White Willow Editing
Testimonials
Having Lizzy sign on as an editor for my novel was a pivotal moment for me. Writing can be a lonely and difficult process. Opinions are plentiful. Genuine help is not. Thanks to Lizzy's patience, inherent kindness and keen eye for language and character, what was turning into a bit of an ordeal became an inspiring and collaborative endeavour. Her knowledge of literary structures is exhaustive, as is her mastery of the writer's craft at sentence level. But most importantly, she identifies deeply with other people's stories, getting passionate about the characters and messages within a fledgling narrative. Several times, it seemed she knew my characters and world better than I did! In short, working with Lizzy was worth more than every writing help book I've ever read. I don't believe I would have finished the novel I was working on without her.
James Cameron, Chesterfield, UK
Lizzy has done in-depth edits on my novel and three of my short stories, and she’s proven to be a rare find as an editor. She has a keen eye for sentence structure, character and story arcs, plot pacing, plot progression, and page-by-page tension. Her work ethic is outstanding, her critical honesty as gentle as it is forthright, and her patience nearly inexhaustible. She works with you to the level of your comfort. If you just want her critique of your work, cut and dry? She’s your person. But if you’d rather someone with whom to discuss plot details, character motivations, and other such minutiae? She’s also your person.
But the thing about her I value most? She is a genuinely good person who gets invested in her clients’ work and strives to see the best version of their individual visions come to fruition. That is what makes her such a rare find. She doesn’t look to put her own spin on your work. She doesn’t try to impose her ideas over yours. She takes the time to truly understand what you want to say, then goes about honing your vision—like a whetstone—to its sharpest possible edge. I look forward to working with Lizzy on every one of my future projects.
Stephen McHayle, USA
I am so grateful I found Lizzy. She goes well above and beyond, and it was like she was reading my mind. She is very responsive, prompt, kind, and professional, and she turned my novel around super fast. I was so excited to read her critique, and I was blown away by the amount of thought and consideration she put into it. Furthermore, she said she made "a few suggestions in the text," but she actually went through and tidied tons of things up for me, making the novel that much stronger. I really enjoyed our video chat afterwards, and I so appreciated how much she cared about my project. She pointed out things I never thought of, while confirming my gut instincts on others. In addition, she is extremely knowledgeable, and she is very reasonably priced — especially for how much work she puts into your project. You will be so glad you hired her.
Laura Benson-Hadley, USA
Lizzy is an incredibly helpful editor. She's got a great balance of line-type edits, which make the text smoother and clearer, and larger edits about character and world and emotion. I would recommend her to any author looking to ready their manuscript for publication!
Brenda McKenna, USA
Lizzy has given a great deal of support during the editing process of my first novel. Whether it’s a critical eye, or more of an emotional guide, I can always rely on her to help me with my project. In the past, I’ve asked others to help with my comedic style of writing, but none have shown a complete understanding like Lizzy has. She gets my humour and I love her for it. She is beyond patient, and is always prompt with her feedback even when I tell her there isn’t any rush. She is a gem, and I hope she’ll help with my next book.
Laura Parkinson, UK
I used White Willow Editing prior to submitting to peer review, and I was not disapppointed. I was impressed with the efficiency, level of detail and very professional service provided. I would definitely use them again!
Natashia Weir, NI
Lizzy gave my manuscript an amazing read. She caught hundreds of technical gaffes and her insightful suggestions, big and small, prompted a multitude of great improvements. She is also delightful and considerate to work with.
Rufus Williams, USA
Hiring Lizzy as my editor was one of the best decisions I've made in a long, long time. I had numerous very qualified candidates but Lizzy stood out as someone who was genuinely interested in helping writers write, no matter what that entailed. She offers a unique approach to each of her clients, tailoring her editing to their specific needs. She gave me a combination of line and developmental editing that reshaped my novel so that the story moved more quickly, the characters were more complex and the scenes were more easily visualized by the reader - all while being mindful not to change the essence of the writing. She was generous with her time, kind with her positive comments, and incisive with her suggestions. I came to trust that the advice she was giving me would improve my book. What more can one ask for?
DI, USA
Lizzy has been such a treat to work with. Her professionalism and gentle guidance has allowed me to grow as an author and help me bring out a powerful story. She has a way to help make your work concise yet allows you the creative room to figure out how to make it pop. Excellent at praising good wordplay and sentence structure so it's not only mistakes being highlighted.
I have no idea where this book will end up but I'm proud to have worked with such a talented and mindful editor. I highly recommend Lizzy to all who want to have their stories pop and reach their potential.
Kade T, USA
Lizzy has been incredible to work with. She provides detailed feedback in her report and offers suggestions that have improved my stories tenfold. I highly recommend her services for those looking for an editor that will work within their vision and bring it to the next level.
Cale Boudreau, Canada