About me

I’m a friendly, experienced editor and proofreader, specialising in books set in France, mysteries and thrillers, historical fiction, memoirs/biographies and web content. I’m also an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP).

If you’re a first-time author, I’ll take any fears you may have out of the editing process, guiding you through it and focusing on retaining your voice.

Proofreading and editing is not only my job but also my passion. I get a buzz from helping self-published authors, publishers and businesses to produce work of an exceptional standard. My clients include independent publishers, self-published authors and companies like The Royal Mint.

I read French at the University of Oxford and have lived and worked in France, hence the specialist arm to my business of editing books set in France, but I work on all kinds of other books too. A selection of my favourite projects is on my website: www.debbie-emmitt.com/portfolio

I’ve written a debut novel, a mystery set in the south of France, which I’m currently preparing for querying literary agents.

I also have extensive experience with web content on a variety of platforms so can edit through the lens of SEO, web accessibility and user experience. I’m the author of Improve Your Author Website and Improve Your Editor Website.

Contact me: www.debbie-emmitt.com/contact

Services

I offer the following services:

Line editing – I will carefully work through your manuscript line by line to see where the word choice, flow and sentence structure can be improved, while taking care to retain your unique author’s voice.

Copyediting – I will check for a broad range of problems, including errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation, the flow of language and issues of style. I will also carry out a degree of fact-checking.

Proofreading – I will work on your proof once it’s been designed and typeset, checking for errors that have crept in during revision, plus issues with formatting, layout, page numbering, headers, footers, table of contents and more.

Website editing and proofreading – I have an extensive background in web marketing. I can line-edit and copyedit your web text before you upload it to your site, then proofread your webpages. I will also make suggestions to improve your site’s SEO, accessibility and usability.

Edit of your first 10,000 words – I will carry out a detailed edit at the level of your choice (line edit, copyedit, or a combination of the two). You will receive a bespoke style sheet and an editorial report detailing areas of strength and suggestions for improvement.

Sample edits – Try before you buy. Simply provide a sample of up to 2,500 words, and for a small fee (taken off the full-edit cost if you hire me), I’ll provide an edit or proofread and a short editorial report containing advice that you can apply to your whole book.

Full details of all my services, with indicative pricing, are on my website: www.debbie-emmitt.com/editing-and-proofreading-services

Subjects and genres

I edit fiction, non-fiction and web content. I enjoy working on a variety of topics and genres, but am especially interested and experienced in the following:

Books set in France – My MA in French from the University of Oxford and my experience of living and working in different regions of France will benefit your book

Thrillers and mysteries – I have written a mystery novel and studied the craft of writing, story structure, plot and character arcs

Memoirs and biographies – I find other people’s lives inspiring and fascinating, and will bring the principles of story craft to your book

Historical fiction – I enjoy the research involved! I also have an A-Level in Early Modern History and read historical fiction during leisure time

Websites – Any topic! I worked in the field of web for almost 20 years and have written Improve Your Author Website and Improve Your Editor Website

Clients

• Self-published authors of fiction and non-fiction from all over the world, including many returning clients
• Independent publishers, including Hermitage Editions, Abundant Vision and Quill Club Writers
• High-profile organisations including The Royal Mint and the Institute for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge
• Entrepreneurs across a range of industries
• Companies including Wikijob, Healthmatch and Boldify

Qualifications, awards and memberships

• Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) – Advanced Professional Member
• CIEP courses – Copyediting 1, Copyediting 2, Copyediting 3
• Switching to Fiction – Louise Harnby course
• Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) – Partner Member
• Oxford University – BA Hons in French and Portuguese

My books and resources for authors and editors

I’ve written a range of books for authors, editors, and anyone interested in the English language. I’ve got you covered!

Improve Your Author Website – a comprehensive guide

Improve Your Editor Website – a comprehensive guide

Tricky Quickies series: hundreds of easily confused English words and phrases – concisely explained with examples

How To Write Number Ranges (choose how much you pay)

Recent clients

Organisations and publishers

• The Royal Mint (copyediting and proofreading)
• University of Cambridge (Institute for Sustainability Leadership) (proofreading)
• Academy of Social Sciences (proofreading)
• Hermitage Editions (proofreading)
• Quill Club Writers (editing and proofreading compilations of short stories)

Self-published authors

• Ann-Elizabeth Briars, author of historical fiction (line editing, copyediting and proofreading)
• Charlotte Eriksson, author and songwriter (copyediting)
• Phillip L Wray, author of historical fiction set in France (proof-editing)
• William Whitaker, author of historical fiction set in France (line editing and copyediting)
• Mandy M Barnett, non-fiction author and clinical educator (copyediting and proofreading)
• SL Dooley, author of the Portal Slayer series (copyediting)
• Kaden Hogan, author of Humans of Climate Change (line editing and copyediting)
• TE Anyansi, author of Nigerians, Unshackle Yourselves (copyediting and proofreading)
• Kaan Sensoy, director, photographer and CGI artist (copyediting and proofreading of photo-guidebook)
• Hoi T Pham, fiction author (copyediting)

Web text editing and website proofreading

• Dovetail, specialist in data management (regular editing of blog posts)
• Lentiamo, online international seller of glasses and contact lenses (proofreading website)
• Wikijob, extensive website covering all things employment, recruitment and finances (editing blog articles)
• GreenTEG, provider of CORE technology (editing blog content and email marketing copy)
• INLEAD, provider of online courses (proofreading website and online course content)
• Ginette Gagnon, leadership coach, speaker and author (editing and proofreading business course content)
• Jérrard Wayne, branding organisation (editing web copy for their clients)
• NTG Ltd, precision engineering (proofreading website and marketing copy)
• Griffiths Evans, mechanical, electrical and ICT consulting and design services (proofreading website)
• Cephalgo, provider of innovative mood tracking software (proofreading website)
• Aspaara, artificial intelligence solutions (proofreading website)
• BICERO, provider of lifelong-learning courses for professionals (extensive content editing for website and course copy)

Testimonials

Working with Debbie was one of the best decisions I’ve made as an author. She edited my trilogy with the utmost professionalism, care, and dedication.

She was thorough and detail-oriented, and went above and beyond the role of editor—offering thoughtful insights, story advice, and encouragement. I learned so much from working with her.

She was always friendly, approachable, and genuinely invested in helping my books reach their full potential. I highly recommend Debbie to any author looking for a trusted editor and a true creative partner.

Ann-Elizabeth Briars, author of The Stars of Time trilogy

Debbie handled the editing with care and precision. She cleaned up the grammar, tightened sentences, and made sure everything read smoothly. Most importantly, she respected my voice and helped the writing stay true to what I wanted to say.

If you’re looking for an editor who is not only skilled but also kind, dependable, and easy to work with, Debbie is the one. Her editing speaks for itself, but it’s her steady presence and genuine support that make the real difference. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to guide me.

Awais Awan, author of Lessons Beyond the Aisles

Debbie was the perfect editor for me, a first-time author of historical fiction. She has a terrific eye for detail, alongside making suggestions around structure which enhanced the flow of my writing. What I liked best about Debbie’s approach was her insatiable curiosity; she went down more research rabbit holes than I did, which must have taken ages.

Debbie has a good sense of humour, challenges in a constructive way, and is a true professional, delivering on or ahead of time. Whatever the size and scope of writing support you need, ask Debbie.

Bridget Gardiner, historical fiction author

Debbie is a world-class editor, so professional and thorough in her work. Our book was all over the place in voice, tone, and development. After she finished, our book was…well…an actual book.

We hired her for line editing but she did way more than that. She even gave us tips and tricks to help our book come together. She made this book come to life. She was always on time for the completion of each milestone, and super responsive. We will definitely hire her for our next book.

Jaslin and Yusuf Varzideh, non-fiction co-authors

Debbie was a gift to me as a first time self-publishing author. I was lucky that she’d just had a big project put back by the author, so was able to fit me in. She is professional and efficient, but also very friendly and helpful. Her editing was straightforward to follow and made sense to me. She explained any style choices or points that I needed to consider. She was also great about jumping onto video calls to clarify anything I didn’t understand or needed to discuss. I would be very happy to work with her again.

M Barnett, non-fiction author

I would give Debbie 6 stars if it was possible. She made this ordeal easy for me especially since it was my first book. She respectfully corrected without being condescending, which made it easier for me to work with her. Letting someone read and edit one’s book can put authors in a place of vulnerability. The entire experience was well worth it because of her professionalism. I can’t recommend her highly enough.

TE Anyansi, non-fiction author

Debbie has been really pleasant to work with, responds really quickly to messages, used the tools we requested, delivered the work a day before the due date, supplied us with a writing style sheet, didn’t just edit but put in useful suggestions and notes on different writing styles. Amazing!

Davies BDM, B2B sales and marketing consultants

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Debbie. She is an excellent editor and she goes well beyond basic proofreading. Debbie also worked extra hours in order for us to meet a tight deadline. She is commutative and friendly. I hope that we can work together again in the near future.

Kaden Hogan, non-fiction author

We have worked together with Debbie on my first book project. She did editorial correction as well as proofreading on this project. I can honestly say that she added a lot of value to my book. She is very professional and punctual also sincerely involving the project and works on details that I have overlooked a lot. So I am very happy to work with her. Thanks again, Debbie!

Kaan Sensoy, photographer and author

Debbie always listens very carefully and is professional in both her communication and delivery. I’ve always been very satisfied with her work 🙂 It’s of great value for me that I can give Debbie a task and be sure that she will deliver a top result. I never have to worry and it saves me a bunch of time!

Nadine M, regular client

Debbie is great. Can’t recommend her enough. Such a nice person, pleasant to work with, super professional with great attention to detail. I will 100% ask her help again in the near future.

Gal A, Danidean Ltd

Debbie has helped us to improve localisation of the UK version of our website. Our initial concern was mostly only with proofreading of the English language, but Debbie went beyond the expectations and also proactively suggested changes to the overall content / UX. She clearly understood the bigger picture here and went beyond the task expectations to help us. In addition to that, Debbie communicated consistently, provided us with regular updates, suggested changes to our approach, etc. 110% satisfaction with the job she did, would highly recommend to anyone.

David D, Lentiamo s.r.o.

Debbie did an excellent job editing my manuscript for a children’s book. She offered suggestions to make my writing better and was very knowledgeable and friendly. I would highly recommend Debbie for any editing and proofreading services that you need.

Melissa Clarke, children’s author

Debbie’s work conforms to the highest standards of editing and proofreading…We’ve been working with her for a few years and rely on her for well-edited work, on time, all the time.

Hemant Kumar, author and founding editor of Quill Club Writers

Debbie was responsive to the many queries I had. Particularly helpful was her feedback as to why she suggested her changes, instead of simply making the changes. The edits were provided on time and Debbie kept me updated throughout the project. Prior to being award the contract, Debbie also generously provided a free sample edit so we could both assess whether our working styles were compatible. She was also available to speak via video conference instead of solely relying on chat. If you’re looking for an editor, I recommend Debbie.

Hoi T Pham, fiction author

Debbie delivered excellent work, going above and beyond my expectations, and completing a day before the deadline. It is clear that she put her heart into the work, not just her mind. The editing and proof-reading is spotless. And on top, she made suggestions to revise some parts based on how it made her feel as a reader, which I find very valuable. She even caught a mistake I made in a mathematical calculation! She kept me posted throughout the process, and reached out for clarification when needed. I would definitely work with her if there is another opportunity.

Meltem Kusku, non-fiction author