Philippa Lewis | Editing & coaching for fantastical fiction and short stories
North Wales, UK
- Website
- www.lexicalpeaks.com
- Organisation
- Lexical Peaks
- Job title
- Editor and writing coach for fantastical fiction, YA, short stories and outdoors literature.
- Membership Grade
- Professional Member
About Philippa
Above all else, I love working with writers who are passionate about their craft, and who are keen to tell the best version of their story that they possibly can.
I believe in always engaging with the story on its own terms, so I won't question your premise but I will query if any of your worldbuilding details don't tie together. Likewise, I won't interfere with your general writing style, but I will help you see where it's becoming heavy or unclear for the reader and distracting them from your story.
I offer all levels of editing, right through from helping you refine your idea and identify how you can grow as a writer, through to giving feedback on the plot, structure and voice of a first draft, and to tightening up issues like grammar, consistency and clarity in your finished manuscript. What that means practically is that I offer coaching, manuscript critiques, developmental editing, copy/line editing and proofreading.
In terms of fiction genres, my specialisms are fantasy and YA. I'm always delighted to work on anything fantastical, from more traditional epic fantasies right through to those stories that sit just on the edge of fantasy: folklore, fairy tales and anything that feels a bit strange or uncanny.
I'm happy to work on big fantasy novels, novellas, or short stories and pieces of flash. I'm particularly passionate about the short story as a form; my short stories have been published in Folding Rock and Dark Mountain Project, among other places.
I also specialise in outdoors literature. If you're writing a book about your mountaineering epic or how you became someone who genuinely enjoys running up hills, I'd love to help you tell your story.
I'm a Professional Member of the CIEP, have completed professional qualifications with the CIEP and Jennifer Lawler, and have experience working for both indie clients and publishers. I offer a free 15-minute Zoom chat so that you can get to know me before committing to a booking.
"An amazing job by a professional, patient and positive editor who embraced the challenge of a completely new author and was forgiving of the occasional outbreak of alliteration. The most important feedback I can give is that everything Philippa suggested improved my book for future readers. That’s what I wanted, and that’s what I got. I also have this message for other writers: if you care about your book, send it to Lexical Peaks. Philippa will work her magick on your words, and you won’t regret it." - Mark Hayden, author of The King's Watch series
h"I really enjoyed working with Philippa. She edited my collection of stories very thoughtfully and professionally, suggesting edits and some changes in structure that I think really helped. I look forward to working with Philippa again and would not hesitate to recommend working with her." - Heather Dawe, author of Dreams of Lost Buttresses, shortlisted for 2024 Banff Mountain Book Competition
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Disclaimer note
The CIEP Directory of Editorial Services should be considered a point of first contact and prospective clients must satisfy themselves that members are capable of the work on offer. The Institute cannot be held responsible for the quality of work provided by any member listed in the directory. The members themselves are responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of their entries in the Directory and the CIEP has not made any attempt to vet them. The institute cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the Directory. Inclusion in the Directory as a freelance does not necessarily mean that the member is self-employed as defined by HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.