About
I’m Ennis Lucy (they/them), a gothic fantasy/horror author and freelance editor with an academic background in classical studies. I specialize in developmental editing of speculative fiction, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction. My work is done on the territorial land of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and Songhees Peoples, commonly known as Victoria, British Columbia.As an author, I'm currently revising my debut novel, a sapphic gothic fantasy about an amnesiac angel. I'm also an active member of the Federation of BC Writers, through which I am working on a horror anthology. My short fiction has received a silver honorable mention from Writers of the Future.As an editor, I hold a certificate in editing from Simon Fraser University. I am attentive and detail-oriented, having had years of experience editing my own writing before I stepped into the professional world. I always strive to deliver as close to perfection as I can, while being mindful to meet deadlines. My work has been described by clients as thoughtful and enlightening.
Editing Services
Whether you’re looking to tackle a first draft or want to polish a final copy, I can help you step on the path to perfection. The first stage of editing any document is to understand what type(s) of editing it needs. I offer services in each of the following categories individually, or together as packages.Pricing is calculated on a case by case basis based on the amount of time I expect to spend on a project and the level of expertise required. When you first contact me, I'll ask for some information that will allow me to provide an estimate. Consultations are always free.
Structural Editing
Completing the first draft of anything is a sigh of relief and a cause for celebration, but it's often shortly followed by the realization that things haven't gone the way you hoped. Structural editing concerns the big picture questions: Would the scenes work better in a different order? Does the worldbuilding make sense? Are the characters empathetic and believable? Is the work achieving what you want it to achieve?In performing a structural edit, I will work with you to break your draft into manageable parts so questions like these can be answered and improved upon. Together, I will help guide you through what issues are present and how we can go about fixing them, laying the groundwork for you to build the best version of your work.
Stylistic Editing
You have your story laid out perfectly—the characters and events play out on the page just as they did in your head—but something is still wrong: it doesn’t read the way you want it to. Stylistic editing improves your wording and sentence structure, bringing your document from sounding like a draft to sounding like a professional piece of writing.At the stylistic stage, I will help you remove redundancies, improve artistic flow, and ensure the reader can follow the path you’ve created. This is the stage where many authors see the most potential for the editor to overstep; as an author myself, I understand those concerns. Working with you through the stylistic edit, I will make sure to preserve your original voice and always leave the final say with you.
Copyediting and Proofreading
Congratulations, the writing is finally complete! But even the most careful eye misses the occasional typo. At the copyediting stage (the thing most people think of when they hear the word “editing”), typos and grammatical errors are weeded out and fixed. Proofreading does the same for work that has already been typeset, taking a more restrained approach to be mindful of things like line breaks, page count, and word spacing.With an excellent handle on grammar and an extensive vocabulary, I’ll go over your document carefully to catch any mistakes you’ve missed. For proofreading, I’ll also ensure that elements are correctly placed and no awkward spacing issues have snuck in. I am able to offer these services using either Track Changes or standard proofreaders’ marks, depending on your preference.
Sensitivity Reading
As either a standalone service or a low cost add-on, I offer sensitivity reading from the perspective of a non-binary lesbian. If you are a straight and/or cisgender writer including queer or trans topics/characters in your work, sensitivity reading can be done to ensure that nothing potentially harmful has accidentally been included.Thank you for reading all that. Here’s a funny picture of my cat as a reward.
Contact
Email: [email protected]If you are interested in hiring my editing services, I will ask for the following information about your project to establish a price estimate. Providing these in your initial email will help to speed things along.
➼ Word count
➼ Type of writing (e.g., short story, novel, memoir, academic essay, etc.)
➼ Type of editing you're looking for (refer to the Services page)
➼ Your desired deadline
I specialize in working with independent authors on speculative fiction, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction, but please do not be deterred if your work doesn’t fall into those categories; if the document is beyond my purview, I’ll let you know.
AI Policy
I hold a very firm policy that I will not edit any work created wholly or in part through the use of generative AI LLMs such as ChatGPT. In return, I guarantee that none of the work I provide to my clients utilizes AI.If I learn that generative AI has been used after I have already begun work on a project, I withhold the right to terminate my agreement with the client immediately without refund of the deposit.