Hello
I’m Brenda
I’m a professional editor
I’m crazy about words. Your words.
You’ve finished your manuscript and, long or short, it’s part of you.
You want it to be perfect so, before you send it to the publisher,
Send it to me.
As an editor, I’ll read through your work objectively;
I’ll sharpen it and bring out the message you had in mind all along.
I’ll search for just the right words, using words that are creative and true to your message, true to your style. And finally, I’ll guide you through the self-publishing process.
From Proofreading to Publishing
My Services
Manuscript Editing
Fine-tunes language, structure, and format of a text prior to publishing.
Proof Reading
A careful, close reading process to locate and correct any errors.
Ghostwriting
When you’ve got a great idea for a book or article but you’re short of time.
Manuscript Review
Identify possible weaknesses in structure, tone, content, narration, dialogue, and consistency. Overcome writer’s block with one-on-one creative meetings.
Academic Thesis Editing
Polish and check your thesis or article before publication. Checks can include typography, grammar, repetition, paragraph structure, layout, and references.
Creative Writing Workshops
This comfortable interactive space provides a quick overview of writing: structure, characterisation, narrative voice, and descriptive passages.
Memoir Writing
Share your valuable life lessons in book format with family, friends, mentees, and associates.
Online Consultancy
A one-to-one online conversation provides helpful insight on your manuscript and/or guidance on how to self-publish.
About Me
Brenda Burgess is a freelance editor and language practitioner. Besides editing fiction and non-fiction books, and academic theses, she mentors new writers and gives online creative writing workshops. Brenda loves working with words and helping authors get their manuscripts ready for publishing. Her qualifications include a BA in Creative Writing (UNISA) and a postgraduate course in Editing (Stellenbosch University). Brenda lives in Durbanville, Cape Town.
IT’S DONE.
You’ve finished your manuscript at last. What an incredible, exhilarating and exhausting process!
Your manuscript is your own creation, it’s an extension of yourself. You know it inside out and it’s natural to think that you’ll pick up textual errors. This is far from true: your eyes are so accustomed to the information on the screen that any misplaced word, repetition, or possible structural flaw will be hidden, and this is why collaborating with a professional editor is so important.
Professional editing provides you with a ‘clean eye’ to read through your work, bring out the best points and cuts out the parts that don’t fit – before you submit your manuscript to the publisher.
I’ll make your manuscript the best it can possibly be by examining both the big picture and the finer details, while ensuring that it retains your unique style because I respect the individuality of your manuscript!
You have a dream of publishing and I want to help you achieve that quickly and efficiently.