After many years as a chief copy editor on some of Australia's top magazines, I now use my editing, storytelling and publication management skills to work on a variety of manuscripts for private clients and publishing houses such as Murdoch Books (Allen & Unwin), Simon & Schuster and Monash University Publishing. 

I love helping writers to discover their own unique voice and story and I'm passionate about making each manuscript I work on as good as it possibly can be. I mostly work on fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir, health, food and cookbooks (I have many years of recipe editing experience), though I'm happy to work in other areas too. 

My services range from a full structural report through to a final proofread. Whichever service is right for you, I'll make sure I give your manuscript the care and attention it deserves. 

Not sure which service you need? Here's a breakdown:

Structural editing: This is a big-picture overview of your manuscript as a whole. I'll read and assess your full manuscript and write you a detailed report outlining what's working and offering practical, concrete suggestions for ways you can improve it, so you have a solid plan to move forward with. I'll also mark up your manuscript with comments and suggestions (using Track Changes in Word).

Copy editing: Now you've got the big-picture stuff sorted, I'll get into the nitty-gritty of your writing. I'll do a line by line read of your manuscript for clarity and flow, checking for grammatical errors, typos, repetition and inconsistencies. I might also make suggestions for more effective word choices or sentence structures and suggest small structural changes. In fiction manuscripts, I'll identify any plot holes. For non-fiction, I'll include a fact check. You'll get a marked-up manuscript using Track Changes in Word, so you can revert to the original if there's anything you disagree with.

Proofreading: A final read for typos, grammatical errors and inconsistencies, this is the final polish before you self-publish or submit your manuscript to agents and publishers. You'll get a marked-up manuscript using Track Changes in Word, so you can revert to the original if there's anything you disagree with.

Sample edits: If it's a copy edit or proofread, I offer sample edits of the first 10,000 words to see if we're a good fit for each other. Editing is a collaboration, after all!

Corporate editing: Do you have a report or white paper that needs to be whipped into shape? I also offer copy editing and proofreading services for businesses, not-for-profits and government departments. 

Cost: Each project is different so it's hard to give a pricing guide. When you get in touch, just let me know a bit about your project, your total word count and the kind of edit you're after (if you're not sure, I'm happy to give you some advice). I'll then ask for a sample of the text (the first two or three chapters is usually enough) and send you a customised quote.

See below for recent books I've worked on. Let's have a chat to discuss your project.

Here are some recent books I've worked on.

We Are the Stars by Gina Chick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Scope of work: Copy edit

Food for Menopause by Dr Linia Patel
Publisher: Murdoch Books
Scope of work: Project editor

Life, Camera, Action by Mitchell Burns
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Scope of work: Proofread

Long Covid: Expert Advice, From Diagnosis to Treatment and Recovery by Professor Steven Faux
Publisher: Murdoch Books
Scope of work: Structural edit

The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Scope of work: Proofread

The Glow Up: Your Skin, Only Much Better by Paula Joye
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Scope of work: Proofread

The Uncertainty Effect: How to Survive and Thrive Through the Unexpected by Dr Michelle Lazarus
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
Scope of work: Proofread

The No Recipe Cookbook by Dr Samantha Pillay
Publisher: Self-published
Scope of work: Structural and copyedit

"As a first-time author, working with Gina was a life-saver. She opened my eyes, as any great editor should, and gently led me down a better path. I hope I get to work with her in the future on another book."

Dr Samantha Pillay, author of The No Recipe Cookbook

"Gina proofread my memoir to prepare it for publication. She was great to work with – she really understood the content, offered suggestions to improve it and was flexible in her approach."

Dr Lynn Garlick, author of Binding: More Than a Motherhood Memoir

"Gina's work is excellent - really thorough and solid and thoughtful. And I was impressed at how quickly she proofread my manuscript."

Anthony O'Connor, author of Straya

"Gina's thoughtful editing brought clarity and consistency to my novel and the process was super easy."

Robert Edsall, author of
The Dead Bed