Mark Sippings, fiction writer

Two years ago, I wrote my first book Cold Sunflowers. Having failed to get a publishing deal, I decided to go it alone and become an independent author. Everyone told me I needed a professional editor. I decided on Louise – what a stroke of luck that was. 
 
Louise’s website is full of useful information, most of it free, but it was the edit that turned my book into a success. It was an amazing service. I didn’t think the book needed much work; how wrong I was. With Louise's edits, the book became so much tighter. 
 
My book has well over a 100 five star reviews. Many say it was nice to read a book that has been properly edited. Cold Sunflowers made it to number 45 in the Amazon US charts and was a bestseller in two categories. Dreams do come true but, believe me, you need a professional editor to help them on their way.

Kess Goldland, thriller writer

Louise has the rare ability to refine and polish sentences with a perceptive lightness of touch, revising only where necessary, and somehow, magically, what is left on the page better captures the very essence of exactly what you wanted to say.

Deft and precise in her edit, she enhances what is written so at once it is crisper and more elegant, revealing the writer's voice by making it stronger, clearer and more eloquent. Add that she is a pleasure to work with and clearly loves what she does, and it really does become impossible to find fault with her service.

In short – if you want your writing to be better, then you need to get Louise to edit it. I can't recommend working with her highly enough.

Dare Rogers, crime thriller writer

Louise is a consummate professional and the ideal person to turn to for help with a manuscript. She made my story so much better and offered many insightful suggestions. All of which I accepted. She grasps the mindset of a writer so well; it’s as if she was there when I wrote my story.
 
She deeply comprehends the creative mind. She uses her expertise in English, combined with an obviously extensive knowledge of the world’s cultures, to hone a story until it's razor sharp, while still allowing the author’s voice to remain dominant.
 
The most wonderful thing of all was the way she kept my voice intact. I know, I said that before. But an author’s voice is a precious thing to each of us. We spend countless hours mining the dark recesses of the right brain when following our muse, and sacrifice everything for the sake of the story. We often blur the lines between creativity and logical syntax. Louise is the bright light that guides us to our end goal. To be a published author.

Josephine Vaughan, independent author

Thank you so much for the tremendous work you have put into editing my manuscript. Your expertise and observations are hugely valuable. You have instilled encouragement to go forward, and I have enjoyed the journey and learnt a great deal!

​Penny LaRaza, fantasy thriller writer

Thank you so much for all of your hard work on my manuscript. As a new author I was really nervous going into this part of the process but you have been an absolute joy to work with. Your advice and encouragement is something that I really value and the insight you have provided (I loved the report you sent) makes me excited to jump right in. I hope that we get to work together again soon!

Ayshe Gemedzhy, independent author

Louise is a true professional – she’s reliable and knowledgeable, but what makes her stand out and shine is her ability to immerse herself in your story. It’s as if she becomes you – sees through your eyes and recognizes your voice. From the first page till the very last, she respects the magical world you, the author, have created.
 
I requested samples from several editors prior to Louise. When I reviewed them I felt misunderstood. My voice had disappeared and the narrative sounded nothing like me anymore. They clearly pointed out all my weaknesses by mechanically correcting mistakes in the text, but in doing so they cut out the soul of my story. 
 
When Louise sent me her sample, I saw the art of skilful editing at its best. She was meticulous, but so thoughtful. She eliminated the mistakes, but looked beyond them, too, amending without compromising the voices of the characters or the atmosphere in the scenes.
 
What I received back is the novel at its best ­– it’s my story, how I wrote it, but masterfully and brilliantly edited to become a work I can truly be proud of.

Rebecca Milton, fantasy fiction writer

Through all of the changes and feedback I was never once anxious. Where I struggled it wasn't because I felt awful but because you had said such lovely things that I was overwhelmed. That you made all of the changes needed with generosity and care is incredible. This is what I want to spend my life doing, and you have helped me to shed so many of my fears about doing so. It means everything. Thank you.

Jeff Carson, mystery & thriller writer

I hired Louise to copyedit my entire series (ten books). I'd used multiple editors in the past, and every time they'd fallen short of my expectations. So I dipped my toe in and started by hiring her for book one, and from the first day I felt I was working with a level of professional I had never encountered before. Then when she delivered the book back to me, I rushed to book her for the rest of my series.

Not only does she catch errors and/or places that trip up the reader, but also, time after time, she gives a concrete example of how to more clearly communicate the atrocity I’ve put on the page. "Jeff, this is tripping me up because of this … how about trying [sentence X] or [sentence Y]?" This is invaluable to me, and I think my books now have an elevated quality I couldn't have achieved without her.

I like working with people who have strong work ethics, and they don’t get stronger than Louise’s responsiveness, thoroughness, patience, skill, and professionalism. I can’t imagine publishing another work without Louise scouring it first. I wholeheartedly recommend her services ... Just don’t hire her when I need her.
​
[Hired for copyediting after Jeff had initially published to Amazon.]

J B Turner, crime & thriller writer

Working with Louise is a delight. The attention, the super quick copy-editing turnaround of the first chapters of my new book – she made sure it was in perfect condition for my agent to submit. This is the third time I’ve worked with her and she’s terrific. Highly recommended. ​[Book three]

​Impeccable again. Sincere thanks for your all your terrific work. [Book two]
​
Sincere thanks for a beautiful and elegant piece of work. First class. You are a delight to work with. [Book one]

​Andrew Langley, supernatural thriller​ writer

Louise is a delight to work with and has an incredible eye for detail.
[Book one}

Excellent work again. Many thanks!
​[Book two]

​​Larry Kahaner, thriller writer

I love what you did to my manuscript. You found so much more than my line editor. I wish I had engaged you first. Your attention to detail, tracking and precision are much appreciated.

​​​Rob Aspinall, thriller writer

Thanks so much for the fantastic work! Delighted with it.
[Three-book commission]

Colin Watts, supernatural thriller writer

Many thanks for all the time you spent with Dodring and doing such a thorough job of improving it. When I complete my next novel, you can expect a copy coming your way for what I shall now call the Harnby treatment!

​Ashby-BP Publishing

Louise Harnby is the trump card for a superior manuscript. Her masterful scrutiny and expert mark-ups are key to publishing first-rate material. Moreover, her charm and efficiency make the process an absolute pleasure. It would be a serious disservice to any text to choose anyone else but Louise.
Mary C Dunford, principal

Ron Brock, independent author

I want to thank you again for the outstanding work. You were a rare find for me. Not only did you complete the work within the time-frame promised, the quality exceeded my expectations considerably.

​Alexander Murray, independent author

As a proofreader, Louise was great to work with. It was easy to establish a trusting professional relationship with her and she was always 100% professional in all she did, including meeting deadlines.

She is clearly very experienced and knowledgeable about publishing standards and I also found real value added in her occasional copyediting suggestions. I also found her flexible and responsive to an emergency situation I found myself in, and greatly appreciated her willingness to go the extra mile. I recommend her without hesitation.

Julian Dollimore, crime thriller writer

I needed the first fifty pages of my manuscript proofread before submission to a literary agent. I sent my work to Louise and she did a fantastic job. Before sending her my work we chatted for a while on the phone and after completing the proofread she gave me further feedback online.

​It is nice to work with someone who is approachable and who is willing to give their clients time to discuss potential worries and concerns. Louise does all of these things and, furthermore, she gives invaluable feedback on the quality, readability and pacing of manuscripts. I would not hesitate in recommending her to others or using her again myself.

​Polity

We have been using Louise as a regular proofreader for around nine years, and have always found her diligent in her attitude, accurate in her work and utterly reliable on her dates.
Neil de Cort, production manager 

Mary Fraser, independent author

Louise provides an excellent proofreading service. She is helpful, friendly and provides additional support to aspiring authors. I am happy to recommend her proofreading services and I look forward to working with her again.

SAGE Publishing

Louise is a reliable and diligent proofreader. She consistently delivers on time and to budget and, moreover, understands the sometimes-conflicting requirements of in-house staff and authors. A true professional!
Ian Antcliff, managing senior editor

Out of House Publishing

Louise is an extremely dependable proofreader. She has been a key supplier to us for many years and her flexible and friendly approach make her a joy to work with. Top qualities: great results, personable, high integrity.
Jo Bottrill, managing director

​Robert Robertson, independent author

Louise is a meticulous and first-rate proofreader, and it is a pleasure to work with her. I would warmly recommend Louise to any author in need of a proofreader, and who may be nervous about the proofreading process.

Richard Garner, mystery & thriller writer

Louise is wonderful. To say I am satisfied does not really do her justice. She responds very quickly, her work is brilliant and she always goes that extra mile. She is just a pleasure to work with.

​Ryan Sam Turner, independent author

Louise was an absolute pleasure to work with and the service she provides is first class. As a first time author I felt a lot of pressure to make sure that my manuscript was perfect, and seeking Louise’s professional help really took a massive weight off my shoulders. I don’t know what I would have done without her. Even after she completed her work, she put me in touch with others who can assist in my journey and I am so grateful for that. I will definitely be using Louise again.

Paul T Kidd, independent author​

Louise is an excellent proofreader and very professional in the way she deals with her clients. She responded very quickly to my initial enquiry and produced the proofread document well ahead of her estimated completion time. I can highly recommend her and I will definitely use her again.

Anthony J Berry, independent author

Louise Harnby has become the guiding light who led me through the maze of epublishing and eformatting. Her proofreading skills are exemplary and her professionalism and recommendations have ensured that I have ended up with a very high-quality product. Louise is prompt, accurate, consistent and knowledgeable.

​As a new author I feel confident knowing that she is close by and I have no reservations in recommending her skills though personally I would rather keep her as a secret known only to me!

​​Richard Mark Smith, independent author

Louise is an absolute pleasure to work with. She always completes work on time, is extremely thorough, and her proofreading skills are second to none.

Salt Publishing​

A million thanks – your mark-up is perfect, as always.
Jen Hamilton-Emery, co-director

​Edward Elgar Publishing​

Louise is always one of the first I will check for availability when I need to place a job. Her onscreen mark up is especially meticulous and I trust her to always do a thorough proofread. Her work is always delivered to deadline and she is a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend her.
Rebecca Hastie, senior desk editor

​Louise is a highly reliable, enthusiastic and trusted proofreader. She always delivers on time, on budget and to a consistently high standard. It is a pleasure to work with her.
Suzanne Giles, deputy managing editor

​Louise is my trusted go-to proofreader for the most gnarly projects that land on my desk. These, quite often, tend to be law books, where the necessarily complex subject matter is often accompanied by densely populated footnotes which need the high level of attention to detail and consistency that Louise brings to project after project. She never misses a deadline (she usually beats them), and is an absolute pleasure to work with.
Madhubanti Bhattacharyya, desk editor

​Constable & Robinson/Little, Brown

Louise is an excellent proofreader. She’s extremely reliable and always delivers on time.
Nicola Lovick, managing editor

Louise Harnby consistently provides top-quality work, and she is punctual, reliable and a pleasure to work with. I have no hesitation in recommending her.
Clive Hebard, senior desk editor

Fancy working with me?

If you'd like to discuss a line editing, copyediting or proofreading project, get in touch so we can have a chat.​

Email Louise