You’re in safe hands!
I first trained as a proofreader in 1996 and used those skills in many subsequent roles. After gaining considerable experience and taking further training, I became a fulltime freelance editor and proofreader in 2018.
I have worked with a wide range of clients on many types of written material, including novels for publishers and self-publishing authors, websites, blog posts, magazine articles and more. I specialise in fantasy and science fiction and am an experienced RPG editor. You can see a selection of the books I have worked on below, along with testimonials from authors I have worked with.
I also ran my own indie publishing house, Eyrie Press, for eight years, with responsibility for the day-to-day running of the company, including the editing, proofreading and book design. The experience of running a small indie press is very much like self-publishing, so I know exactly how it feels!
As a professional member of the CIEP (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading), I abide by the CIEP Membership Codes.
My qualifications/courses
- Proofreading 1 (CIEP)
- Proofreading 2 (CIEP)
- Copyediting 1 (CIEP)
- Copyediting 2 (CIEP)
- Introduction to Fiction Editing (CIEP)
- Manuscript Evaluation (Editors’ Association of Canada)
- Developmental Editing: Fiction Theory (Liminal Pages)
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Southampton
- Master’s in forensic psychological studies from the Open University
My genres
I am happy to consider any genre, but I specialise in:
Fiction
- Fantasy
- Science fiction
- RPG (roleplaying game) material
- Literary fiction
- Historical fiction
- Romance (including dark romance and erotica)
Non-fiction
- Psychology
- Education
- Alternative education
- Geocaching
A selection of my work
Due to client confidentiality, I am not able to share specific details of all the books I have edited or proofread, but you can see a selection below. Clicking on the images will take you to more information.
I am so glad I discovered Jane Spencer Editorial! Jane recently undertook a manuscript evaluation of my first novel. Her detailed report and follow-up video call were invaluable. Jane’s advice is clear and constructive, with plenty of examples and links to articles and books for further help. Her assessment covered everything from plot and structure to characterisation, dialogue, setting, writing technique and more. Jane pinpointed exactly which areas of my book require attention, so I have a step-by-step action plan of what to do next. When I have rewritten and edited, I will definitely ask Jane for a final evaluation before submitting it to an agent. I highly recommend Jane Spencer Editorial to any writer.
Clare S, March 2024
I want to thank you for a job phenomenally well done. Every insight you provided helped the clarity of my meaning.
Guile Branford, March 2024
In the three years I have been writing professionally, I have won an international writing award and been nominated for a second. I could not have done that with the quite honestly brilliant assistance of Jane Spencer.
I would recommend her to anyone seeking to publish any work, no matter how long or short. It’s not just the incredibly high quality of editing work that Jane does which is so good, but also the constructive and educational feedback she provides. Working with her has been an education, in English, in writing and in my own writing philosophies.
I could write volumes of praise for her and her work, but let me summarise with this fact – I refuse to publish any work, whether digital or in print, without having Jane edit it first. If you are smart, you’ll do the same.
Stephen Hart, The Grinning Frog, April 2023
Jane has worked on a number of projects for my company now. The work is always of exceptional quality, delivered within the agreed timescale and including both a clean copy and a ‘changes shown’ version. Will keep coming back with more work.
Kel, Awfully Queer Heroes, April 2023
I thought I had a good eye for detail until I used Jane’s services! Jane has proofread a range of texts for me, including lengthy blog posts, magazine articles and even job applications. In particular, I was impressed by her ability to spot inconsistencies in style and tense that had passed me by. I wouldn’t hesitate to use her again.
Andy Wright, aka Tentmantent
Other Project Examples
Novella
The author had written a short book of approximately 35,000 words and requested a proofread. The manuscript had not been through former editing rounds, but the author had a budget they had to stick to. I suggested a bespoke service of a proofread for spelling, grammar and punctuation issues, combined with a light edit to address paragraphing, consistency and clarity. I would not carry out any detailed editing, but would highlight any passages that may be unclear to the reader. The work was carried out in Word using the track changes facility so the author could accept or reject the amendments made. I also provided a style sheet detailing the editorial decisions taken. The author then proceeded to self-publish.
Middle-grade children’s book with black and white illustrations
The author had written and illustrated a middle-grade children’s book, for ages 8-11. They requested a copy-edit which they would proofread themselves. We discussed the importance of a professional cover image and the author commissioned an artist to create one. We also discussed the relative merits of different publishing solutions. Once the author had signed off on the copyedit, I formatted the book, including the cover. I created an Ingram Spark account for the author, uploaded the files and ordered a printed proof copy for them to make their final checks. A few further amendments were made, then I handed the account over to the author.
Children’s picture book
The author had written a picture book for young children and, as well as editing, needed some advice as to how to go forward. We discussed their ambitions for the book and decided that printing through Amazon KDP was the most appropriate solution for this project. I edited the text and sent the amendments to the author for approval. I also made suggestions for page breaks. Once the illustrations and cover were complete, I formatted the book, created a KDP account for the author, uploaded the files and ordered a printed proof to be sent direct to the author so they could make their final checks. Once the author was happy, we published, and I handed the account.
Jane’s editorial services have been invaluable. As a writer and scriptwriter I have written several scripts of varying styles and lengths and one novel. Jane has professionally copy-edited and proofread each one, returning them (sometimes to very tight deadlines) annotated with corrections and suggestions, all clearly marked and explained. Jane is diligent and hard working and has a great eye for detail. She will sometimes challenge my work and offer alternative ideas which I hadn’t thought of. I will continue to use Jane’s services and skills in the future, and I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone.
D.J., Managing Director, DMJ-Imagery Ltd.
Screenplay
The client had written a screenplay and requested an edit. We agreed that I would carry out a copyedit for spelling, punctuation and grammar. I would also look for any consistency and continuity issues. Since the story was set several decades ago, my brief also included, as far as possible, fact checking and ensuring that the language used was appropriate for the time period. This project required discussion and communication between the writer and myself to ensure that the dialogue was as authentic as possible and that my suggestions remained in line with the characters.