A-1 Editing Service

Client Comments - Page 1

My experience with A-1 Editing has been very good. This is the second time I have had a manuscript edited by A-1. I am more than pleased with their professionalism and know-how of the editing process and the writing industry. In particular, Deborah Britt-Hay did an exemplary job on editing my manuscript. Deborah also gave me valuable insight on how to improve my work and she left me more industry on what the industry standards are. I whole-heartedly recommend A-1 to anyone who is serious about having their manuscript edited.

Daru Mincy
Email for a reference

I can't speak highly enough about my experiences with A-1 Editing Service and more specifically about Carol Thoma's work. From day one, they have been both professional and responsive. E-mails are answered promptly, and every question is answered clearly.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I sent in my sample edit. My story had been previously critiqued by numerous sources, some of which had extensive grammar expertise, but I wanted to see what professional editing would offer.

When I received the edit back from Carol, I was initially in shock, and it was truly an eye-opening experience. When the surprise (and embarassment) wore off, I realized that Carol's comments not only impoved my writing, but also the story. I could see that her attention wasn't focused only on "dangling modifiers," but also on the depth of the characters and plot. She explained every suggested change in painstaking detail and offered subtle suggestions for improvements that made perfect sense. Her input did not end with red marks on the page either, as we corresponded and bounced ideas back and forth afterward.

Since that initial sample edit, Carol has edited one short story for me and is currently working on my book, and I couldn't be more pleased! I now know that when we are through, I'll be ready to submit my work to an agent with 100% confidence.

D.L. Hammons
Email for a reference

I would highly recommend A-1 Editing Service and more specifically, Debbie Britt-Hay. As a first time author, the idea of going with an editor can be an intimidating prospect. However, thanks to Debbie's professionalism and quick responses, I couldn't have had a better experience.

She was extremely patient to make sure that I not only understood what she thought needed to be changed, but the reasoning behind those recommendations. She isn't afraid to tell you how it is, but any criticism she gives is completely constructive.

Every new author should go through the editing process. You may be hesitant to spend the money up front, but your manuscript and you, as an author, will improve greatly. It is truly a learning experience. A good editor, like Debbie, will point out different angles that never crossed your mind, far beyond basic proofreading.

Flint Ory
Email for a reference

I wholeheartedly recommend A-1 Editing Service, and especially, Mary Roby. As an aspiring writer, never published, and at that time without representation, I was very hesitant to spend money for professional editing, but everything I read was critical. Still wary, I really wanted to make sure I got my money's worth, and with Mary Roby, I certainly did.
Her work is superb, and her personal interest in your work convinces you right away that you're getting quality, professional editing from someone who loves the act of writing and is devoted to improving your work. Her editing will speak for itself, but I can't say enough about the professionalism, courtesy, and personal investment that A-1 Editing Service in general, and Mary Roby in particular, provided.

If you trust them with your work, I believe you'll be 100% satisfied.

Best,
Tom Childress

Please do not hesitate to add me to your reference list. You and Dennis Billuni have been nothing but professional and responsive, and the quality of work delivered was thoughtful, detailed, timely, and well beyond my expectations. Exceptional bang for the buck! I hope to work with both of you again.

Sincerely,
Robert Battaglia
Email for a reference

This is an unsolicited letter written in appreciation of A-1 Editing Service, Nicole A. Bentley and Mary Linn Roby. As an unpublished novelist who has written and researched for the last ten years I was at wit’s end. My first novel had been rejected by virtually every agent in the book – and with no hint or indication as to why. What was wrong? Was it my story? My style? A combination? I had no idea and was drifting, feeling angry, pointing the finger everywhere but at myself.
Then, while surfing the web I landed in A-1’s web site and saw a challenge. A-1 was asking me to send in the first fifteen pages of my manuscript and they would edit the first five for no charge. And they would critique it. Finally – feedback!

Well I took the challenge, sending the first fifteen pages of my second novel into A-1. And I had slaved over those fifteen pages and considered them clean. What came back angered me initially but then I saw something more. Mary Linn Roby, a successful novelist, writing teacher and literature teacher, had improved my work. I was overwriting, a common mistake, but invisible to me. And Mary’s comments (gentle but direct) explained exactly where the errors were – and why I was making them. Mary had not only improved my novel but my understanding of the craft. I needed polish. What better writing course could one get than for a novelist and creative writing teacher to critique your own work – and polish it up for publication to boot?

Since then Mary has edited both of my novels and has helped me to become a better (and more confident) writer - and I’ll be sending her my third novel in a few weeks. Novel two, All Else Is Vanity, will soon be published by PublishAmerica and they are looking at novel one also.

Sincerely,
Jim Tomaszek

As a first time writer, you find yourself as a very small fish in a very large ocean of the unknown world of becoming an author, especially as you plunge, as we all do nowadays, into the web looking for an editing firm. I was very fortunate to find A-1 Editing Service to assist me with the editing of my manuscript. Their straightforward approach, expertise, and consideration for the needs of their clients go above and beyond any other editing business I have dealt with.

I am visually impaired, and they have graciously accommodated my special needs with the utmost thoughtfulness. Carol Thoma, one of their senior editors, got to know me, not just my writing style but also as a person, which allowed for an extraordinary level of editing. After all her corrections and suggestions, my manuscript grew 40% and ended up being something really worth pursuing my dream of publishing.

They are the best there is!

Luis Gonzalez
Email for a reference

If you have any doubts as to the potential value of A-1 Editing Services, cast them aside. This was not only money well spent on final review and edit for me, but tutelage in creative writing I could not have found anywhere else. Kathryn Lynn Davis fine-tuned my words with painstaking thoroughness--no devil was left alive in the detail--and wrote an exhaustive critique that took the book to a new level. Not one negative comment, not one wasted observation, and above all, no shyness whatever in identifying flaws and suggesting remedies. I am a better writer, my book is a better book--a polished novel now, and one that merits attention.

Thank you Kathryn. Thank you Nicole.

Ken Kilner
Yellowstone Four