ABOUT ME

BRYONY

 LEAH

I learned pretty early on that words were “my thing” and spent most of my childhood with my head in a book or my hands glued to a keyboard, writing everything from short stories to scripts for school assemblies. I wrote my first “novel” when I was nine, figured out how to send it off to literary agents when I was eleven, and was pestering everyone I knew to read my latest “book” online by the time I was a teenager. 

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It was while I was seventeen and skipping school to meet with a literary agent in London—they invited me to discuss a novel we went on to edit together—I realized words really could be more than just a hobby. I soon began my professional training as a proofreader while working in public libraries. I loved it and quickly sought freelance editorial work to start gaining hands-on experience.

WORD NERDERY

STARTING

 OUT

Since 2015, I’ve worked on various editorial projects, including debut novels, serialized fiction, and multi-title book series, through to travel guides, training courses, marketing copy, and web content. I quit my job as Library Manager and worked as Editorial Coordinator for Radish Fiction in 2016–17. Then I took the leap to go part-time freelance, which eventually led to my becoming a full-time freelance editor in 2018. Through it all, I’ve continued to write, and with over 15 million online readers of my fiction to date, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had my work published by Simon & Schuster and to have worked with some incredible companies along the way.

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I'm a current member of ACES: The Society For Editing, the Editorial Freelancers Association, and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading—all of which I regularly train with.

WHERE I'M BASED

PRESENT

 DAY

Having spent a couple of years living back and forth between the US and the UK, I’ve picked up a strong grasp of American English and enjoy working with authors to adapt their “isms” into “izms” and vice versa. I’m now settled in Staffordshire, England, where I live with my boyfriend, Alex, and our two friendly house rabbits, Quigley and Sunny (both named after my long-term love of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events”).

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I still love to journey Stateside through fiction, either while writing or editing, probably so I can pretend I’m that bit closer to Dunkin’ coffee…and don’t get me started on the donuts (I'll take a Homer-style strawberry frosted or ten, thanks)! I’m an introvert at heart, but if you start a conversation with me about your favorite author or current writing project, I’ll talk for hours or emails—just ask any of the writers I’ve already worked with!

WHO I'VE WORKED WITH

BUSINESS

 CLIENTS

Alongside working directly with authors at every stage of the publishing journey, I've written commissioned work or edited for the following companies: 

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AwesomenessTV, BDJ Team (nature.com), Child Protection Company, Cherry Pie Records, Dental Nursing Magazine, Dreamworks Press, Early Years Childcarer magazine, Fire Training Company, Gallery Books, Galatea, Indoor Play magazine, Inkitt, Lionsgate, Netflix USA, Q&A LA, Radish Fiction, Simon & Schuster, Wattpad.

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To view my full list of reviews and a selection of books I've edited or proofread, please view my editorial portfolio here.

WORK WITH ME

PROFESSIONAL

 EDITING

In my opinion, a great editor is one who can work with a light touch and adapt to an author's style in a way that helps to lift their intended message off the page and deliver it clearly and concisely into the reader's imagination. Correcting typos and polishing punctuation is a given, but the ability to do so without imposing my own style on a manuscript is a skill I've refined through years of experience. My favorite genre is anything that glues me to my desk in anticipation of the next scene. I enjoy pulse-racing stories with unpredictable twists and irresistible romances, and you’ll never find me without a dictionary or thesaurus open somewhere.

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It’s like I said, words are “my thing,” and I’m delighted to still be working with them every day.