dotting the
Editor – Writing Coach – Ghost Writer
Enquiries 01932 423664 and contact@declanmorton.co.uk
Your writing,
fine-tuned for
maximum impact
Why is writing sometimes so difficult?
The process is hard enough, but you also need to find the time, and use it productively. If you’re writing about your business, setting out your philosophy, or preparing a guide for others, the challenges can multiply quickly. The job is to find the neatest and most effective way of getting your message across – when you understand it well, but others might not. It should be easy, but unless you write a lot there's more than one obstacle to overcome...
A familiar story: How can I fix this sentence?
When a sentence doesn’t quite work, the temptation is to add more words for clarification. Typically, that makes the problem worse. In fact, if you’ve tried several re-writes and you're still struggling, the best solution is simply to delete it. But, removing one sentence may trigger the need for other adjustments elsewhere, all of which makes it harder. That's when you need an experienced eye to work through the options.
Experience matters
It’s not only new authors who can struggle. The difference is that experienced editors and writers recognise the problems and how to deal with them. This doesn’t automatically make things easier, but it does make the path forward clearer. And that leads to consistently quicker and better results.
Writing on your own can be hard
That’s where dotting the i can help. As an experienced writer and editor, I offer a range of services to help you get your work to the publisher, whatever stage of the process you’re currently at. So, from final proofreading to whole-volume ghost writing, I’ll work with you to achieve what you want. I’ll remove the stress, help you to make progress, and let you get back to your business.
Who are these services for?
Anyone who needs help as an author. Typically, that is business owners, consultants, and coaches. You’ll have knowledge, expertise and experience in your field which you want to share. If you’re creating a guide or manual, developing thought leadership in your sector, or considering an autobiography, I can help. And if you’ve already embarked on this journey with AI, that’s well within the scope of what I do. AI can be an excellent tool but, unless it’s used carefully, it can create more work rather than less. I’ve plenty of experience in bringing ‘nearly there’ AI generated texts back to life.
A Baseline Review for £89
deducted from your final balance for any subsequent work
For Editing, sometimes it will be clear as to the service you need. But equally, there may be elements which suggest your text needs less, or more, work that you initially imagined. So, you might feel your manuscript needs copy editing, but it requires only proofreading. Or, you may believe it’s ready to publish while, in reality, there are inconsistencies, obvious “tells” of its AI origins, "orphan" paragraphs, and multiple typos.
To evaluate the condition of your text and it’s publisher-readiness, I’ll undertake a review. This will
- be an honest evaluation designed to help you decide on the next step
- be clear advice as to the work I do and do not recommend, and
- usually include a short section of text edited as I'd suggest, so you can get a sense of what I'll do with your work.
The review enables me to judge the nature and amount of work required to deliver the outcome you want. It means I can price that work competitively. The review is a fixed price service, regardless of the size of the draft.
For Coaching and Ghost Writing it's a separate discussion, and I'll need to understand what you have in mind. Once we've spoken, I'll provide a summary of what I can do, including a project outline with a quotation and timescale.
Editing
Editing services to get you over the line and publication-ready, including
- Proofreading
- Copy editing
- Line editing
- Developmental editing
These services require the existence of a complete text, even if it’s only in first draft form.
The outcome is a text that is accurate, engaging and purposeful.
Coaching
Options for individuals include
- Writing Partner and Coach, guiding you through the mechanics of writing clearly and effectively. I’ll be the critical friend as you progress, and guide you through the editing process too. I’ll equip you for greater autonomy in the future.
- Accountability Buddy, helping to keep you on track and also providing a “third party” critique to ensure you stay focused on the essentials of your message.
Ghost Writing
Your story, or your programme for the ideal business, written for you.
- For when you’ve got a lot to say but not enough time to say it. And, perhaps, when the prospect of writing an extended manuscript is just too daunting.
- The process is usually based on a series of recorded interviews, plus you’ll need to supply any specific technical information you want to include.
Writing Coaching for Groups
so you'll write like the professionals you already are
For businesses I also provide individual and group writing coaching. This is valuable for larger organisations who need to develop a core of good writers within the business. Usually it's with groups of 3 to 5 people. This might be new employees who need to better reflect their professional standing, or anyone who writes routinely but knows they can do it better with a bit of help. With your approval and in complete confidence, we can use real material from your business; the course is supremely practical.
Getting the Best from
Artificial Intelligence
Today's AI is powerful. It's impressive in what it can produce and the speed at which it works. Often AI generated writing seems "good enough" and sometimes it is. With the right prompts, it can accomplish many tasks to a high standard. But it's not always so simple.
Do you sometimes look at an AI draft and think
it's OK,
but not quite right? It's a common experience.
Scratch the surface and there can be factual errors, over-elaborate language, and the wrong tone. There can be odd word choices, clichés, and lost opportunities for subtlety. Dig further and you'll realise conclusions can fail to make the main point effectively. Then there are arguments or plot lines not positioned quite as you planned...
That's nobody's fault, but it is in the nature of AI. Despite its sophistication, generative artificial intelligence cannot think, nor can the current large language models ever be original. These challenges become significant with longer texts. AI generated material can seem credible, slick, and polished but, even when carefully trained, AI fails at the final hurdle: AI processes data, but the human writer explores and discovers as they work. AI re-arranges existing resources with remarkable agility, but it's only humans who develop new insights.
So if you've got a longer AI generated document, the chances are it's going to need some thoughtful work to make it more human. That's when you need an editor used to working with AI – someone with the skills to bring your ideas back to life. That's when you need dotting the i.
Get in touch
How does it work?
For editing, you'll receive a confidential evaluation of the text
To understand what's required and to provide I'll need to see the text. Sometimes a sample will be enough, so long as it is representative of the document as a whole.
For Coaching or Ghost Writing, we'll need a detailed conversation
plus, I will need to see material you've started, if any. Then I can provide a project outline with a proposed timescale.
Your text publisher-ready in
5 Easy Steps
- Get in touch and explain what you need,
- Share your text, if there is one
- For editing, I do a Baseline Review for the £89 flat fee & provide feedback.
- Once you're happy, we agree a price & timescale
- We start; and you receive your text, on time.
Is there a contract?
Yes. Once you are happy with the quotation, I’ll prepare an agreement for services - a contract – which sets out our mutual obligations. It will include the details of the work to be done, deadlines, and a payment schedule. Once that’s signed and any down payments made, the project can continue.
The price includes the first draft and up to two rounds of revisions if required. Unless otherwise agreed, all documents are exchanged electronically.
How do I see your suggestions?
For Edited Texts, I'll send an annotated version of the text with comments and suggestions. The best format is Microsoft Word and the ‘Track Changes’ feature. This is the most flexible tool to use, and also the quickest to work with. Once I have worked through the text for the first time, I will put it aside for a few days before reviewing it again with a critical eye.
When I send it to you, I usually do so in two versions: a working copy with visible annotations, and a fair copy with the changes incorporated. The fair copy is not automatically the final version – we can discuss further adjustments – but it will give you an idea of what the final version might look like and how it might read.
I'll edit PDFs if asked. However, doing so tends to be a slower process and that may affect the price.
For Coaching and Ghost Writing, once we have a working document, the process is similar to the above.
About dotting the i
I’m Declan Morton. As well being an editor, I’m a copywriter, content creator and writing coach. I have considerable experience of writing for different audiences and for different purposes. I understand the time and effort that goes into delivering engaging and purposeful texts. Editing accounts for about a third of my work and I find each discipline keeps me on my toes for the other.
I deliver a reliable and responsive service. I don't subcontract, so you'll always be able to speak with the real human working on your material.
I started as a freelance writer in 2019, and quickly found I also had a steady stream of editing commissions. That started with existing clients, but now also comes from others seeking good value editing services. Demand has increased alongside the growing use of AI. I’m a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.
