Jessica de Bruyn

I help authors develop the best version of their stories. I work with writers at every stage of the writing process, both on the path to traditional and self-publishing. I am also a writer myself and know the ups and downs of creating a novel.

My Services:
• Developmental Book Consultation (a sounding board and advice from your initial idea)
• Writing Coach (guide you through early drafts)
• Manuscript Evaluation (the first stage of critique)
• Substantive Editing/Story Editing (putting your story through its paces!)

It is my belief that the one thing every author needs to succeed is a well-crafted story. But creating a whole book can be an extremely overwhelming, confusing, and long process. My goal is to guide authors through story development, led by your goals and strengths but also by looking for opportunities to take that idea and story to the next level. 

I am extremely passionate about storytelling. I have over 20 years of experience as a writer of everything from plays and screenplays to graphic stories and novels. I have studied writing, publishing, and editing (as well as theatre and film). I am also active within the publishing industry. I have been a consultant and in-house editor for 5 literary agencies (currently with 5 Otter Literary), served for 3 years on the Editors Toronto board, and just finished 2 years as co-chair of the Northern Hearts Conference with Toronto Romance Writers, where I also served on the board. 

I specialize in working with authors in the early stages of their career and those who are stuck and need support, especially those writing genre fiction (mystery, speculative – fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian, thriller, horror, romance, upmarket/book club, young adult, and middle grade). I am known for my detailed evaluations that not only highlight room for improvement but always offer roads to solution. 

I also understand the financial cost of services like mine. If my standard services are not feasible for you or your project does not fit into these offerings, I can create custom a package to evaluate shorter pieces and or an outline to give you valuable feedback and guidance without investing in a full evaluation. Just email me for more info on this!

If you have any questions about my services or editing in general, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love to talk to you about your book project. You can also find more information about me, my qualifications, and my services on my website. 

Please note: I am currently only offering editing for fiction and creative non-fiction projects. I also do not offer any copyediting or proofreading services and only do line editing for clients I have worked with through the substantive stage.