Mrs Bryony Leah | Self-Publishing Romance Fiction Editor and Proofreader

Hi! I'm Bryony Leah, a full-time freelance fiction editor, agented author, and published ghostwriter offering friendly, professional book editing services from my home in Staffordshire, England. Having spent a lot of time in the USA, as well as having worked and trained with clients on both sides of the Atlantic, I'm experienced and proficient at copy editing and proofreading US and UK fiction, and I enjoy helping authors adapt their work to suit their preferred style.

Over the past 10+ years, I've worked on more than 200 books for independent, self-publishing, and publisher clients, from debut indie authors to NYT bestsellers (and NYT bestsellers who began as debut indies!). I'm a Professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (which means I've been trained, vetted, and have proven hundreds of hours of editing experience to the professional panel), as well as a member of ACES: The Society For Editing and the Editorial Freelancers Association, all of which I regularly train with.

For work enquiries, please contact me by email at [email protected], or feel free to visit my website for further information, including my current rates, dozens of client reviews, and a portfolio of some of the books I've worked on. 

I offer free sample edits and would love to hear about your latest project or upcoming book!

Genres I edit

• Romance fiction (all sub-genres, all heat levels)
• Women's fiction
• Contemporary
• Erotic fiction
• Horror
• New Adult
• Young Adult
• Romantasy
• ... but always open to projects that fall outside the box!

Companies I've worked with

• 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
• Rakuten Kobo
• Simon & Schuster
• Wattpad
• Written Word Media

Services I offer

• Proofreading
• Copy editing
• Line editing
• Manuscript assessments
• Query letter/synopsis help
• Book descriptions
• Bespoke packages
• Ghostwriting

My full list of current rates for each service can be viewed anytime at https://www.bryonyleah.com/rates. 

Training and certifications

• CIEP P1: Introduction to Proofreading
• CIEP P2: Proofreading Headway
• CIEP P3: Proofreading Progress
• CIEP C1: Copyediting Introduction
• CIEP: Art of Querying
• SfEP: Editing with Word
• Curtis Brown Creative: Pitching Your Novel
• Curtis Brown Creative: Writing Your Synopsis
• Certitec Adobe InDesign Masterclass
• Certitec Adobe InDesign Introduction
• Certitec Adobe InDesign Advanced
• BookMachine Audience-Centric Book Marketing...
• EFA Proofreading and Copyediting with the Chicago Manual of Style
• BookMachine Content Marketing for Freelance Editors
• BookMachine Adobe InDesign for Publishers
• Louise Harnby Training: How to Write the Perfect Fiction Editorial Report
• Louise Harnby Training: Narrative Distance: A Toolbox for Writers and Editors
• Lainey Cameron: Book Blurb Mastery 101
• EFA Sensitivity Reads: What You Need to Know...
• EFA Setting (or Resetting) Your Freelance Rates...
• EFA Problem Clients 101: Common Dilemmas and How to Avoid Them
• EFA The Art of Feedback
• EFA Editorial Freelancing 101
• EFA Editing Sex and Intimacy
• EFA Trans Allyship for Writers and Editors

Awards

• Print Futures Award 2020 (The Printing Charity)

Testimonials

"Bryony is nothing short of phenomenal—as a person and in her work. All nerves and doubts were eased about the editing process from day one, and from her free sample edit, her expert skill level and attention to detail is immediately apparent. Bryony’s edits are invaluable, and her comments of both praise and constructive feedback gave me the confidence to publish a novel I’m proud of. Bryony goes above and beyond and will really treat your manuscript with the care and attention it deserves. If you need a professional, affordable editor, look no further than Bryony as you’ll also receive a cheerleader for your hard work and an abundance of advice and support. I can't wait to work with her again." – Chloe C. Peñaranda, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author

"Bryony has an incredible attention to detail and is a joy to work with. Her feedback made my novel so much better and I’m so happy—and relieved—that I found her." – Danielle Lori, Bestselling Author

"Bryony has been a delight to work with, lending her deep knowledge and keen judgment to projects across very different genres, including a complex translation project. Her professionalism and strong communication are truly appreciated. I look forward to working with Bryony on more projects in the future!" – Michelle Kaatz, Director of Original Content at Rakuten Kobo

"Bryony was a joy to work with. She was quick to respond to emails, friendly, and did an excellent job with the manuscript. The comments she provided were clear, she had great attention to detail, and she had a positive energy throughout. I’m so happy with how the manuscript turned out! Thank you, Bryony!" – Lauren Palphreyman, Bestselling Author

"Bryony has worked with us on numerous proofreading and editing projects and is one of our most reliable contributors. She produces high-quality work with very quick turnarounds and is able to clean up error-riddled manuscripts without altering the unique voices of our writers." – Matthew Daniels, Project Manager at Inkitt

"Bryony is such a fantastic proofreader and editor, and it was such a pleasure to work with her. I felt I needed one good read through of all my books before publishing wide to correct misplaced commas and any snarky errors left that I couldn't see due to 'author blindness.' Not only did her corrections make me extremely confident to put the books out on multiple platforms, but she got them back to me so quickly! Also, I would have questions from time to time and email her, and she would always respond back within minutes, which wasn't needed but was very much appreciated. I can't say enough about the skill and service she provides. I will absolutely be using her for final proofreads of all my books moving forward!" – Rebecca Hefner, USA Today Bestselling Author

"Just the thought of self-publishing my first book absolutely terrified me. There were so many moving parts to it, so much work involved, and so to say I was daunted would be an understatement. What I can say though is that I could not have picked a better editor to help me through the process. Bryony was an absolute dream to work with. She was reliable and quick to reply to any queries and silly questions I sent her way—and goodness, were there a lot! Not only that, but she polished my manuscript so that it became the best it had ever been. When I read it back the first time it was like reading it for the first time. She has a light touch but a keen eye. I honestly don’t think I’d work with another editor, and I’ve already booked her in for the second book of my series." – Scarlett Drake, Romance Author

"A close author friend referred me to Bryony, and I am thanking my lucky stars for it! She is personable, professional, detailed, thorough, communicative, prompt, and pleasant. Yes, she truly is all those things. I've worked with many betas, editors, and proofreaders, and it's not every day you find such a gem. I'm confident in her work, and I'm happy to highly recommend her." – T.L. Martin, Romance Author

BookMachine

https://bookmachine.org/people/bryonyleah/

• Editor
• Proofreader

• Fiction
• Children & young adult
• Drama
• Erotica
• Horror
• Paranormal
• Romance

• Book publishers
• Indie authors

• Self-publishing
• Writing
• Ebooks
• Book coaching