Testimonials

‘I was very impressed with the editing that Marcus did. He is a stickler for details, and every page evidenced his professionalism. I have worked with exceptional copy editors from big publishing houses; Marcus was even better.’
Alan Russell (pictured), award-winning
crime novelist

‘Thank you. You really get it. You call me on the stuff that needs calling, but I never felt like you were stepping on the prose.’
Catherine Ryan Hyde, bestselling author of Pay It Forward, adapted into a film starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt

‘The genius of Marcus is that he not only sees the fault, he knows how to correct it.’
Jim Ford, author of the Bug House detective series

Roberto Calas ‘Marcus is a joy to work with and a master at his craft. He can do it all: grammar, style, fact checking, and overarching analysis. I have worked with other editors, but none can match his experience, instinct and attention to detail. He vastly improved my novel, and that’s the true benchmark of a great editor.’
Roberto Calas (pictured), author of The Scourge series

‘I was deeply impressed with Marcus’s expertise, attention to detail, speedy work, and good communications. Not only did he respect the author’s voice, but he single-handedly helped me get over a moderate case of editoritis. Highly recommended on all counts.’
Shawn Purcell, independent author

‘Just a huge thanks for making me a better writer. You’re the best copy editor I’ve ever worked with. Cheers!’
Ryan Potter, independent author

‘Working alongside Marcus (from across the Atlantic!) in polishing my manuscript was hands down one of the most rewarding aspects of producing my first novel. He went far above and beyond what I ever expected from a copy editor. Not only did he help me ensure that my final manuscript was flawless, but he took the time to share his expertise by explaining many of his recommended changes to me. As such, I will be able to put that knowledge to good use as I continue writing novels. And Lord willing, Marcus will be there to help me get each of them ready for prime time.’
Sara Whitford (pictured), independent author

‘Marcus knew exactly what needed to be done to take my novel to the next level. His remarkable editing skills are matched by an uncanny ability to see better ways to set the scene, develop characters and tell the story. Marcus is a pleasure to work with and he always delivered as promised.’
Jon Tree, independent author

‘Since I am a retired professor and first-time novelist, I recognised early on that I have much to learn as a fiction writer. I discovered Mr Trower through his helpful blogs. After he did a free copy edit of a segment of my book, I believed I could benefit tremendously from his assistance. I was not wrong. In both the mechanical and creative aspects of my writing, his assistance has been invaluable. He is approachable, sensitive to the needs of new writers and is fully conversant with The Chicago Manual of Style. He has been most helpful in discerning my goals as a writer and adapting his critiques to those goals. He understands the rules of punctuation and grammar of good English while recognising the occasional need for flexibility in creative writing pursuits. He is a professional. He is a teacher. He is supportive and demonstrates a delightful sense of humour. I highly recommend his work.’
John R Henderson, independent author

‘Marcus did a great job copyediting my novel, The Abuse of Power, with an amazingly impressive turnaround time. He corrected my grammar and spelling, but his guidance went so much further. Marcus proposed hundreds of improvements in his comments, yet he never tried to change my style. The proof is in the reading, and my two guinea pigs reread my novel and described it as immeasurably improved.’
David Buckle, independent author

‘Working with Marcus exceeded all of my expectations. First, I was impressed by his ability to meet my very short deadline. Not only was he able to copyedit my entire novel on time, but he actually finished a week early. His suggested edits were divided into two categories: objective changes that, say, were needed to correct factual errors and grammatical mistakes; and subjective changes, which ranged from rewriting sentences that were awkward or unclear, to addressing POV violations (of which I had many). Every one of Marcus’s suggestions made my manuscript better and helped me learn. His manuscript report was conscientious, thorough, instructive and extremely valuable in helping me not only understand issues overall, but also get a sense of the things that worked well. Marcus was also very responsive and fun to work with. I’m recommending him to all my writing buddies, and I would recommend him to anybody who wants to ensure their manuscript is as grammatically and stylistically perfect as possible.’
Elin Barnes (pictured), independent author

‘I want to say thank you so much for your superb edit of Butchertown. You understood my goals and parameters completely and helped me refine my prose even further than before! You knew when to step in and when to stand back. You helped greatly in making a good book even better!’
Thomas Burchfield, independent author

‘Marcus is more than a copy editor; he’s a true professional, a coach, and a hell of a teacher. Not only do I recommend him, but you can be sure that his eye for detail and notations in the margin will improve your novel tremendously and make you a better writer.’
SL Jones, independent author

‘The thing that struck me the most about Marcus was how invested he was in my success. Novel writing ain’t easy, but the copyediting process was simple and fun thanks to Marcus. He was everything I didn’t know I needed in a copy editor — a teacher, a cheerleader and just an all-around great guy to work with. He was professional and on time with every job. I especially liked that he provided a thorough sample edit so I could make an informed decision about hiring him. He really knows his stuff. My manuscript is the best it can be now, and I would love to work with him again in the future!’
Erin O’Donoghue-Adams

‘Your editing was exactly what I needed – and then some.’
Kevin Roberts, independent author