The relationship between a writer and their editor is one of trust and vulnerability. So, the purpose of this page is something like...

Let’s date before we leap into bed!

So that you can carefully consider whether Kris Emery Editorial is the right editing partner for you, we have outlined the values that we stand for and a few dealbreakers that aren’t welcome in our world.

What we stand for

Before we start, in the spirit of reconciliation, I'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I work, the Turrbal people, and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

At Kris Emery Editorial, we aim to create a business that represents:

• Individuality
• Expression
• Freedom of choice
• Daring
• Enthusiasm

Of these values, individuality, or celebrating every individual’s uniqueness, comes first and foremost. Celebrating uniqueness has a flipside. And that is being non-judgmental of people’s differences.

As such, we are committed to:

• Open, kind and respectful dialogue, especially when resolving problems
• Reading widely
• Ongoing self-enquiry
• Continuous learning and listening about identities that are not our own
• Not speaking or writing on behalf of identities that are not our own
• Seeking consent when speaking or writing about experiences involving others
• Constantly and rigorously updating our understanding of language as it evolves
• Accepting that our own world view is open to criticism
• Doing no harm

This will not only be reflected in our own communication, content and writing to the best of our abilities, but also in the clients we work with and the way we edit and consult on projects.

We invite feedback via out Contact page if you have any.

What we don’t tolerate

We are not the editing partner for you if:

• You’re in a rush
• You’re not open to feedback
• You’re afraid to be told there is work to do
• You’re writing about traumatic experiences but you haven’t fully processed them*
• You appropriate or plagiarise any material whatsoever
• You don’t credit your sources
• You think you’ve already got the finished article
• You are unconcerned with quality and are just ‘going through the motions’ with an editor**
• You only want your work proofread

*It’s perfectly okay to write to heal, but when it comes to publishing, we believe in ‘doing no harm’. We’re happy to work with you towards finishing your book, but ask that you are responsible for ensuring you have the right support in place to deal with any emotional issues that arise. We are not qualified in counselling, therapy or healing of any kind.

**Quality is subjective and we are not here to police your tone, ‘correct’ your grammar or trample on your voice. We define quality as having the most impact for your audience in the most succinct way, backed up with linguistic training and experience.

Read more about our credentials here.

Get more insights from the people we work with here.

Accessibility

We believe in the freedom to write your way and do not believe in there being one ‘right’ way to write.

(Ever since 2012 when I was trying to find a writing group in Christchurch, New Zealand, and all I could find were groups where you already needed to be published, I’ve thought the literary scene can be snobbish and exclusionary.)

Self-publishing blasts open the opportunities and removes so many barriers to entry to being an author. Yet we recognise that the barriers that do exist are felt inequitably.

As such, we avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and work with authors in the way that they need, including seeking experts and referring on where we do not have in-house expertise. While we do have a process that we follow, we invite you to make suggestions and we commit to being honest about our limitations.

Where we can, we also contribute to organisations that support literacy and accessibility, because we want to see a world where everyone gets to tell their story and share their message.

Communication

Being an editorial business, we tend to stick to written communication by email.

If you need to access alternative methods, please ask us about voice and video options.

At this time, although we are present on other platforms, we cannot monitor more than one inbox, so we ask that you email us or send a message via our website contact page if you wish to get in touch.

We do not guarantee a timely response if you contact us on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn or any other social media site.

No matter how much we love working with words, we all need a rest sometimes. We aim to answer client emails within 48 hours during the working week, Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm AEST (Brisbane, Australia time).

We no longer accept fast-turnaround work. Ad hoc projects <2000 words will be accepted on the basis of a one-week turnaround. All projects >2000 words must be booked in advance.