I found The Trusty Bookmark while working on my first YA fantasy book. I didn’t really know what to expect going in since this was my first developmental edit, but I was blown away by what I got. The entire experience was fantastic, beginning with the initial correspondence where Kimberly asked questions regarding my inspiration for the book and specific areas she should focus on (I said I was nervous about my scenery and world building, which is where I struggle the most). I also really appreciated the Services Contract, which made me feel more secure sharing my ideas with someone else.
When I received my edit letter (which was 10 pages single-spaced and covered EVERYTHING, paying special attention to my world building request which occupied 3 of those pages), I had to process for a few days because there was so much valuable information. She was definitely “blunt but encouraging”, and for every problem area (which were many) she suggested possible solutions. I’ve since re-worked many of her suggestions, and she was always available to answer questions post me receiving my edits. I will 100% be using her in the future.
It was great working with Kimberly. I wanted a copyeditor who would be tough on me and my work and she was. She especially improved my writing by pointing out where I had a redundancy of ideas and words. It was easy to see how some things needed to be cut after she pointed them out. I also appreciate the patience she had with this new author.
I loved working with The Trusty Bookmark! I let them know what kind of feedback I was looking for and in return I got back exactly that and more!
The inline edits were so much fun! I loved the little helpful hints they left throughout my manuscript and they even pointed out things that they especially liked or how they were feeling throughout my novel. As someone who’s working on their debut novel it was amazing to see the thoughts of someone else as they read through my work.
The editorial letter was more than I ever could have asked for. Everything was written out very well and organized so that it was so easy to go back through and see what they were talking about, and even afterwards they were amazingly helpful with any questions or theories I ran by them.
I don’t think I could have had a better experience with them and will definitely be working with them more in the future!
It has been a pleasure working with Kimberly. Her edits were thorough and insightful. I continue to be impressed with her attention to detail especially when it comes to logic and character inconsistencies (sometimes I feel like she knows my characters better than I do.) I also enjoy her positive comments and reactions (they help take the sting away from my atrocious grammar skills). Top it all off with a detailed style sheet, Kimberly makes the editing process a little less daunting. I’m excited to work with her in the future.
Kimberly’s developmental edit was thorough, thoughtful, and invigorating. The depth and perceptiveness of her commentary blew me away. There’s no other way to put it: you want Kimberly and the Trusty Bookmark to look at your manuscript. Stop shopping around and go with her.
Kimberly did a fantastic job of analyzing my manuscript, pointing out areas that needed some finessing or work, and acknowledging the areas that worked really well. She offered great insights and was available for all of my questions. I would use her again, without question.
I just finished reading through everything and wanted to start off saying thank you so much for all the work and effort you put into this. I know how time consuming it must have been, and the detail and organization you put into it is amazing. I know it needs a lot of work, and your ideas and help can make it into a great story.
Your advice is going to help better my writing, not only for this project but for any others; being a first time writer, this type of advice is very valuable. I am beyond grateful for your help and everything you put into it. This is a very helpful tool for any writer starting out, and not a lot of people are as knowledgeable as you in this field. Your critique is on point and beneficial.
Again thank you for everything you did. I will keep you posted of changes I make along the way and please know I will be referring people your way if anyone needs any editorial letters or proofreading.
