Rachel Rowlands

Testimonials

I've been lucky enough to count Rachel among Black Library's pool of freelance editors and proofreaders since 2018, and since then she has lent her talents to a variety of products across our range, including work on our fantasy, science-fiction and horror genres. Rachel is a professional and conscientious editor, taking the time to provide in-depth queries where necessary. She is extremely thorough in her work, always hits deadlines, and is seemingly never phased by the amount of unusual terms to be found in our fiction! She has worked on both short and long-form stories, and seems eager to tackle any task. I would not hesitate to recommend her services.

Karen Miksza, Desk Editor, Black Library

I admire your editing skills. You know how to look through the reader's eyes and have surprised me with several comments which will make the manuscript so much better. Thanks again for your help.

S.T. Hills, author

Your manuscript assessment was exactly what I was hoping for. You confirmed some thoughts I had, raised plenty of new ones and helped me see where things were working where otherwise I had doubts. My head was nodding throughout and I found your suggestions/explanations inspiring. I can’t wait to get to work. Thank you so much.

Charlie Kelly, author

Thank you so much for your feedback – it's really helped me cut away all the fat from the story and streamline it, and to really focus on the story that I want to tell and what I want readers to get out of it. I'd struggled to explain my book to others and I see now that this was because I was throwing too many plotlines and characters at the wall and seeing what would stick. I've re-written around 50,000 words from scratch and it already feels so much better and is more snappy than the earlier draft. I feel much more immersed as I feel I know the characters and the world better than before.

Aaron S. Jones, @hereticasjones, fantasy author

Rachel has a great attention to detail and is always punctual and communicative.

Alexandra Holmes, Managing Editor, Bookouture

After working particularly closely on a line-editing project, I suggested to the author that she use another person for proofreading. Since I was recommending the person to my client, it was important that the proofreader was also proficient, amenable to the work and timeframes, and a genial human being! Rachel matched my requirements perfectly and to my delight, I discovered she is a great colleague to work with. My client, the author, also thinks she’s great to work with, so it’s a win-win-win for us all. Since I first became acquainted with Rachel, we have worked on two books together. She has gone from strength to strength and I would look for opportunities to work with her again. Rachel is professional in her approach, kind and generous in both her attitudes and sharing her knowledge, and is extremely proficient with the work she does.

Katherine Swailes, PhD., Dip.Edit., Write or Wrong? – editing and proofreading

The manuscript assessment I received from Rachel was extraordinarily helpful. Some of the feedback confirmed suspicions I had, which as a new writer helped me gain confidence in my own inner critic. But much more of the assessment addressed aspects I had not considered or those I thought I had worked out well. Rachel provided explanations as well as specific examples from my manuscript on each area of strength and weakness. That made the feedback much more impactful, as I could see the passages/lines and immediately understood her point(s). She even provided some excellent resources to help me improve on some of these areas. I was blown away by Rachel’s thoughtful and thorough work and there is no doubt that my novel will be incalculably stronger because of Rachel’s feedback. She is simply amazing. If you are a writer in search of professional editing services, you found them. End of search.

Wes Cook, independent author

I am a new writer, and Rachel not only seemed very interested in my book, but she often communicated with me about the editing itself, which I was very new at. Rachel went over my monster of a manuscript and showed me parts that needed to be rewritten, fixed, and changed and I feel my manuscript will become better because of it. If you are a new writer, and would like a professional to go over your book, I believe Rachel is one of the most devoted to making your book the best it can be.

A.L. Hornbeck, fantasy author

Rachel’s detailed feedback was instrumental in making my novel what it is today. Her insights into character development, structure and plotting have massively helped me create a much pacier and more layered book. Not only did Rachel look at overall issues and strengths of the novel, she also gave detailed chapter by chapter feedback. Such attention to detail is something I’ve rarely come across in an editor. You’ll find Rachel creative, passionate and above all professional and kind. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

Molly Aitken, author of THE ISLAND CHILD (Canongate) 

As one of my first readers Rachel’s feedback has been invaluable. She helped me tackle a particularly difficult plot hole that, in turn, carried me through a particularly difficult set of structural edits. Her keen eye, level of precision, and insight provided me with the fresh perspective on my writing that I desperately needed. I would recommend working with Rachel – you’ll find her critique both appraising and inspiring.

Aisha Bushby, author of A POCKETFUL OF STARS (Egmont)

The editing and feedback Rachel has provided have proven invaluable to the structure of my work, and my progress as a fledgling writer. She not only patiently explained each change she made to my manuscript, but she also gave me advice about the grammatical mistakes I was repeatedly making. Her obvious love of reading and enthusiasm for writing make her a great editor, but her kindness makes her an excellent one. Rachel’s editing was carried out quickly, to an incredibly high standard, and I cannot recommend her highly enough, except to say that I hope to be coming to her with my manuscripts for many years to come.

Ashlie Morgan, YA author

Rachel has a certain tenderness when presenting feedback. There is no doubt she has a love for the craft of writing. The comments she brought to my story were pointed, yet she asked the right questions in a way that made me rethink the plot and make the story stronger. Her developmental suggestions showed she understood and cared about my character’s journey and her line edits were spot on. My story has come alive based on the feedback she provided.

Ian Cahill, author

I have used Rachel as an editor on many different occasions. Rachel not only has an amazing command of the English language and grammar, but also, as an avid reader, understands great plotting and character development. All these skills have been indispensable when I have used Rachel as an editor. After using Rachel I felt my writing was clear and crisp, but still recognisable as my own. I would highly recommend her to anyone hoping to refine their writing.

Isabella Hunter, fantasy author