Bonavista Penninsula, Newfoundland, Canada, 2018.

Rebecca Mahoney

Manuscript Editor & Writing Coach

Special Interests & Experience

I edit manuscripts of any length and genre, including short stories and novellas. I read widely and am very familiar & comfortable with the styles and particulars of a variety of genres. I have special interest and experience in memoir, women's fiction, young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction. ​I am particularly interested in books where the setting is key--much of my own fiction explores the relationship between women and place and I love discovering an immersive setting in novels.

Manuscript editing services

Content editing

I offer mentor-style editing, providing in-depth feedback on the content and development of your manuscript. Includes help with writing techniques as well as storytelling. I provide a close, focused read of all levels of the manuscript, from sentences level all the way to the big picture. I can edit the whole manuscript at once, or we can work chapter-by-chapter (or even scene-by-scene). 
Great for: Writers who aren’t sure where to go next; writers who are about to begin the revision process and want detailed feedback and guidance; writers who want a writing coach/mentor to help them through the writing process and learn to become a stronger writer.

Beta reading

I'll read your entire manuscript and provide big-picture feedback, such as: was the story engaging? Are the characters fully developed? Are there plot holes? Does the story arc make sense? The benefit of having an editor beta read is that I can clearly identify the strengths and weaknesses and look at the book from an industry and editorial perspective as well as from a reader’s perspective. 
Great for: Writers who are ready for the revision process and need big-picture feedback to move forward; writers who are readying to publish and want to “test” their complete book on readers before making any final changes. 

Line Editing

Line editing involves an extremely close edit of every line in your manuscript to make sure it’s as lean, clear and readable as possible. I look for things like correct use of dialogue tags, overuse of adverbs, and repeated words and phrases. Line editing is about making sure every word earns its place on the page. 
Great for: Writers who are happy with the content and big-picture aspects of their book, but want to make sure their writing is tight, readable and clear.  

Proofreading

Sentence-level editing. I read for grammar, punctuation, style and correct formatting. I’m proficient in the following: Chicago Manual of Style, AP style, APA and MLA. 
​Great for: Writers who want to make sure their prose is error-free before going to an editor, agent or publication; academics readying to publish.