Hannah Close

Hannah Close – Editor

I specialise in developmental editing and editorial assessments for fantasy and romance novels.

Overview

If you want your story to be the best that it can be, then I can help you. As a writer myself, I understand just how much time, energy and feeling you have put into your book. I will treat your words with the utmost respect and strive to help you tell your story as clearly as possible.

Always an avid reader (yes, I was one of those kids who read with a torch under the covers in bed, when I was supposed to be asleep!), I particularly enjoy fantasy, classic literature and romance. I have two degrees in literature and have read many books on creative writing, so I know exactly what makes a good story, what the 'rules' are for each genre – and when and how they can be broken.

All of this knowledge allows me to ensure that each sentence of dialogue is in-character and moves the plot along, to pick up on any elements of inconsistency such as a character's hair or eye colour – or name! – changing part way through, and to help make the reading experience as smooth as possible with no errors in grammar or spelling to trip your readers up. (Well, as few as possible. Perfection is not humanly possible, unfortunately!) This will ensure your text is in the best shape for publication, whether that be with a traditional publishing house or down a self-publishing route.

I have been freelance since 2016 and have worked with a wide range of both academic and independent authors. Before freelancing, I worked in-house for seven years with roles in three academic publishing houses in both editorial and production departments, which gave me a thorough understanding of how a book transforms from manuscript into printed product. Let me help you realise your dream of seeing your published book on a bookshelf, whether that's a physical or virtual shelf!
Services
Non-Fiction
Education & Reference Psychology Writing & Publishing
Fiction
Epic Fantasy Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • BA in English and Related Literature
  • MA in Nineteenth Century Literature and Culture
  • Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning
  • Proofreading Progress
  • Proofreading Mentoring
  • Introduction to Copy-editing
  • Essential Copy-Editing, Merit
  • Developmental Editing: Fiction Theory
  • Developmental Editing: In Practice

Work experience

Cengage

Sep, 2014 — Jul, 2019 (almost 5 years)

Initially a maternity cover position, I was required to adapt quickly and help out as needed with on-going projects. In December 2014 I secured the position permanently and was given my own projects to manage. This involved organising reviews, commissioning new content for both print and digital resources, preparing manuscripts for production, checking proofs and proofing and editing online content. Following my promotion in March 2015, I took on greater responsibility across more projects including commissioning a new author for a first edition adaptation, which required an overseas visit and negotiation of the contract terms.

Taylor & Francis

Nov, 2013 — Jun, 2014 (7 months)

As Production Editor I learnt how to carry a title through from handover to publication, managing a high number of projects simultaneously. I briefed each title for project managers, checked proofs and final files, organised covers and the printing and binding of the final product. I worked on both UK and US titles with separate styles, spelling and grammar.

McGraw-Hill

Jun, 2012 — Nov, 2013 (over 1 year)

In this role I quickly learnt how to build relationships with authors and reviewers, conduct market research and prepare manuscripts for handover. The biggest challenge of the role was working across two very different lists and having to balance sometimes conflicting deadlines, but this developed my organisation and prioritisation skills to an extremely high level.

Portfolio

The Role of Education in Enabling the Sustainable Development Agenda explores the relationship between education and other key sectors of development in the context of the new global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. While it is widely understood tha... read more
Becoming a Choral Music Teacher

Patrice Madura Ward-Steinman

Field Theory is a powerful and growing paradigm within psychoanalysis, but has previously been split between various schools of thought with little overlap. In this book, a distinguished group of contributors from across all perspectives on Field Theory examin... read more
The SEND Code of Practice (2015) reinforced the requirement that all teachers must meet the needs of all learners. This topical book provides practical, tried and tested strategies and resources that will support teachers in making maths lessons accessible and... read more
Michael Forester’s award winning short stories and flash fiction range from fantasy to young love and old fear, Gay & Lesbian to spirituality & religion, metaphor to morals to literary fiction. Always these powerful, highly original tales are gripping and read... read more

Hannah has 23 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Samuel C.

Samuel C.

Jul, 2024

I was quickly struck by Hannah's professionalism and care to myself as a prospective client when she asked me to complete a survey before quoting for the copy edit work I had put out here on Reedsy for my Epic Fantasy novel. Completing it was insightful not only for Hannah but also myself, asking questions I hadn't thought to ask myself and forcing me to ponder aspects of my book and how I felt...
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Hannah C.
Thank you for such a lovely review! I'm so pleased you're happy with my feedback.
Evelyn P.

Evelyn P.

Apr, 2024

Hannah provided excellent, clear feedback that helped me fix the issues in my book. She was easy to work with and very responsive. Would definitely use again.
Ron C.

Ron C.

Mar, 2024

Working with Hannah C for an editorial assessment was the best decision for my debut novel. Guiding me through first-time faux pas was precisely what I needed. She understood my story; her feedback was clear and encouraging, making me see my novel in a new light. What impressed me most was how she respected my unique voice(s). My writing style will remain intact; tweaking is on the agenda. Com...
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Stephen T.

Stephen T.

Oct, 2023

Hannah was professional and very attentive throughout the project, asking specific questions about my manuscript to tailor her work to my wants and needs. She replied quickly and frequently to my questions, provided a very clear layout to the editorial assessment and approached her work with great enthusiasm, which is always appreciated. Overall, the work provided by Hannah was stellar, especia...
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Shannon Q.

Shannon Q.

Nov, 2022

Hannah's feedback is extremely helpful. She went above and beyond to provide me with an editorial assessment that covers all parts of my story.

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