Book Editing for Fantasy, Horror, and Queer Romance Writers

Does this describe you?

You're close to the market: you have an agent or book deal, an established readership, or early traction (full requests from agents, short fiction publications, competition placements)
You've completed and revised a full draft, and you're ready to make substantial changes after my feedback
You know what professional editing involves and can act on detailed critique
Your manuscript hasn't been generated or assisted with generative AI tools
Your manuscript is no longer than 130,000 words

If that describes you, check out my services below. If you’d like to discuss working with me, the first step is to get in touch with a short writing sample and project details.

My passions and expertise:

YA fantasy, horror, and queer romance
Novels with queer protagonists
Ecological and ecogothic fiction
Literary-leaning speculative and relationship fiction

Contact Andy

"The editorial report was one of the greatest feedback tools I have ever received."

—Vincent Burke, Queer Romantasy Author

Testimonials

"The biggest value I received from Andy was in the way he helped me to deepen my entire story. He showed me where beats or characterizations I took for granted had gaps to a reader, or raised questions I hadn't considered."

—Robert Winter, Queer Romantasy Author

"Working with Andy made my debut novel better, and the results in distribution and reviews prove it."

—Nathan Wagner, Speculative Fiction Author

"Andrew's editing was of the highest standard. I learned a lot about the process from him and felt confident my manuscript was in good hands. It was a rewarding experience I hope to repeat soon."

—Ada Gadomski, Fantasy Fiction Author

Editorial Assessment

Open to intermediate and advanced authors who want feedback on what aspects of their story need work

Price for notes + call:

£600 for up to 60,000 words
£750 for up to 80,000 words
£900 for up to 100,000 words
£1050 for up to 130,000 words

An editorial assessment offers a high-level developmental overview of your manuscript.

I read your novel once and deliver editorial feedback as notes (usually four to six pages) and on a feedback call.

My feedback here focuses on solving the major developmental issues (think: plot, character, setting, POV, tension) with your novel rather than the fine details.

If you prefer a polished editorial letter + call instead of notes, the fee is £100 higher. The letter and the notes both contain the same thoughts and insights. But in the letter, the text has been through extra rounds of revising, and it's been proofread.

You receive:

A detailed report (typically 1500 words) delivered as notes or as an editorial letter
A one-hour coaching call

Developmental Editing

Open to intermediate and advanced authors who want detailed, granular feedback on what aspects of their story need work

Price:

£1299 for up to 60,000 words
£1599 for up to 80,000 words
£1899 for up to 100,000 words
£2199 for up to 130,000 words

This service covers the same areas (plot, characterization, setting, etc.) as an editorial assessment, but it is much more thorough. I read the full novel twice, first as a regular reader, and then a second time, when I annotate it with manuscript comments.

If an editorial assessment offers a big-picture diagnosis of issues, a developmental edit focuses on finer issues at scene level too and offers more detailed solutions.

You receive:

A detailed report (typically 3000 words)
A content summary, with a note on the main developmental issue in each chapter
Manuscript comments (typically one per page on average)
A one-hour coaching call

Line Editing

Open to intermediate and advanced authors finding their feet or who want feedback on their sentence-level craft.

Price: £24 / 1000 words

This is a moderate to heavy edit designed to refine and enhance your writing. I'll tighten your prose and sharpen the style, voice, and tension (where appropriate), with a focus on rhythm, flow, and the texture and melody of your prose.

It's designed to be a line edit you can learn from: you'll receive edits with comments explaining the changes I make.

Copyediting

Open to experienced authors with a solid track record and established readership. Please note I am highly selective about authors I collaborate with for copyediting.

Price: £19 / 1000 words

This is a light copyedit aligned with what a publisher will provide you with. It's designed to prepare your novel for publication rather than enhance your writing. The focus is on applying editorial style, making light refinements for clarity and consistency, and removing typos and other errors. It's for established authors who want their book to meet the standards of traditional publishing.

I’ll keep comments to a minimum, but I will explain any heavy edits I make.

Publishing Consult

Open to authors at all stages of their writing career

Price: £80 / 1 hour

Feel free to send up to 3,000 words for me to read in advance

A one-hour call to brainstorm ideas for your novel, revise a work in progress, or discuss the querying or publishing process.

About Me: Andrew Hodges

I help writers of fantasy, horror, and character-driven fiction strengthen their manuscripts before querying, submission, or self-publishing.

I share my knowledge with other writers and editors through workshops and teaching the course Editing Fantasy Fiction for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

My goal as a fiction developmental editor is to help you develop and confidently submit books that resonate with your intended readership. This might involve aligning your manuscript with current market expectations or intentionally choosing to do something different.