Vrinda Pendred - Author & EditorEditing
& Proofreading Services

As an independent writer, I understand the importance of making sure your book is perfect. Yet I have read many self-published books with strong story lines and engaging characters, lost in typos and grammatical errors. Sadly, but understandably, these books suffer from poor reviews purely based on the editing.

That’s why in addition to my own writing, I offer professional freelance editing and proofreading services to other writers of both fiction and non-fiction.  I edit in English, but have also been asked to clean up work translated into English from other languages; and as I originally grew up in the United States, but now live in the United Kingdom, I am familiar with the grammar and punctuation quirks of both countries, and hold a qualification with the Publishing Training Centre.

With 8 years’ experience as a personal tutor in English and Creative Writing, I also offer writing coaching for independent authors looking to polish their rough drafts into something they can be proud of.

My intention with any manuscript is to understand the writer’s objectives with their book and get a good feel for their ‘voice’. I then recommend edits that will draw that out most and enhance the book.  I’m a big believer that it’s not my writing – it’s yours.  That means it should sound like it’s written by you, not me – but in the best way possible.

For full editing services, I typically expect to work through at least two drafts of a manuscript – one for copy editing (including minor rewrites and restructuring) and one for proofing. If I feel more extensive revisions are required, I will contact you immediately to discuss this and any other potential costs, prior to undertaking the work.

Please CLICK HERE to get in touch. I look forward to working with you!

UPDATE: CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

My Rates

As I am based in the UK, I have listed my rates in UK Sterling. These rates are in line with the minimums recommended by the UK Society of Editors & Proofreaders. For all non-UK clients, I will convert my UK Sterling rates into your local currency.

I charge per hour, which I have found to be the fairest charging method both for my clients and for me. When beginning work together, I will go through the first 5-10 pages initially, and then contact you to discuss how long it took, how much work I feel is involved and how much I expect the total cost to be. As a rough guideline, I can usually work through a reasonably written manuscript in single-spaced 12 pt font at a rate of 10 pages per hour. For more difficult work (including ghostwriting), this could take much longer.

  Copy-Editing:   £25 per hour
  Proofreading:   £20 per hour
  Structural Work / Other   £30 per hour
  Blog Articles (Multiple Drafts):   £30 per article

Testimonials:

Winds of Spirit by Renee Baribeau - with editing work from Vrinda Pendred

‘One of the hardest parts of writing the book of your dreams is to realize that without the eyes of a brainy professional editor like Vrinda Pendred – someone with real heart who wants you to be the best you can be – you will not be nearly as successful. As a passionate first-time author with my own strong opinions, I would have meandered down too many unnecessary paths without Vrinda’s gentle guidance, consistently nudging me back to center. Yes, her proofreading is perfect, but it’s her way with words that really hooked me, as well as her understanding of the “big picture,” which was always at the forefront of her suggestions. Vrinda was instrumental in joining a community of editors who helped me bring Winds of Spirit forward from the caves of time into the light of day, and I thank her from the bottom of my humble heart.’

Renee Baribeau, Author of the #1 Bestseller Winds of Spirit (Published by Hay House)

7gracescover

‘Vrinda edited and proofread two of my books, both of which became bestsellers on Amazon. I have also referred many of my author clients to her, and she has consistently brought their books to a highly professional standard, resulting in good sales numbers and excellent reader reviews. Her editing skills are both elegant and ruthless. She eliminates all the “fluff” and filler, resulting in a text that is clearer and more impactful – and she tells it like it is. If a paragraph is unclear, a chapter needs to be rewritten (or deleted!) or the structure of your book isn’t working, Vrinda will tell you. She won’t stop until your book has complete integrity and becomes the work of art you always wanted to write.’

Lynn Serafinn, Author of the #1 Bestsellers The
7 Graces of Marketing
 and Tweep-e-licious!

Founder of the 7 Graces Project: http://the7gracesofmarketing.com

RadiantSurvivorCover

‘Vrinda did a phenomenal job. I can be wordy at times and Vrinda tightened up my writing so it was clearer and more precise.  She takes pride in her work and gets very involved with her clients’ projects.  She is very timely; you don’t have to worry that she won’t meet your deadlines.  And me being an American and she being in the UK made no difference, as she understands the rules of American English as well as she does British English. I would highly recommend Vrinda to anyone with editing needs. She is a star in my eyes.’

Erica Tucci, Author of Radiant Survivor

 

‘I originally hired Vrinda as a proofreader for The Three Rooms. However, she felt she needed to make more significant edits. She instinctively knew how the manuscript would best resonate with its targeted readers. As a first-time author, sometimes it’s hard to accept changes to a work that you poured your heart and soul into, but I am very glad that I trusted Vrinda. Her feedback was right on point and extremely valuable. She helped improve the flow of the book without changing the integrity of the message. Editors who truly make a difference don’t make suggestions based on what they think the author wants; they make suggestions based on what they feel the author needs. Vrinda does the latter, and that is why she makes a difference.’

Kevin Murphy, Author of the #1 Bestseller The Three Rooms

Christina Mettert - Intimacy for Powerful Women

‘Vrinda was amazing to work with! She’s not only amazing at what she does, but she really grasped me and the context of how I wanted to present the information. I remember reading through her final edit and feeling exhilarated at how well she’d captured what I was trying to say. It was a breath of fresh air to feel understood and see it reflected in my book! Lastly, she is quick and efficient, which is awesome, especially when you’re trying to complete a project. I would highly recommend Vrinda for editing and will continue to use her for all my editing needs.’

Christina A. Mettert, MA, LMFT, Author of Intimacy for Powerful Women

21Layers

‘I’m very pleased with the way Vrinda and I worked together on both the edit and proofreading of my book 21 Layers of the Soul: Healing the Karmic Ties with Friends, Lovers, Family and Enemies.  She gave me back my voice; she perfectly understood what I had said in Dutch and helped me translate that into my kind of English.  If I had had the vocabulary in English, I would have said it myself.  Her substantial feedback helped me improve my already published work in English.  Apart from knowing she delivered an excellent content and delivered it well before the agreed deadline agreed, her sometimes personal comments along the side made working with her fun because she really got me.  I’m looking forward to working with her when publishing my next book in English.’

Annemiek Douw MSc, Medium, Healer, Author and Management Coach

VelocityAscensionCover

‘What I valued about Vrinda was not just that her proofing was scrupulous, but that she also attended to the sense of the content, suggesting constructive alternatives where relevant, both major and minor.  My manuscript was lifted to a new dimension!’

Helena Mahatey, Author of Velocity Ascension

When Will This Pain Ever End? by Paula Shaw About Vrinda’s blog editing:

‘Words like stellar and excellence come to mind.  Vrinda is an amazing editor.  Not only does she have an “Eagle Eye,” but she has an amazing grasp of the English language and the ability to put words and ideas together in a way that is clean, crisp and concise, while retaining the heart of what you are trying to convey.  Deadlines were always met and she was a delight to interact with.  She is my number-one choice for editing any future projects of mine!  I recommend her to everyone.’

Paula Shaw, Author of When Will This Pain Ever End?  (Note: Vrinda did not edit Paula’s book)

The Afterlife by Giulia Jeary Knap

‘It was a blessing for me to get to know Vrinda and have my book edited by her. As a professional Italian editor myself, I know how challenging this work can be, especially when it comes to getting a feel for what the writer is trying to say and not betraying the author’s objectives. On several occasions, Vrinda took an active interest in establishing what I was trying to say, and in these instances she followed up with a number of e-mails to make sure the final English version reflected my thoughts. Vrinda did not simply edit my book, but also made some very wise suggestions aimed at organising the text. These changes will have an impact on the Italian edition, too.’

Giulia Jeary Knap, Author of The Afterlife: Hereafter and Here at Hand

All the Fields Above by P. L. Yizzi - Edited by Vrinda Pendred

‘It is so easy for a writer to get lost in their own words sometimes, and Vrinda has this magnificent talent of honing in, almost intuitively, and cutting a clear path. Her unerring focus, vast knowledge, and commitment to preserving the integrity of the writer’s voice are only part of what makes her a phenomenal editor. There are a lot of editors out there who will take your money and either shred you, confuse you, or just tell you what you want to hear, and your story is no further along. The honest feedback and caring insight Vrinda offers is vital to the crafting of a polished work, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. I highly recommend Vrinda’s services to my friends and to any author who wants to make their work shine.’

P.L. Yizzi, Author of All the Fields Above

 Transforming Venus by Paula Weisflock

‘Working with Vrinda was a breath of fresh air.  At several points in my almost five-year journey in completing my book, Vrinda worked her magic on tightening up my language and fixing my grammar misuse.  She served as both a line editor and a copy editor on the two occasions I worked with her on this project. She was always encouraging and prompt in her work, and I highly recommend her services as an editor.’

Paula Weisflock, Author of Transforming Venus: How to Get Unstuck and Let Your Inner Goddess Out to Play

 Helen Parker

About Vrinda’s writing coaching:

‘For a new writer and speaker, Vrinda’s editing, coaching and integrity have been inestimable. When I can’t see a way forward, she sensitively shines a light on my work and re-sparks my enthusiasm. Vrinda skilfully encourages me to grow guiding me to be the best writer I can be.’

Helen Parker-Drabble, Genealogical Writer

karenrowe

‘I run a full-service writing firm and manage multiple book projects at any given time. Vrinda did an excellent job editing a challenging manuscript. The first few chapters were highly disorganized. They jumped from topic to topic and back again. Vrinda expertly re-shuffled the content to keep it divided and grouped together into sections of information. She deleted superfluous content and gave us a strategy to apply to future chapters. She performed miracles with the text and was able to give us useful advice to further the project and move it towards publication. She was fastidious, efficient and professional. I would use her again and would happily recommend her to any client.’

Karen Rowe, Ghostwriter, Chief Creative Officer: www.KarenRowe.com