I love the written word and all its nuances. I’m an enthusiastic editor, committed to helping writers communicate clearly, whatever the content. I have a particular passion for books, especially fiction, and I have deep respect for authors.

I’ve had the privilege of editing hundreds of books since 2007. My clients include both book publishers and individual authors. I offer a full range of editing services, from manuscript assessment to substantive editing, copy-editing, and proofreading. I enjoy working with authors to prepare manuscripts for self-publication or for submission to traditional publishers. I edit both fiction and non-fiction, and everything from children’s picture books to cookbooks, academic texts, memoir, middle-grade novels, YA fiction, and adult fiction.

Many of the books I’ve edited have been shortlisted for (and won) Atlantic Book Awards and are being acknowledged on shortlists for national awards, including the 2014 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People through the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (for Me & Mr. Bell, by Philip Roy and The Manager, by Caroline Stellings).

I enjoy all aspects of the editing process, especially the collaborative nature of substantive editing (click here for a breakdown of the various stages of editing). I work diligently to honour the author’s voice and to ensure that the edited manuscript reflects his or her best work. It is my job to protect the author and the publisher from the embarrassment of errors or inelegant writing. Click here to read acknowledgements and testimonials from authors and publishers.

Please contact me at marianne.f.ward@gmail.com should you have any questions. I’d love to hear from you.

“I would like to give special thanks to my masterful editor, Marianne Ward, for her proficiency in shaping a story, her unique brand of polish, and her tireless enthusiasm.”

• Caroline Stellings, The Secret of the Golden Flower