I will not be open for work until further notice. Best of luck with all your writing.
"I highly recommend Tessa's demolition process. I still remember with fondness the 50-pages of profanity. But in all seriousness, she's the best immersive reader and fiction analyst I know. She has been a first reader for my own novels for the last decade, and they’re much better books because of it. You will get your money’s worth and be a better writer at the end of the process."
– Jeff VanderMeer, multi-award winning author, USA
I have been editing for several years now, specialising in genre fiction. The manuscripts I have worked upon have ranged from short stories to whole collections, and from novelettes to multi-volume book series. I have edited for award-winning authors and aspiring writers alike, with some of the latter going on to become the former.
I have been guilty of writing in the past and my stories have been award-nominated and picked up in "Year's Best" collections. Under Ann VanderMeer's captaincy I was Editorial Assistant for Weird Tales Magazine from 2008 to 2011, and have assisted in various other editorial projects as requested.
I have been guilty of writing in the past and my stories have been award-nominated and picked up in "Year's Best" collections. Under Ann VanderMeer's captaincy I was Editorial Assistant for Weird Tales Magazine from 2008 to 2011, and have assisted in various other editorial projects as requested.
"Tessa Kum has proved to be an invaluable first reader for me. She's professional, quick and does not beat around the bush when she has a problem with what I've written. As a writer herself, she has real empathy, deep understanding and knowledge of genre fiction, and plenty of heart. I recommend her unconditionally."– Conrad Williams, multi-award winning author, UK
Sadly, even should I edit your manuscript there is no guarantee it will go on to be published. That said, letting me get my paws on said manuscript will greatly increase your chances. I provide honest and professional feedback regarding all the aspects of which a story is comprised, from the nitty-gritty of sentence and paragraph structure, to character motivations and reader assumptions, to the overall shape and balance of a story arc. Feedback can be tailored to meet any specific request.
For authors working under a deadline that will not allow them the necessary distance to comfortably edit their own work, I am willing to turn around a manuscript within a tight timeframe, current workload allowing.
To enquire about editing rates please contact me at the below email address:
For authors working under a deadline that will not allow them the necessary distance to comfortably edit their own work, I am willing to turn around a manuscript within a tight timeframe, current workload allowing.
To enquire about editing rates please contact me at the below email address:
Here are further testimonials of authors who have appreciated my services, used with their consent:
"Tessa Kum is the first and last person I send my work to for a critique. Not only does she have an eye for the story, but a sensitivity to what it is trying to achieve. She's equally adept at literary stuff and popular work. She's well read (and well dressed!). I thank the gods she's around every time I complete a story or a novel."
– Rjurik Davidson, multi-award winning author and Associate Editor of Overland magazine, AUS
"I engaged the services of freelance editor Tessa Kum who has recently come to live in Glasgow. And this is basically to say publicly what an amazing job she did. She turned the job around within a week, provided detailed notes that addressed all of my concerns and offered suggestions for fixing them. Additionally, she made herself available for a two hour consultation to discuss the book at greater length.All in all, a top job. If you’re in the market for editorial services, I can whole heartedly recommend Tessa’s work."
"Tessa works on a manuscript at every level and from every angle. She can sharpen up details as small as sentence rhythm, paragraph structure, and individual word choice. She can also step back and see a story as a whole piece, pointing out where the story structure is working and where the pace is dragging or the plotting is too tangled. Tessa has excellent attention to, and memory for, detail. She does not just mark problems and leave them for the author to solve: for every problem she spots, she can propose a solution and discuss it intelligently. Her manner of working is easy-going and conversational. She is never less than forthright about what needs changing, but never gratuitously negative and her enthusiasm for what she likes about a manuscript is freely-expressed and infectious. Her articulacy and passion for story make her commentary a pleasure to read in and of itself, even when she is turning a spotlight (or a blowtorch) on my faulty or sloppy writing. Tessa Kum's editorial work is top-of-the-line. I recommend her without reservation."
– Matthew Farrer, award-nominated author, AUS
