Polished Prose for Authors of Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Memoir

Welcome!

Magic happens

. . . when stories transport readers beyond the familiar, so they can explore other worlds, contemplate new ideas, and vicariously experience different lives.

Polishing Prose

I help stories take flight by working with you, the writer, to camouflage the underpinnings of your prose, so that readers become engrossed by your narrative rather than distracted by any mistakes.

I specialize in editing fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir, and I edit prose mindfully and respectfully—mindful that writing and editing are an art and respectful of your voice and vision.

Championing Writers

Wherever you are on your writerly journey—independently or traditionally publishing, just embarking or well under way—I strive to smooth and accelerate your passage by offering kind, constructive comments and editorial expertise.

We—the writer and editor—work together as a team to polish your prose so you can publish your best.

Learn more about my copyediting and developmental editing services. Questions? Contact Colleen!

Copyediting

Copyediting repairs errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, usage, syntax, and grammar. Going beyond proofreading, which involves identifying only typos, copyediting ensures correctness, consistency, clarity, and coherency by implementing a consistent formatting style, such as Chicago or AP, to enhance readability. Depending on the condition of your manuscript, I may do some of or all the…

Developmental Editing–Fiction

Developmental editing for fiction focuses on the big picture and strives to pinpoint narrative pitfalls while preserving the author’s voice and vision. For this type of edit, I examine elements such as characterization plot setting dialogue theme pacing conflict tension voice point of view A developmental edit takes place after you have completed your manuscript…

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Collaborative Process

Contact me with this form. Tell me all about your project, including what type of editing you think will help most. I respond with questions, such as, who is your audience? How many drafts have you written of this manuscript? If you seek a copyedit for a large project, I will request your document, so…

Read more Collaborative Process

I’m fortunate to have found out about Colleen Olle and have greatly benefited from her skills as a developmental editor. Her comments, edits, examples of writing approaches, together with her editorial letter, helped me to re-envision the possibilities for my writing project and to get myself “unstuck.” She has a warm, personable style, and I felt encouraged by her observations and suggestions. When reviewing Colleen’s written remarks, I felt as though I were having a constructive dialogue with her about my project. I was able to think about and make use of her suggestions, rather than look at them and glumly wonder how I’d get from my “before” to my “after.” Light at the end of the tunnel can happen—with the right editorial help.

Kristen Callahan

Colleen has an incredibly sharp eye for grammar, logic, flow, and typos. This set of skills gives her the ability to polish and shape a project to perfection.

I have used her services for developmental editing and copyediting for a novel and a short story. Throughout the process, she was professional and spot-on with her recommendations. Colleen is thorough and dogged; her goal is to help you achieve the best, whether it is a novel that needs plotting advice, or business content that needs to convey information flawlessly, or simply content that needs exceptional editing.

I will use Colleen’s services whenever I have a new project ready to go out into the world, because I know she will help me make it the best it can be.