Client testimonials and portfolio for published books edited by Rachel Daven Skinner
I'm proud to say that 90% of my published editing clients are repeat clients, 81% of their books are ranked 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon, and 100% are ranked higher than 4 stars. Yes, really!
Testimonials
"Rachel has the uncanny ability to critique your work yet give you the confidence you need to make it better. Her editorial letter was the best, full of detailed examples on how to improve my plot, character goals, and motivations. Without her guidance, I'd still be crying over how to fix my pesky flashbacks. Because of her, my novel is exactly how I envisioned it. Easy and personable, I'm thrilled that we met through my manuscript, and I hope to call her friend for a long time to come."
--Ilsa Madden-Mills
NYT, USA Today, and WSJ and Amazon bestselling author
--Ilsa Madden-Mills
NYT, USA Today, and WSJ and Amazon bestselling author
"Rachel is thoughtful, thorough and completely in tune with what a well- constructed story looks like. She can handle both structural and line edits with ease. She will tell you what's working and, in as kind a manner as possible, tell you what's not. Her input is invaluable to me."
--A.B. Michaels
"Rachel's edits are superb, love working with her on my books. I would of course recommend her if anyone asked for a recommendation, although selfishly I don't want her to get too busy and be unable to fit me in!"
--Katy Haye
"Professional, hardworking, dedicated, thorough, and the best!"
--Ilsa Madden-Mills
NYT, USA Today, and WSJ and Amazon bestselling author
"Professional, hardworking, dedicated, thorough, and the best!"
--Ilsa Madden-Mills
NYT, USA Today, and WSJ and Amazon bestselling author
"Rachel is a superb editor whose expertise extends far beyond romance-related fiction elements. She will tell you, kindly, if your writing isn't working, explain why, and offer ideas to help get you back on track. Better yet, she can take your good story and suggest ways to make it exceptional. After receiving her input and getting your draft to reflect your very best effort, she'll drill down even further and show you, line by line, how you can create a still more rewarding experience for the reader. No matter which genre you are writing in, Rachel will improve your work tremendously."
--A.B. Michaels
--A.B. Michaels
Impossible Things would not have been the same without you! I genuinely loved working on it with you.”
--Kate Johnson
"I've had such wonderful help ... from my editor, Rachel Skinner. ... She's been great. [When] she sent me my edits for The Reluctant Bride there were lots of them but they were spot on, echoing as they did a vague disquiet I had about certain aspects, such as timeline, coincidences and the need in one or two areas to subtly erase the perception that my hero was just a little too patient with my heroine to be believable. ... Getting the timeline right was a nightmare I might not have stumbled through had Rachel not been so enormously clear and concise on where I needed to tweak."
--Beverley Eikli, quoted from her blog here and here
--Beverley Eikli, quoted from her blog here and here
"Thank you, lovely editor, who saw what needed to be done and tactfully showed me how. You haven't tried to rewrite the book yourself, which some editors do, and this is a nightmare for authors. You're a great editor and I'll look forward to working with you again."
--Margaret James
"It was an absolute pleasure to work with you on Hubble Bubble. You are a treasure of an editor, and I very much hope I'll be working with you again soon, you lovely person, you."
--Jane Lovering
Portfolio
Please note that I also edit for authors before they submit to agents and publishers, and those projects may never be made public here in my portfolio.
A Dash of Romance
Paulett Golden Regency Romance Self-pub Jul 2020 Hired by author for copyediting 4.5 stars at amazon.com |
Freeing Luka
Victoria Aveline Sci-fi Romance Self-pub Jul 2020 Hired by author for copyediting 4.5 stars at amazon.com |
TimeTrap
J.T. Bock Sci-fi/Fantasy Romance Self-pub Apr 2018 Hired by author for substantive and line editing 4.6 stars at amazon.com |
NSFW
Piper Lawson New Adult Self-pub Oct 2017 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.3 stars at amazon.com |
Dissent Katy Haye YA Sci-fi Romance Self-pub Apr 2017 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.8 stars at amazon.com |
Fake Fiancée
Ilsa Madden-Mills New Adult Self-pub Feb 2017 Hired by author for line and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.com NYT, USA Today, WSJ, and Amazon bestselling author |
Styled
Piper Lawson New Adult Self-pub Mar 2017 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.4 stars at amazon.com |
Sealed Piper Lawson New Adult Self-pub Jan 2017 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.4 stars at amazon.com |
Discord
Katy Haye YA Sci-fi Romance Self-pub Dec 2016 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.6 stars at amazon.com |
Dama X
J.T. Bock Sci-fi/Fantasy Romance Self-pub Jul 2016 Hired by author for manuscript critique and line and copy editing 4.9 stars at amazon.com |
Filthy English
Ilsa Madden-Mills New Adult Self-pub Jul 2016 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.6 stars amazon.com NYT, USA Today, WSJ, and Amazon bestselling author |
Rising Tides
Katy Haye YA Sci-fi Romance Self-pub Jun 2016 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.6 stars amazon.com 2017 InD'tale RONE Winner for YA Paranormal |
The Promise
A.B. Michaels Historical Romance Self-pub Jun 2016 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.4 stars amazon.com |
The Depth of Beauty A.B. Michaels Historical Romance Self-pub Jan 2015 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.3 stars amazon.com 2017 RITA finalist |
Wherever You Go, Were You Are Randa Flannery Paranormal Romance Icasm Press Dec 2015 Hired by publisher for substantive editing 4.7 stars amazon.com |
Stripped Piper Lawson New Adult Self-pub Dec 2015 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.5 stars amazon.com |
What Rosie Found Next
Helen J. Rolfe Contemp. Romance Self-pub Nov 2015 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.7 stars amazon.co.uk |
The Last Dreamseer
Katy Haye YA Fantasy Self-pub Nov 2015 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.7 stars amazon.com Testimonial: "Quality and service are unequalled!" |
Dirty English
Ilsa Madden-Mills New Adult Self-pub Oct 2015 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.com NYT, USA Today, WSJ, and Amazon bestselling author #1 on Amazon in multiple categories and #8 in the Wall Street Journal 
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Love the One You're Witch Randa Flannery
Paranormal Romance Icasm Press Oct 2015 Hired by publisher for substantive editing 4.7 stars amazon.com |
Missing
Randa Flannery Romantic Suspense Icasm Press Jul 2015 Hired by publisher for substantive and line editing 4.6 stars amazon.com |
Handle Me with Care Helen J. Rolfe Contemp. Romance Self-pub Jun 2015 Hired by author for line and copy editing 4.7 stars amazon.co.uk |
The Lair by
A.B. Michaels Romantic Suspense Self-pub Jun 2015 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.com Finalist for the 2015 USA Best Book Awards Medalist for the 2015 New Apple Book Awards in Thriller/Suspense |
Schooled Piper Lawson New Adult Self-pub May 2015 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.1 stars amazon.com |
The Australian Lesley Young Romantic Suspense Self-pub Mar 2015 Hired by author for line and copy editing 4.2 stars amazon.com |
Very Twisted Things
Ilsa Madden-Mills New Adult Self-pub Feb 2015 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.6 stars amazon.com Hit #70 on Amazon's Top 100 Paid Kindle Store Bestsellers list |
The Frenchman
Lesley Young Romantic Suspense Self-pub Dec 2014 Hired by author for line and copy editing 4.3 stars amazon.com |
The Last Gatekeeper
Katy Haye YA Fantasy Self-pub Nov 2014 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.com B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree |
Never Let Go
Anne Carol Contemp. Romance Self-pub Nov 2014 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.7 stars amazon.com |
Sinner's Grove A.B. Michaels Romantic Suspense Self-pub Sept 2014 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.6 stars amazon.com Finalist for the 2014 Linda Howard Award of Excellence Finalist for the 2015 North American Book Awards |
Very Wicked Things
Ilsa Madden-Mills New Adult Self-pub May 2014 Hired by author for substantive editing 4.5 stars amazon.com hit #83 on Amazon's Top 100 Paid Kindle Store Bestsellers list hit #36 on the Indie Author News Top 50 Indie list |
Very Wicked Beginnings
Ilsa Madden-Mills New Adult Self-pub May 2014 Hired by author for line and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.com |
The Art of Love A.B. Michaels Historical Romance Self-pub May 2014 Hired by author for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.6 stars amazon.com Medalist for the 2015 New Apple Book Awards in Romance, 2016 Silver IPPY Hit # 2 on Amazon's Top 100 free Historicals list |
Follow a Star
Christine Stovell Contemp. Romance Choc Lit July 2014 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.co.uk |
The Maid of Milan
Beverley Eikli Historical Romance Choc Lit Mar 2014 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.7 stars amazon.co.uk Nominated for AusRomToday's Book of the Year |
Impossible Things
Kate Johnson Fantasy Choc Lit Feb 2014 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.co.uk |
Dangerous Decisions
Margaret Kaine Historical Romance Choc Lit Dec 2016 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.8 stars amazon.co.uk Nominated for InD'tale's 2014 RONE award in the Historical Post Medieval category |
Close to the Wind
Zana Bell Historical Romance Choc Lit Oct 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.co.uk 4.5 stars from RT Book Reviews |
The Reluctant Bride by Beverley Eikli
Historical Fiction Choc Lit Sept 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.com Shortlisted for the Australian Romance Readers Association's 2013 Favourite Historical Romance Award Nominated for InD'tale's 2014 RONE award in the Historical Post Medieval category |
A Bargain Struck
Liz Harris Historical Romance Choc Lit Sept 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.5 stars amazon.co.uk The Daily Mail (print and online) calls it a "vivid portrayal"; shortlisted for the 2014 RoNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year award; shortlisted for the 2013 Festival of Romance Reader Award for Best Historical Read chosen by Red Hot Books for Shelly's list of Top 2013 Reads |
New England Rocks
Christina Courtenay YA Choc Lit Aug 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.8 stars amazon.co.uk Shortlisted for the 2014 RoNA Young Adult Romantic Novel of the Year award |
Beneath an Irish Sky
Isabella Connor Contemp. Romance Choc Lit Aug 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.7 stars amazon.co.uk |
The Elephant Girl
Henriette Gyland Romantic Mystery Choc Lit Jul 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.6 stars amazon.co.uk Made the cover of August's Booktime magazine, one of the UK's leading sources for independent bookshop ordering, with a two-page internal spread Chosen by Red Hot Books for Jaimie's list of Top 2013 Reads |
The Wedding Diary
Margaret James Contemp. Romance Choc Lit May 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.6 stars amazon.co.uk Shortlisted for the 2014 RoNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award |
Hubble Bubble
Jane Lovering Contemp. Romance Choc Lit Jun 2013 Hired by publisher for substantive, line, and copy editing 4.3 stars amazon.co.uk Shortlisted for the 2013 Festival of Romance Reader Award for Best Romantic Read |
Copyedit only – Choc Lit
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Proofread only – Choc Lit
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*For an explanation of what was involved with each type of edit, please see my Types of editing page. Substantive edits for publisher Choc Lit also included factoring in feedback from their Tasting Panel.
You could compile the worst book in the world entirely out of selected passages from the best writers in the world.”
― G.K. Chesterton