Work with Me

Hello Friends!

For well over a decade, I've provided freelance editorial services to writers. Several of the manuscripts I've worked on now occupy shelves in bookstores across Canada and the US. Among those are Anitha Robinson's science fiction trilogy, Broken Worlds, Christine Grabowski's young adult fantasy, Dickensen Academy, and Tina S. Beier's space opera, The Burnt Ship Trilogy. 

While I work mainly in the genre I write, historical fiction, I accept fantasy, dystopia, adventure, contemporary, mystery, crime, sci-fi, thrillers, and young adult. I also offer critiques on shorter nonfiction pieces, such as essays, articles, speeches, and formal letters, and provide copy-editing for websites, blogs, corporate training manuals, consulting services, financial firms, and legal practices.

As a traditionally published, bestselling author, I appreciate the importance of having a strong editor—I was fortunate enough to have worked with several. The role a mentor plays in helping you develop your story is invaluable, from the preliminary stages to the final line edits.

Since 2006, I’ve critiqued thousands of pages and have delivered editorial feedback to aspiring, indie, and published authors—prominent, award-winning Canadian historical writer Marsha Skrypuch among them.

Publisher Douglas & McIntyre hired me to provide cultural perspective, nuance, and edits on highly-acclaimed author Robert Hough's newly released work of literary fiction, The Marriage of Rose Camilleri.

I offer actionable suggestions, a keen eye for detail, and knowledge of both the traditional and indie publishing landscapes.

As a high school English teacher, I can identify areas that require development and demonstrate how to avoid common mistakes.

What I will not do is change the intention of your writing or tamper with your voice.

My approach is direct but gentle. And my fees are competitive; revision is a vital element of the writing process, and cost should not deter a writer from working with an experienced editor.

Need help finding the right words? I can help develop wedding speeches and eulogies. Sometimes, the intense emotion brought on by either of these major events can make writing a cohesive piece challenging. I am happy to discuss your needs, from editing a rough draft to writing the entire composition.

Having hosted a successful virtual book launch for Falcon's Shadow, I am also available to consult with writers interested in planning and executing a similar event.

If you are seeking a receptive, thorough, compassionate editor and/or live-stream book launch consultant, please get in touch: info@marthesefenech.com.

Testimonials

"I asked Marthese Fenech to look over my writing because I had trouble with passive phrasing. I just couldn't shake the habit, but she went over my work and helped me address the root of the problem. My story flow and delivery have dramatically improved as a result."

— "Fearless" Fred Kennedy, radio personality on Q107 and host of the Issue Zero podcast

"I met Marthese Fenech through an online critique group that I've run for more than two decades. Her critiques for other writers have always been perceptive, diplomatic and practical. I admire her skill to such an extent that I made her the group's moderator, a role she has deftly handled for several years. Mar's critiques have helped many developing writers onto the path of publication. On a more personal note, I feel blessed to say that Mar has been my beta reader for more than ten books."

— Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, award-winning historical author of Don’t Tell the Nazis and Stolen Girl

"I had the pleasure of working with Mar on my women's fiction novel. She provided detailed, thoughtful, and insightful edits. Not only did my manuscript improve, but the feedback she delivered has pulled a better writer out of me, leaving a lasting impression that will stick with me in future novels. I've worked with many editors, and Mar is one of the best. It's evident in each and every comment that she gives your work the attention it deserves. Her style is both motivating and constructive. I will continue to recommend her to any author I know looking for the highest quality editorial assistance!"

— Marie Still, author of Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead

"For several years, I was fortunate to receive amazing feedback on my manuscripts from Marthese. Her critiques of my young adult, middle grade and picture books were very helpful. Mar let me know what was working in my stories and what wasn't. And she didn't stop there. She would suggest rephrasing or alternatives to fix whatever needed fixing. This extra step helped during my revision process. I appreciated her kind words of praise. It's nice to know what I'm doing right, so I can do more of it. I think any writer would benefit from Mar's invaluable and insightful feedback."

— Anitha Robinson, author of the Broken Worlds trilogy and the children's book, A Family For Faru

"I highly recommend Marthese Fenech for editing services. She has edited multiple versions of my young adult novel over the years. She didn’t just make recommendations, but she also taught me how to improve my writing by explaining the reasoning behind her suggestions. She did well with both developmental and line edits. I am confident I would not be a published author without her expertise.

— Christine Grabowski, author of Dickensen Academy

"As a writer, Marthese Fenech is superb. As an editor, she is equally so. Ms Fenech has guided my writing with a keen eye for detail, great knowledge, and profound dedication. Every step of the way, she scrutinized my work using the same high standards she applies to her own manuscripts. As a result, my writing has vastly improved on many levels. I am extremely fortunate to have benefited from her help."

— Ian Pauley, aspiring author

"Marthese Fenech is an excellent, dedicated and insightful editor, offering useful as well as affirming advice. I was grateful to have her work on my novel, The Cloud Riders.

— James Bow, author of Icarus Down 

"Marthese brought the words of my speeches and presentations to life. I am in awe of the comfort, ease, skill, and ability she has for making a piece of simple writing shine into work of art. She has vision, perspective, and attention to detail that transforms boring works into masterpieces. Mar draws on her education, experience, and expertise to create flow and beauty with words. Her patience and dedication are matched by none and her invaluable input in my projects have allowed me to learn and excel. I highly recommend her editorial service for any piece of work you need to freshen and make come alive."

— Silvana Carosi, special education teacher

"Marthese Fenech has provided me with invaluable constructive criticism, not only strengthening my manuscript but sharpening my skills and development as a writer."

— Adrian Lysenko, author of graphic novel Five Stalks of Grain

"Marthese Fenech has read various drafts of my YA novel and helped me fine-tune both descriptions and interactions between the various characters. This kind of feedback has been extremely useful."

— Helen Mason, award-winning author

"Marthese is an absolute joy to work with! The value she outputs far exceeds the price point of services, and anyone would be so fortunate to reap the benefits of her expansive skillset. Her care and attention to detail are truly unmatched. I cannot recommend Mar and her services highly enough!"

— Julie Danaylov, Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP)

"When I invited Marthese into developing my father's eulogy, it felt as though I had a compassionate, beautifully eager, emotional warrior by my side. I could not have gotten through my dad's death without her."

— Melissa Trinh, HBScKin, UX Designer

"After being nominated to a board of directors by my peers in the financial industry, I was asked to prepare a bio about myself and my company for a press release.  It was important to me that the bio be concise and eloquent.  Without discarding my interpretation, Marthese Fenech was able to take what I had prepared and massage it into a terrific piece that I was proud to share with my industry colleagues."

— Derek Beaudoin, financial services industry professional

"You never know what you are missing until someone comes along and far exceeds your expectations. That was the case with Marthese Fenech. I always assumed creative writing and legal writing were on two different ends of the spectrum. However, I was immediately impressed from the moment I started working with her. From the start, she outlined clearly what I could expect from her. She understood my need to be concise and factual and accurate with my word choice. Thanks to her editorial service, I was able to tighten my work and create more efficient legal submissions. She moulded my work into something complete and that made sense and was effective in my advocacy. Her ability to provide feedback in different forms from the viewpoint of an editor and reader is one of the reasons I will continue to work with her. Even without a legal background, she provided me with a perspective that taught me how to tighten my writing.  She is honest, straightforward, deadline-oriented, professional, creative, smart, and pushes the best out of whoever she is working with. I am a lawyer, and I do not have enough words to describe how amazing she is at her craft."

— Teresa C. Ciccone, barrister & solicitor (family lawyer), notary public

"Marthese provided flawless editorial suggestions and feedback on my journal article. Despite that I already had two people edit the piece, there were several errors and repetitive words that were not caught until she proofread it. Her intelligent and thorough editing made my work that much better. I would highly recommend her services."

— Brittany Stout, law student