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Frank Tavares

Someone who loved words as much as I... A pleasure to work with.

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"The writer's dilemma. When words lose their meaning.

When you're a writer, there's an unusual phenomenon that happens during the final drafts of your Work-In-Progress. All of a sudden, you have no idea if your words and sentences make any sense. They did the day before. But now, all those friendly phrases on which you spent so much time don't seem to say anything. You've read and reread the pages so often they're just a mumble.

If you've not had it happen to you, it's just a matter of time. And that's when you need to turn to a someone who can read what you've created with an objective and fresh approach to reassure you that there is meaning behind all of those letters. Not just a beta reader, but someone who can quickly assess what's working and what's not. I knew it was time with two different manuscripts. I needed to set them aside and find that person.

On Twitter I'd seen other writers mention their work with Victoria, and treated it as a research challenge. I spent time on her website, watched her videos, read comments from those who had worked with her, and emailed her questions about how she approached things. Then I gave her a test with "the first ten pages" of one MS. When I received her responses, it was an easy decision. I took the plunge.

It's exactly what I needed. Someone who loved words as much as I, and wouldn't hold back when things got in the way of the story—both practical and visionary. Once she had the work in hand, in less than a week she sent me a highly organized overview of what I needed to know, her suggestions about changes, characters, and plot flow. I incorporated most of her insights and was reassured I still knew the purpose behind those combinations of letters.

Victoria is quick in her responses, effective in her comments, encouraging in her style. A pleasure to work with."

FRANK TAVARES
Manuscript Critique

Digging Up Mr. Bradley
Woodchuck U

John Hearon

My manuscript has taken a giant leap forward, as well as my belief in my abilities.

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"As a new writer, I found myself drowning in a sea of information I found on the internet regarding querying, first ten pages, synopsis, and such. Blue Pen Editing tossed me a line, showed me how to swim, and pointed me toward the shore.

Their services have been positive and professional. My manuscript has taken a giant leap forward, as well as my belief in my abilities. If you are like me and serious about reaching your publishing goals, I would highly recommend this service."

JOHN HEARON
Developmental Edit

I Wasn't Always a Hero

Debbie Romani

I am so pleased I hired Victoria!

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"Victoria improved my query package tremendously. Not only is my query letter a better marketing tool, but my synopsis!--I never expected a synopsis could be something which could make readers excited about the overall story, but Victoria's questions and advice turned the synopsis from something lifeless into an exciting document in its own right. Her comments on my pages were specific enough to provide direction, and broad enough to give me a new eye toward general improvements.

Victoria was prompt and professional. She was also careful to phrase critiques delicately, with an eye to suggesting improvements without being harsh.

I am so pleased I hired Victoria!"

DEBBIE ROMANI
Query Coaching

Mendocino Music

My office for the morning. Edits are back from the exceptional @victoria_grif7 Time to get back to work on Becoming Mrs. Smith. pic.twitter.com/aA2bkggM3p

— AuthorTanya Williams (@tanya_breathes) May 9, 2017

Tanya Williams

​Any writer looking for quality editing with honest feedback, should look no further than Victoria Griffin and Blue Pen Editing services.

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Watch an interview with Tanya.

"Working with Victoria Griffin has been an enjoyable and productive experience. I chose Victoria as my editor after we crossed paths on social media. Through the social media format, I was able to read many of her tips and insights into the editing and publishing world. Her honest and straight forward approach to the editing process along with her clear passion for writing won me over.

Victoria's editorial comments not only improved my manuscript, but they also helped me open my mind up to plot and story possibilities that I had previously struggled with. Working with Victoria was one of the highlights of my writing process. Both excited and nervous, I handed my manuscript over to her and waited anxiously for her comments. Victoria was professional, kind, and direct about what needed to be done to make my manuscript the best that it could be. Her edits arrived in a timely manner and gave me a fantastic guideline of how to proceed with my manuscript.

​Any writer looking for quality editing with honest feedback, should look no further than Victoria Griffin and Blue Pen Editing services."

TANYA WILLIAMS
Full Edit

Becoming Mrs. Smith
Stealing Mrs. Smith
A Man Called Smith
All That Was

KL Watkins

That’s a piece of my heart and soul locked in those pages. It requires a lot of trust, and Victoria is worth every drop.

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"Writing for me is extremely personal. That’s a piece of my heart and soul locked in those pages. It’s scary to hand it over to someone you’ve never actually met, knowing they’re going to work with it. It requires a lot of trust, and Victoria is worth every drop.

I worked with Victoria almost exclusively via email and was first impressed to find her very quick to reply to all my questions and concerns. She went above and beyond making sure I understood the different levels of editing she provides, and finding the one that worked best for me. Her timeline is clear, her cost is very fair, and payment options are extremely reasonable. She even took the time to let me know when each of my payments had arrived.

As for her work, I couldn’t have been more impressed. I found Victoria an intelligent and intuitive editor. Never once was she pushy. Her suggestions did not change my work, but instead gave it highlights, helped it flow. It is truly refreshing to have a clean document I am proud to publish.

It’s not easy for me to hand my work over for someone else, let alone allow them to work it. Given Victoria’s care, fairness, kind professionalism, attention to detail, as well as her patience and wherewithal that she is handling something precious, I will continue to use Victoria for all my editing needs. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for the same."

KL WATKINS
Proofreading

I'm a Traveller
She
Dollface
At the End of the Road
Atlantis Child: Marks of Passage

Georgiana Derwent

I suspect that if I’d used Victoria’s services at an earlier stage in the process, it’d have saved me a lot of self-editing trial and error.

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"Working with Victoria was a very positive experience. I opted for a manuscript critique, and it was delivered promptly, in advance of the promised date. I’d asked a few specific questions in advance (mostly in relation to whether she felt I’d successfully addressed a few suggestions made to me in an agent’s R&R) and she ensured these were addressed within the critique. Afterwards, Victoria was happy to answer my follow-up questions.

Prior to the edit, I felt like I’d taken the manuscript as far as I could. I felt like it was almost there, but needed one extra push, following several full requests from agents that resulted in positive feedback but ultimately, a no. I was unsure about whether some recent changes I’d made had made things better or worse, and I’d received some conflicting views from CPs, etc.

I really wanted someone who was objective, professional and knew what they were talking about to take a look with fresh eyes and tell me what was and wasn’t working and make a few suggestions to take the manuscript to the next level without sending me back to square one. This was exactly what I got.

The interesting thing about Victoria’s suggestions for changes and improvements was that there were actually relatively few of them. Her analysis of the manuscript went systematically through a long list of areas, such as characters, dialogue, pace, etc. In several of these, the conclusion was that the MS was more or less fine as it was. This almost sounds like a negative thing in terms of getting value from an edit, but it was actually very much appreciated. I’ve worked with some people who seems to think that the more criticisms—however minor or subjective—the better. It was incredibly reassuring to be told that most aspects were working, and for a clear line to be drawn between aspects that did and did not need work, so I could focus my efforts. I suspect that if I’d sought the same critique a year previously, the list of things that needed work would have been much longer.

Where changes were suggested, they were clear and easy to understand, and Victoria explained why she was suggesting them and made clear which ones she thought were crucial and which she thought were more minor. It was clear that she’d read the MS in detail, really engaged with it, and thought very carefully about all the different elements.

I definitely think the critique helped to improve my manuscript and, though there’s no solid good news yet on the agent front, to get me to what I think of as a 'final final' draft.

It can be hard to justify splashing out on the costs of an editor and just as hard to pick one from all the different people offering services. I would say that a good editor really makes a difference, and I suspect that if I’d used Victoria’s services at an earlier stage in the process, it’d have saved me a lot of self-editing trial and error."

GEORGIANA DERWENT
Manuscript Critique

The Dictator's Wife

I'm happy to chime in that Victoria's feedback is worth every penny! <3 <3 <3

— Amy Miller (@felesroo) July 18, 2017

Timothy H. Hilke II

She really took the time to listen to my story, and her emotional interest was clearly evident.

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"This was my first manuscript and I had no idea what to expect during the editing process. My biggest concern was finding a reputable editor who would take the time and be thorough in order to ensure my manuscript was ready for publication. I chose Victoria because she genuinely seemed to take a vested interest in my story. She really took the time to listen to my story, and her emotional interest was clearly evident.

TI felt confident that she would handle my story with care. I did not feel that she would treat me as though I was just another edit or number.  She was very empathetic to my needs and my story. Victoria was very responsive and helpful throughout the entire process. She promised me a completion date and did not miss that deadline. She is very professional and she seemed to show a general emotional interest in my project."

TIMOTHY H. HILKE II
Line Editing

I Am Not Broken

Ethan Cusimano

Highly recommended!

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"Victoria clearly cares for her clients. Her gentle honesty highlights improvements and reveals unexplored avenues to better your craft. Highly recommended!

ETHAN CUSIMANO
Submission Package

The Gale Age

Laura Hakala

Helpful and encouraging.

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"Victoria was really helpful and encouraging. She paid good attention to details and explained well why she was making certain suggestions."

LAURA HAKALA
Submission Package

Down the Creek at Low Tide

A huge shout out to @victoria_grif7 Victoria Griffin for editing my short story this week! This was a new kind of story for me, and I was feeling quite vulnerable. Victoria did a perfect job and my ms was in great hands. Just the right touch and very professional. #amediting pic.twitter.com/vb894Coo0J

— Amy Waeschle (@amy_waeschle) May 2, 2019

Isaac Britton

Words of encouragement mean a lot!

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"'Whoa! Even with the intro, I didn’t see this coming,' she wrote in the mark up at one point. And that’s when I knew for sure I had the perfect editor! She had probably used up all the red ink she had salvaging my book by the time she sent back the first half of the manuscript. Those words were possibly worth as much to me as all the editing. Words of encouragement mean a lot!

Sure, my extremely supportive wife had been my sole beta reader, but I had only wanted her to look for plot holes. She crossed out all the “of courses” and probably kept Victoria from mailing this thing back to me after shredding it. I am sure a few snuck through anyway of course.

 

One friend told me he was astonished that I wrote this in a week, pecked at it a few weekends over a few chaotic months, and then finished revising it over two weeks. But those were tough weeks as I poured my heart into this. Where it flows and works well is where I left things alone after Victoria painstakingly tweaked things. This book was hardly past first draft stage in my opinion when I sent it to her. I don’t know how she managed to survive it.

 

After 20 years (sorry, Chicago Manual of Style) of starts and stops with several projects, this one was my unplanned surprise prequel to several series in unfinished status. I am not sure if I would have ever pushed it to Amazon without her diligent line editing, feedback, and words of encouragement.

 

I highly recommend Victoria!"

ISAAC BRITTON
Line Editing

Center: The Election that Changed America

Safiya M

Take the chance to work with Victoria, you (and your work) will not regret it.

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"After many rejections, I almost set my manuscript aside to forget about it forever. As a last recourse, I found Victoria on Twitter and checked her website. After reading the outstanding testimonials, I gave it a shot and asked for a manuscript critique and a developmental edit. I am so glad I did! Victoria is very professional and well-organized. She obviously loves her job and cares about her clients’ success. Both edits were done with great care, and she pinpointed exactly what did and didn’t work. I greatly appreciated the assiduity behind her reports.

Thanks to her help, my manuscript has revived, and I am glad I didn’t give up. Even after her work was complete, Victoria reached out many times to check on my progress, which gave me an incentive to keep working on my revisions. She’s always available and full of expert advice. Take the chance to work with Victoria, you (and your work) will not regret it."

SAFIYA M
Developmental Editing
Manuscript Critique

Spellbound Heiress

Samuel Mahaney

Having an editorial team that is not only looking at my work but looking out for my writing career, is invaluable.

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"I am highly impressed with the care my Blue Pen editor took in researching the historical background of my historical fiction to ensure she was on the same page with me. I am also impressed with each and every suggestion for improvement and the time she took to point out potential cultural sensitivities.

When I set out to tell the story, I wanted to ensure that the historical event upon which it is based is shown for what it truly was, and not the hyped up romanticized military action it had become in history. I wanted to give all sides of the event equal consideration. My Blue Pen editor provided valuable suggestions to help me better achieve that objective.

Until I started writing the story, I had not yet conceived of one of the two main characters in the story. When I began writing, I was looking out over the lake in my minds eye, expecting the other main character to ride into the scene, but instead, I found an old ranger looking out over the lake with me. At first, he was kind of like Tom Hanks’s volleyball named Wilson, someone for the main character to talk to. By the time I submitted for editing (after many revisions) he had taken on a voice all his own.

My Blue Pen editor aptly pointed out that had I fallen in love with this character and had not been hard enough on him in the end. Her amazing perspective and suggestions will help me shape the story to achieve my original objectives. She is a superior editor and I am so glad the Blue Pen team is made up of such great professionals.

Finally I cannot thank Blue Pen enough for the comments on cultural sensitivities. Having an editorial team that is not only looking at my work but looking out for my writing career, is invaluable. Thanks to Victoria for creating such a wonderful company and processing my edit so quickly."

SAMUEL MAHANEY
Developmental Editing

An American Massacre

Oops. You forgot one:

Q: Is Victoria a great editor?
A: YESSSSS! She is amazing!

There, I fixed it for you. □

— Julie Carrick Dalton (@juliecardalt) November 24, 2019

David Chambers

You’d be silly not to trust Victoria with your manuscript.

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"I have a Twitter account and came across Victoria there. Victoria’s tweets inspired me to find the confidence to send her my work. It didn’t take much. I had no worries going into the editing process. As it turned out, it was a very wise decision. I constantly looked forward to receiving Victoria’s advice.

Although I am in the early stages of revising my novel, completely in accordance with Victoria’s recommendations and advice I must add, I can see that Victoria’s involvement has really been essential to my potential success. You’d be silly not to trust Victoria with your manuscript."

DAVID CHAMBERS
Manuscript Critique

Fair Dubs

Jeffrey Brown

Eventually, you have to realize writing a book is not an individual task, and you have to hand it over to an editor.

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"Being my first book, I didn't know what to expect from editing. My biggest fear was being told I wasted my time putting the book together, which of course didn't happen. As an editor and writer, Victoria knows both sides of the process, which showed in the way she handled my work. Her personality also seems to be very energetic and driven. I have more confidence submitting my book to an agent knowing it has been prepared by a professional.

Victoria is convenient for anyone, especially those with busy lifestyles. She looks at her job as a service and treats her clients with respect. Editing definitely improved my manuscript. Victoria helped me create a precise description for my reader and eliminated much of the "fluff" that would have been distracting. Eventually, you have to realize writing a book is not an individual task, and you have to hand it over to an editor. Victoria will handle your work professionally and with care."

JEFFREY BROWN
Line Editing

Our Story

Susan F. Pruitt

Her analysis was spot on with how [readers] felt but never told me. I would definitely recommend her services and will be using her again in the future.

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"I came across Victoria through Twitter. I hadn't previously thought about having someone critique my book and decided that I needed to know how a stranger felt about the storyline. Wanting to find out, I hired her for a critique and am glad I did.

She hands you a complete critique for the whole book and a redline copy back with her thoughts and emotions as she's reading. Intimidating? Yes, a bit. However, it is necessary and thought provoking to have someone try to lift your work to a higher level. I measured what she wrote against the feedback from my other "readers" and have found her analysis to be spot on with how they felt but never told me.

I would definitely recommend her services and will be using her again in the future. She was professional, courteous and prompt. Thank you, Victoria. Your service was very valuable to me. It's been a long time since college English classes, so looks like I have some brushing up to do."

SUSAN F. PRUITT
Manuscript Critique

Fall From Grace: An Ordinary Angel Book 3

I kinda miss the #revpit rush already. My big takeaways: 1) I can work under pressure. 2) You should all hire @victoria_grif7. Great editor!

— Julie Carrick Dalton (@juliecardalt) May 19, 2017

Rose Castro

Think, who can forge a partnership with you to turn your manuscript into what it truly can become.

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"Her notes and changes were on point. Her suggestions helped make the story believable. Victoria has a high attention to detail and communicates very well. Think of the readers when you select your editor. Think, who can forge a partnership with you to turn your manuscript into what it truly can become; I personally believe this can be Victoria.”

ROSE CASTRO
Proofreading

A Shining Star

Katharine Melton

I will be using her services in the future.

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"Victoria was a great help in editing my first children's book. I am new to the process and she helped me make the book better. I will be using her services in the future."

KATHARINE MELTON
Line Editing

Into the Ocean

Erik Mackenzie

I will be working with her again in the near future.

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"VG is excellent to work with and I would highly recommend her to anyone and I will be working with her again in the near future."

ERIK MACKENZIE
Manuscript Critique
Query Critique

Stealing the Mona Lisa

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