About Me

Editing

Hi there! I'm an editor and proofreader with years of experience in the publishing industry, working on manuscripts in house with two of Canada's largest publishers, Harlequin Books and Nelson Education. I also have years of freelance experience, collaborating both with publishers and directly with authors.

I've worked on everything from novels and manga to trade nonfiction, textbooks and scholarly monographs.

I have a reputation for accuracy and attention to detail when it comes to house style, grammar and storyline consistency. But just as important, I'm known for preserving the author's voice, providing clear explanations for suggested changes and meeting deadlines without fail.

If your book is ready for that next step, I hope you'll reach out!

Everything Else

But who is the Heather behind the editor? Well, you won't be surprised to hear I'm a reader who likes to cast her net wide. Print, ebooks and audio; natural sciences, history and philosophy; cozy mysteries, literary fiction and science fiction—I love it all!

I also love climbing, hiking and biking to keep moving and get outdoors. And there's nothing like the satisfaction of creating and tinkering, whether it's with lumber, food or code.

What Is Copyediting?

After you've done your developmental and line edits, a good copy edit will ensure that grammar, spelling and punctuation consistently hew to your chosen style guide and preferences.

I am experienced in copyediting across a wide variety of genres and in various regional styles, such as Canadian, British and American English. I can also localize your work for a specific regional market, if that's your preference.

The copy edit will verify the consistency of timelines, character attributes and other details, too, while flagging anachronisms and potentially libellous content.

For works that contain them, headings, tables, figures and captions will be checked for consistency with the body text and for preferred style. Likewise, citations and bibliographies will be cross-referenced and styled according to the requested format.

Any questions I have for the author on these points will be queried in the returned manuscript with a clear explanation of the question itself as well as suggested solutions where applicable.

A style sheet will be assembled during the edit and returned to you as a record of your book's style choices. I will include a list of all proper nouns, a list of style preferences and an alpha list of general spelling preferences (that you prefer alright to all right, for example). You can pass this list to your proofreader to ensure continuity of work and reference it when it comes time to write your follow-up works.

What Is Proofreading?

After your work has been copyedited and then typeset or prepared for publication, proofreading will catch any grammar, spelling and punctuation concerns that remain, following your chosen style guide and copyediting style sheet.

The proofread will also address any typesetting issues, such as misaligned text and incorrect spacing or font usage, ensuring that the final product is correct and legible.

As with copyediting, I am experienced in proofreading a wide variety of genres and in various regional styles, such as Canadian, British and American English.

Portfolio

General Fiction

Young Adult

Thriller & Suspense

Romance

Horror, Sci-fi & Fantasy

Nonfiction

Testimonials

I’ve worked with a lot of copyeditors over a lot of years and come to appreciate that copyediting is a science and an art. The ideal copy edit is rigorous but not prescriptive. It's a tough balance to strike, but Heather does. She manages to be thorough but not intrusive, to not only make corrections, but to help the manuscript become a better version of itself.

—Jenny Holiday, USA Today bestselling author of Undue Influence

Not only were the punctuation and spelling mistakes immaculately cleaned up, but Heather went way beyond my expectations. She tracked the novel’s timeline, pointing out places where it was off, she noticed minute details in early chapters that appeared differently in subsequent chapters, she even noticed geographic errors in my African setting. Further, she read the work deeply enough to be able to point out places where characters were acting in ways that seemed inconsistent with their personalities. These are mistakes that readers would have noticed and been distracted by. Mistakes I’m grateful won’t appear in the published book because ultimately, they’d reflect on me. In short, Heather took the manuscript and polished it beautifully. Her name won’t appear on the cover, but make no mistake, she was a critical contributor!

—Adrienne Benson, author of The Brightest Sun

Heather undertook the copy edit of my novel and from the outset, I was impressed by her professionalism and assessment of the parameters of the project. Her edits showed a clear grasp of the intended audience, and in her handling of the text, she combined thoroughness and attention to detail with a light, unobtrusive touch. Needless to say, the project was completed at the agreed deadline. Heather was an absolute pleasure to work with and I would work with her again in a heartbeat!

—Claire Horsnell, author of The Crowsbrook Demons and The Caretakers

Heather's impressive facility with the English language, her meticulous eye for detail and her boundless patience opened my eyes to what a really good editor can accomplish. She made my work shine.

—Lynne Bradley, author of Adapting King Lear for the Stage

Additional testimonials can be found in my LinkedIn recommendations.

Qualifications

Experience

• Years of in-house training and experience at Harlequin Books and Nelson Education
• Extensive freelance experience with publishers and authors, including the copyediting and proofreading of hundreds of books across multiple genres

Diplomas & Certifications

• Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, University of Guelph
• Master of Arts in English Language and Literature, University of Victoria
• Certificate in Publishing, Toronto Metropolitan University

For details, check out my LinkedIn profile

Contact Me

Emailing me at editorial@heather-martin.com is always the best way to reach me. I limit the frequency of social media notifications I receive, so if you contact me via one of those channels, you will likely experience a longer response time.