Hannah Phillips

Does your book ask: What if…? As an editor, I specialize in works of speculative fiction, be they micro-short or multi-novel-length. Speculative fiction stretches around science fiction and fantasy to all the spaces in between, from a dabble of the unknown to a whole other world. Climate fiction, urban fantasy, magical realism, romantasy, grimdark — with new subgenres and genre mash-ups constantly emerging, speculative fiction is a space rich in imagination and possibility.

Operating as Zeit & Geist Editing, I offer a range of services to develop your work, addressing aspects such as plot, characterization, sentence flow, and style consistency. This type of editing is variously covered by such terms as developmental editing, structural editing, substantive editing, stylistic editing, or line editing. Since the needs of each author and their work are unique, I’ll refine a proposal for services that meets those needs. If you have written a short story intended for submission to a literary journal or a novel intended for traditional or independent publishing, all publishing avenues can benefit from presenting your most refined work.

My credentials include an Editing Certificate from Simon Fraser University (Canada), a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Canada), a Bachelor of Science majoring in physics (Australia), and a Master of Science in Neuroscience (Canada). Given my background, if your work references neurons, neutrinos, or nagas, I’m interested. In fact, if your work explores any aspect of human nature, from why we fall in love to why we fall apart, I’m interested. If English is not your first language, I am sensitive and attentive to finding the fine line between poetic turns of phrase inspired by cross-language and cross-culture experiences and the need to provide a reader with appropriate syntax. 

If you have a finished draft of a manuscript or even 80% of one and are feeling stuck, it might be time to get an editor’s eyes on your work. If you think I sound like a good fit, that editor might be me; you can reach out on
zeitandgeistediting.com to organize a free proposal and sample edit.