I've had occasion to turn to Helen and Phil for editorial advice on several occasions. Their help has been invaluable; always practical, constructive and sensitively-delivered. They are both highly-skilled writers but because they have different styles, and write in different genres, they're able to see so many angles. Highly recommended.
- Mark Brandon, author of 'The Colossus of the Thames & Other Tales' and 'Inkerman', winner of Leicester Writers short story competition 2023
Want some professional, constructive feedback on your novel or story?
Helen Cooper and Phillip Irving offer bespoke feedback to help you improve your writing, maximise the potential of your story, and tackle everything from plot holes to pacing issues.
Developmental edits and writing coaching available by negotiation.
NB for those looking to check prices, they're at the bottom of the page.
Developmental edits and writing coaching available by negotiation.
NB for those looking to check prices, they're at the bottom of the page.
Who are we?
Helen Cooper is the author of four psychological suspense novels, THE DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBOUR, THE OTHER GUEST, THE COUPLE IN THE PHOTO, and MY DARLING BOY. She is published by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and Putnam & Sons in the US. Her debut novel was a Sunday Times Crime Club pick and one of Woman & Home's 'Best Thrillers of 2021.'
She has also had short fiction published in Woman, Mslexia, Writers' Forum, the Lincolnshire Echo, and on the Crime Readers' Association website. She was shortlisted for the Bath Short Story Award in 2014 and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize in 2018.
She is a qualified English teacher with an MA in Creative Writing, and has also co-authored two non-fiction books on Academic Writing for university students. She is currently President of Leicester Writers' Club, where she gives and receives editorial feedback at weekly manuscript meetings.
Phillip Irving specialises in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, social commentary and satire. He has been published by Flame Tree Press and Space Cat Press and The Slab Press and was featured in the Best of British Science Fiction anthology in both 2021 and 2022.
He is a member of the British Fantasy Society (BFS) and British Science Fiction Society (BSFS) and has been part of the judging panel for the BFS's prestigious novella and short story awards.
As well as writing, editing and coaching, he is a qualified tutor and a former teacher with over 18 years' experience of teaching English and Creative Writing; a former President of Leicester Writers' Club (where he is still an active committee member); and a founding member of the Leicester Speculators, where he regularly reviews and discusses other people's writing. He has also previously worked in a professional copy editing capacity in the financial sector.
She has also had short fiction published in Woman, Mslexia, Writers' Forum, the Lincolnshire Echo, and on the Crime Readers' Association website. She was shortlisted for the Bath Short Story Award in 2014 and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize in 2018.
She is a qualified English teacher with an MA in Creative Writing, and has also co-authored two non-fiction books on Academic Writing for university students. She is currently President of Leicester Writers' Club, where she gives and receives editorial feedback at weekly manuscript meetings.
Phillip Irving specialises in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, social commentary and satire. He has been published by Flame Tree Press and Space Cat Press and The Slab Press and was featured in the Best of British Science Fiction anthology in both 2021 and 2022.
He is a member of the British Fantasy Society (BFS) and British Science Fiction Society (BSFS) and has been part of the judging panel for the BFS's prestigious novella and short story awards.
As well as writing, editing and coaching, he is a qualified tutor and a former teacher with over 18 years' experience of teaching English and Creative Writing; a former President of Leicester Writers' Club (where he is still an active committee member); and a founding member of the Leicester Speculators, where he regularly reviews and discusses other people's writing. He has also previously worked in a professional copy editing capacity in the financial sector.
For the last few years, Phil and more recently he and Helen both have made my fiction immeasurably better with their insightful comments and critiques
- Jay Eales, author, anthology editor, and comic book publisher
What do we offer?
Having worked with a range of writers and manuscripts, we know that editing your book isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ process. What we'll usually do is give a close edit of the first chapter of your work (or up to around 5000 words; whichever is most appropriate) so we can get a feel for the writing. We're looking here to gauge the likely timeframe we'll need to edit the rest of your work, with a view to:
a) giving you a realistic idea of what timeframe (and, of course, feedback!) to expect
and
b) negotiating a rate that we both agree is fair for all of the work you are looking for across the whole manuscript.
When we've received payment for the initial edit of this first 5000 words, we'll have a video chat about the feedback and the project moving forward. This will, of course, also give you an opportunity to not progress further if you feel either:
a) that we're not likely to provide the sort of feedback you're looking for
or (and this does happen!)
b) the feedback we've provided on the first 5000 words is actually enough for you to edit the rest of the manuscript on your own.
Assuming you want us to move forward with the rest of the manuscript, we will then negotiate a rate for the whole project, reflecting the sort of feedback you are looking for, and the amount of work we feel that will constitute. Obviously there's no commitment to anything until we've agreed a rate we both feel is fair.
We are, of course, very happy to answer any questions about your needs and what you want to get out of the process prior to making any commitments! Please contact us using the form below.
a) giving you a realistic idea of what timeframe (and, of course, feedback!) to expect
and
b) negotiating a rate that we both agree is fair for all of the work you are looking for across the whole manuscript.
When we've received payment for the initial edit of this first 5000 words, we'll have a video chat about the feedback and the project moving forward. This will, of course, also give you an opportunity to not progress further if you feel either:
a) that we're not likely to provide the sort of feedback you're looking for
or (and this does happen!)
b) the feedback we've provided on the first 5000 words is actually enough for you to edit the rest of the manuscript on your own.
Assuming you want us to move forward with the rest of the manuscript, we will then negotiate a rate for the whole project, reflecting the sort of feedback you are looking for, and the amount of work we feel that will constitute. Obviously there's no commitment to anything until we've agreed a rate we both feel is fair.
We are, of course, very happy to answer any questions about your needs and what you want to get out of the process prior to making any commitments! Please contact us using the form below.
How much does it cost?
The initial reading will cost £15 per 1000 words (so a full 5000 word sample would cost £75). That paid fee would then constitute a deposit towards the negotiated cost for the entire manuscript. As above, this whole-manuscript fee will take into account the anticipated time it will take us to edit the whole piece based on the sample, and the level of edit you are looking for.
This includes:
We are happy to negotiate a bespoke rate for submissions packages, synopses, pitches, outlines, etc, where a word-count rate might be less applicable.
NB There are instances where we've worked with authors who are writing and having developmental edits done as they go. Obviously in this instance an overall cost is impossible to calculate when the project is not yet complete. In this instance we'd negotiate rates on an ongoing basis, starting at £15 per 1000 words and revising in line with the same considerations as outlined above.
We always endeavour to offer fair rates to our writers, whatever the project, and will always make sure everyone is happy with what they are paying before any work is undertaken.
Please contact us below if you have any questions. We'd love to hear from you!
This includes:
- In-document comments throughout the manuscript
- A summary of our overall thoughts on plot, structure, character, etc
- A video conversation to discuss feedback at each payment point
We are happy to negotiate a bespoke rate for submissions packages, synopses, pitches, outlines, etc, where a word-count rate might be less applicable.
NB There are instances where we've worked with authors who are writing and having developmental edits done as they go. Obviously in this instance an overall cost is impossible to calculate when the project is not yet complete. In this instance we'd negotiate rates on an ongoing basis, starting at £15 per 1000 words and revising in line with the same considerations as outlined above.
We always endeavour to offer fair rates to our writers, whatever the project, and will always make sure everyone is happy with what they are paying before any work is undertaken.
Please contact us below if you have any questions. We'd love to hear from you!
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