Karen Atkinson Editorial

Testimonials

"Karen was deft, inconspicuous, tactful and thorough. It was a pleasure working with her. I've worked with a lot of copy-editors over the years, and Karen has been a particular joy."

H. Bingham

"Dr Karen Atkinson has provided peerless editorial assistance. Her contribution goes beyond even this, however, as she has provided insight through thoughtful comments on chapters' structure and rigour. This volume was immeasurably improved by her participation, and we are grateful."

Dr J. Picton & Dr J. Sigafoos

"Working with Karen on my manuscript was definitely the best decision I ever made as a writer. My story was deeply rooted in a brutal and catastrophic civil war spanning over ten years, and writing about this was outrightly difficult and traumatic for me. But Karen’s editorial approach was thorough, consistent, and professional, which enabled me to bring my story to life. This result would have been impossible if I had taken the alternatives that were available to me before I met Karen.

I have further worked with Karen on my investigative newspaper articles, many of which have had significant national impacts after their publications."

J. Fallah-Williams

"Karen copy-edited my debut novel, 'Fairy Boys'. Handing over any piece of work for review and collaboration can be uncomfortable at best. For me, submitting 'Fairy Boys' was a daunting thought, as the subject matter is so very near to my heart. Karen made me feel instantly comfortable. After submitting a small excerpt, and receiving the copy-edited sample back soon after, I was not only calmer but also genuinely excited to share my work with her.

The entire process from start to finish was handled with such effortless care that it really gave me confidence in that I was in very safe hands. When I received my manuscript back I was thrilled with Karen’s work; the text lifted right off the page and flowed incredibly elegantly.

I also took advantage of Karen’s proofreading services, which were exceptional; she picked up on any further discrepancies and more. I couldn’t recommend her highly enough."

D. Tawse

"I searched through 256 copyeditor profiles before finding Karen's, and I immediately knew she was the perfect fit for my needs. Working with Karen was a dream. She helped me mould my manuscript for publication, paying attention to every detail, from structure and grammar to the best turn of phrase. Her editing workflow was effortless and efficient, and I was thrilled with the results. It was a privilege to work with Karen, and I look forward to doing so again in the future."

C. Belton

"I may be a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Master of Laws with Distinction, but I was not so complacent as to submit my redrafted and many times revised 80,000 word PhD thesis without proper proofreading. I approached Karen and can honestly say that all the reviews here are absolutely spot on. Karen’s approach is honest, confident and reassuring. She had no difficulty keeping to agreed targets despite dealing with new complexity and dense philosophy. I went on to ask Karen to copyedit a book (an edited collection of which I was joint editor). Her professional integrity, skills and superb attention to detail are combined with a much-needed personal approach. I sincerely, thoroughly recommend her service."

Dr J. Rowley

"Karen offered an admirably thorough and professional proofreading service, in collaboration with the writer, and was prompt and reasonably priced. I would recommend her without hesitation." 

R. Sutton

"Working with Karen was a pleasure. She is not only very professional in her approach to editing, but also a lovely person to work with. Her attention to detail and continuity was excellent, but at no time did she alter writing style - something I was most concerned about. Also, if she asked for clarification on a topic, she had invariably picked up on a weak spot, making the end result much improved.

I had spent some time looking for an editor who I felt I would be comfortable working with, and on finding Karen, I instinctively felt she was the one. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her."

V. Godier

"Karen is not only an amazing professional who offers a tailor-made, detailed, efficient editing service, but is also an understanding, kind and caring human being. Her comments demonstrated her deep understanding of the complex legal text and her help was hugely appreciated. I highly recommend her services for the high quality of her work."

G. Ter-Sahakyan

"Karen is extremely knowledgeable, professional, patient, fast, very attentive to detail – simply brilliant! As the editor of my children’s book 'Little Monstrie’s Big Adventures', she helped me express exactly what I wanted in the best possible way and in my own voice. As a bilingual writer and filmmaker, I’ve worked with dozens of editors and proofreaders over the years, and Karen is definitely one of the very best! I’m happy to have her on my team!" 

M. Kabanova

"Karen recently edited my book, Chester: City of Ghosts. I used to teach English, so didn't really think I needed her expertise - was I wrong! Karen's input was invaluable. She noticed the tiniest details and just polished my prose until it shone. I am so grateful I called on her for help!" 

​M. A. Cameron

"Working with Karen has been excellent. She is very reliable, eagle-eyed and supportive. The idiosyncracies of my draft work were addressed thoroughly and she made observations which were thought-provoking and astute. Usually these prompted me to clarify a point or strengthen the line of argument. We negotiated the timeline and she always managed to turn work around as agreed. This ensured I was able to meet some tight deadlines. I have no hesitation in recommending her."

S. Pearson

"After a long and unsuccessful search for a copy-editor that I felt comfortable with, I was lucky enough to find Karen through a chance internet search. From the first email I received, I knew she was the one. Karen is immediately warm and understanding in her approach. As a sensitive first-time novelist, I was unsure of the process, but Karen guided me through. Karen’s copy-editing is absolutely incredible. I have a very colloquial personal style which I have no doubt is very challenging to edit. Not only did Karen fully copy-edit my novel to a very high standard, but she managed to do it while still keeping my personal voice. Karen kept to all deadlines as promised and replied to all of my questions in a timely fashion. I thought the copy-edit process was going to be awful - watching my novel being ripped to shreds. It could not have been more different. The process was like watching my novel blossom.  I can not recommend Karen enough, and I hope that she will be available to work with for any further publications I write."

O. Cowling

"It has been great to work with Karen. She has been a thorough and dedicated editor, helping turn my rough draft into a polished manuscript. Karen carried out a copy-edit and proofread of my novel - and thank goodness she did! As an author, you spend so many hours poring over your work that it's easy to make continuity errors and fail to spot small mistakes. Karen's feedback and edits ensured that my final manuscript looked professional and ready for publication.

Karen has also been very flexible, juggling assignments to achieve timelines. This has been invaluable when it has taken me longer than anticipated to complete sections of my manuscript."

S. Sandys

"I spent ages debating whether having my manuscript copyedited would be a cost-effective and worthwhile process. I'm so very glad that I did, and that I chose Karen to support me. Her attention to detail, inciteful suggestions and candid comments have most definitely enhanced the finished product. I would not hesitate to recommend Karen as a copyeditor." 

J. Myerscough

"My book, Fat is our Friend, was written in an attempt to de-mystify and clarify the complex and often misleading "official" nutrition guidelines. Yet it is written in the form of a story, outlining my personal journey – my voyage of discovery. This necessitated working with an editor who had a close eye for detail when it came to all the scientific references, yet one who also understood the importance of a good story-line. "A little more Daily Mail than Scientific American" was my brief (apologies to both journals) and Karen helped me here, combining accuracy (such as clarifying spelling uncertainty and references) with the ability to significantly improve the quality of my prose. In this context, numerous passages were re-written to improve understanding. Karen brought the benefits of approaching this complex subject from a distance and yet got involved enough to be able to make useful and constructive suggestions. I thank Karen and recommend her work and the quality of her advice wholeheartedly."

S. Pepys