Welcome - Janey's Testbed

My Specialisms

Non-fiction: General and popular non-fiction. Areas of particular interest include memoir and biography, careers, and self-help.

Fiction: Commercial fiction in all adult categories. I particularly enjoy mysteries, thrillers, comic fantasy and ‘women’s’ fiction including romance and cosy mystery. No poetry or children’s books.

Some of the highlights of my freelance career so far include editing TV presenter Mr Motivator’s memoir The Warm Up and negotiating a paperback rights deal on behalf of the bestselling author Nicola May, who wrote The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay.

I offer proofreading, line editing, copy-editing, and substantive editing. In addition, I can deliver a general consultation service, flexible enough to provide bespoke help for my clients, and I also provide an independent contract negotiation service for authors who don’t have or don’t want an agent.

I’ve been working in publishing in London since 2006, for literary agents, independent publishers, and Big 5 publishers. I also have additional training in editing from the Publishing Training Centre and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

Editing

Proofreading:
A final check of the manuscript before publishing: from £10 per 1000 words

Copyediting and line editing:
More extensive than proofreading, this is the ‘smoothing’ stage: from £12 per 1000 words

Mini substantive edit:
A budget option for dealing with big issues such as plot, pace, voice, and intended audience, by working on the first 10,000 words: £150

Please provide a sample of at least the first 1000 words of your manuscript with your enquiry.

Contracts

I charge a flat fee of £150 to finalise a ‘standard’ publisher’s contract. This includes analysing the contract, discussing with you what changes to request, and negotiating those changes, usually with me acting as your representative. More complicated contracts will attract higher fees.

I can also help with clearing permissions.

Consultation

My consultation services have a flat rate of £200, and include but are not limited to:

An independent opinion on a pitch and sample chapters
Researching the market for a proposed book
Polishing a non-fiction proposal
Self or Trad publishing? Helping you decide what route to market will be the best fit for you and your book

If you don’t see exactly what you need among my list of services, please get in touch to tell me about your project. I’m very flexible and often can find a way to help or refer you to a colleague.

Clients

“Janey Burton’s ability to demystify the publishing contract has been of immense value to the Jacaranda team and our bottom line. Janey has such a deft and incisive knowledge of how the best contracts are built, we knew, as a small press, we were in great hands. Janey is extremely trustworthy and knowledgeable, and we wholeheartedly recommend her.”

Valerie Brandes, Founder & Publisher, Jacaranda Books

“Highly intelligent, reliable, can-do and enterprising.”

Jen Christie, Literary Agent, Graham Maw Christie

“Janey worked for Watson, Little Ltd, during which time she assisted several literary agents, mainly me, with anything which was required of her. She is a quick learner, reliable and adaptable and I shouldn’t hesitate to employ her again.”

Mandy Little, Chairman, Watson Little Ltd

“Janey provided extremely well-researched and thoughtful reports for us.”

Jane Graham Maw, Literary Agent, Graham Maw Christie

“Janey provides an excellent consultation service for aspiring authors. Valued advice about the publishing labyrinth.”

Hugh Roberts, author of Journeys With Open Eyes

“Janey has the ability to listen well, then advise in a calm and informative manner. Her clear, sensible approach to questions surrounding my contract and career path have been invaluable in protecting my rights as an author.”

Nicola May, author of The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay

“I often call on her for her tactful advice which I find improves the end product, and she has considerable flair for steering a book through the standard publishers’ procedures, negotiating changes to the contract, and smoothing out disagreements.”

Frances Burton, PhD

“Perceptive and constructively critical, Janey’s suggestions were extremely useful for me in finalising a manuscript. I can recommend her without reservation as an editor and will certainly ask her to review future work of mine before going public with it.”

Michael Jago, author of The Man Who Was George Smiley

“I am excited to be working with Janey on my book, The Warm Up. I have great confidence in her as she seems to have grasped my life and the story I am telling.”

Derrick Evans, aka Mr Motivator, author of The Warm Up

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Contact me

Meetings, phone, and Skype calls are all available by appointment.

FREE introductory phone/Skype call.

If you’d like a quick chat on the phone to tell me about your goals and discuss the work I can do for you, please outline what you’d like to discuss in the contact form, and we can set an appointment for a 15-minute call.

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT

Editor & Contracts Negotiator