problems
- Fantasy genre expectations
- Plot, characters, & worldbuilding
- Often the best place to start
Developmental Editing
- Big-picture story editing
- Detailed scene-level story editing
- Fantasy genre expectations
- Plot, characters, & worldbuilding
- The second level of story editing
Copyediting
- Improve your prose
- Resolve inconsistencies in worldbuilding terminology
- Grammar, spelling, & punctuation
- Should be done after story editing
Free Query or Marketing Support
As an editor, I know how important queries and blurbs are to your fantasy novel’s success, so I have had training in editing them. Your edit will automatically include either query and synopsis editing or blurb editing and keyword research.
Query Assistance
- Editing for your query letter
- Editing for your synopsis
- Increase your chances with agents & publishers
- For authors planning to query
Book Marketing
- Editing for a blurb & author bio
- Amazon keyword research
- Sell your fantasy novel to your target readership
- For self-publishing authors
Fantasy Manuscript Evaluation
What is it?
A manuscript evaluation is a big-picture story edit that provides broad feedback on your story as a whole. This includes giving attention to your characters, plot, and worldbuilding as well as fantasy genre expectations.
The Main Story Issues
The goal of a manuscript evaluation is to identify the most significant story problems in a manuscript and help you resolve them. This type of editing is more affordable because the fantasy editor’s feedback is less detailed.
A Great Starting Point
This is often the best place to start when you decide to work with a fantasy editor. It’s an affordable story edit for small budgets and step one of a comprehensive story editing process for larger budgets.
Fantasy Developmental Editing
What is it?
As a fantasy developmental editor, I provide feedback on your characters, plot, and setting to resolve big-picture issues and fix plot holes. I also provide more detailed feedback on a scene level to help you keep your readers fully engaged and make it harder for them to put the book down.
Editing for Worldbuilding
Fantasy developmental editing will help you ensure that your worldbuilding feels believable and internally consistent so it can draw readers into your story. It also helps you avoid some common fantasy pitfalls like overusing exposition at the expense of the story.
Fantasy Editing for Story
Developmental editing will help you turn your manuscript into a compelling story your readers will love and can get fully absorbed in. It’s important for your novel to fit the expectations of fantasy readers, so developmental editing will include guidance on this as well.
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
What is it?
During a copyedit, I help you fix distracting errors and inconsistencies and make your writing clearer and more engaging. I resolve the mechanical issues present in the manuscript so readers can stay focused on your story.
Copyediting for Fantasy
Copyediting fantasy involves checking spellings and capitalization for your character names and worldbuilding terminology. This helps you ensure that everything is consistent to avoid confusing readers or distracting them from the story.
Polishing Your Writing
Copyediting polishes your writing to make the words flow better across the page. By eliminating confusing sentences and awkward prose, you can eliminate distractions that might otherwise pull the reader’s attention away from the story.
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, referencing 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, Author of Blood of My Heart
Marketing Coaching from Your Fantasy Editor
Self-Publishing
With my combined knowledge of fantasy editing and book marketing, I can show you how to implement stress-free and time-effective marketing strategies to help fantasy readers find you and convince them to buy your book.
Traditional Publishing
I offer query editing to help you put your best foot forward. This will help you show agents and publishers that you have what they’re looking for in a fantasy novel, and makes your query letter more likely to capture their attention and win them over.
Always included
All my editing packages include either marketing coaching or query coaching. The market research I do as a fantasy editor helps me keep on top of what readers and publishers are looking for so that I can help you write and sell a marketable story.
Why choose me to edit your fantasy novel?
We might be a great fit if you…
- Need an editor who specializes in fantasy and knows what fantasy readers are looking for
- Love your book enough to make the investments it needs to be successful
- Want to learn from the editing process so you can improve your craft
- Are looking for honest feedback presented in an encouraging way
- Feel overwhelmed by the idea of marketing your book or querying agents
We may not be the right fit if you…
- Want to book a cheap $200 edit rather than investing in quality editing
- Don’t want to put in the effort needed to create a high-quality book
- Have no interest in learning more about writing and storytelling
- Prefer to have your manuscript fixed/rewritten for you without your involvement
- Write for yourself and don’t plan to publish your story or share it with readers
Fantasy Editing Packages
Fantasy 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.
Fantasy 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
- 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.
Fantasy 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.
Marketing Coaching for Fantasy
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 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
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 sub-genre(s) so you can 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.
Why Choose a Fantasy Editor?
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.
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
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:
Why Market Research is Essential for Authors (and how to do it!)
If you’re an author, you need to be doing market research. And this is how you can get the most out of it and help your book succeed.
How to Get Started with Professional Editing
You can save money on professional editing for your novel if you start in the right place. For most authors, this means editing for story.
Can an AI Story Generator Write a Good Novel?
What authors need to know about how AI can be used to write fiction and the limitations and best practices for writing with AI.
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.