Welcome! I’m Victoria Griffin, an author and editor. I am also the founder of Blue Pen, where I oversee a team of editors and book designers.
I have edited professionally for eight years, during which time I’ve worked with projects of nearly every genre. My own short fiction has appeared in more than forty publications, and I am represented by Sandy Lu of Book Wyrm Literary Agency.
I am an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Knoxville Writers’ Guild, and the Appalachian Studies Association. I am also the organizer of the Blue Pen Writers’ Conference and the creator of Inkbury.
I hold a BA in English from Campbell University, where I played D1 softball. A brain injury during my final year derailed my plans and led me to this wonderful life supporting authors. My other passions include backpacking and leathercraft.
I specialize in adult fiction. While I have experience with most genres, I get particularly excited about speculative fiction (fantasy, magical realism, sci-fi, horror), historical fiction, and work that blends genres. I also have significant experience with memoir. While I work with select YA fiction, I am not the right person for middle grade or children’s books. However, my team at Blue Pen does handle MG and children’s books, along with all genres of nonfiction. Email me for info, or check out BluePenBooks.com.
My Editing Style
I am honest but positive. I’m not going to sugarcoat feedback, but I also won’t hold back my excitement over an incredible line or plot point! I’m a writer too, and I know how it feels to be edited. In addition to producing a stronger manuscript, the editing process should help authors improve their craft and make them feel excited for the next steps. One of the most amazing things about professional editing is how it can help authors reconnect with their work. When line editing, I carefully consider each change to ensure it is strengthening the work and highlighting the author’s unique voice. I don’t make changes for the sake of changes. Before each edit, I weigh the pros and cons to make sure more is gained than lost. Line editing is subjective, and I do my best to consider the author’s intentions for the work with each change.
Rates
Developmental Editing: $0.04/word
Manuscript Critique: $0.025/word
Line Editing: $0.04/word
Proofreading: $0.025/word
Fees are due in two installments: half on booking the project and half on completion.
Contact
Email victoria [at] victoriagriffin [dot] com to discuss your project.
Testimonials
Tanya E. Williams
Any writer looking for quality editing with honest feedback, should look no further than Victoria Griffin and Blue Pen editing services.
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.
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.
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.
Susan F. Pruitt
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 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.
Ethan Cusimano
Victoria clearly cares for her clients. Her gentle honesty highlights improvements and reveals unexplored avenues to better your craft. Highly recommended!
Jeffrey Brown
Victoria will handle your work professionally and with care.
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.
Timothy H. Hilke III
She was very empathetic to my needs and my story.
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. I 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.
KL Watkins
That’s a piece of my heart and soul locked in those pages.
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.
Welcome! I’m Victoria Griffin, an author and editor. I am also the founder of Blue Pen, where I oversee a team of editors and book designers.
I have edited professionally for eight years, during which time I’ve worked with projects of nearly every genre. My own short fiction has appeared in more than forty publications, and I am represented by Sandy Lu of Book Wyrm Literary Agency.
I am an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Knoxville Writers’ Guild, and the Appalachian Studies Association. I am also the organizer of the Blue Pen Writers’ Conference and the creator of Inkbury.
I hold a BA in English from Campbell University, where I played D1 softball. A brain injury during my final year derailed my plans and led me to this wonderful life supporting authors. My other passions include backpacking and leathercraft.
I specialize in adult fiction. While I have experience with most genres, I get particularly excited about speculative fiction (fantasy, magical realism, sci-fi, horror), historical fiction, and work that blends genres. I also have significant experience with memoir. While I work with select YA fiction, I am not the right person for middle grade or children’s books. However, my team at Blue Pen does handle MG and children’s books, along with all genres of nonfiction. Email me for info, or check out BluePenBooks.com.
My Editing Style
I am honest but positive. I’m not going to sugarcoat feedback, but I also won’t hold back my excitement over an incredible line or plot point! I’m a writer too, and I know how it feels to be edited. In addition to producing a stronger manuscript, the editing process should help authors improve their craft and make them feel excited for the next steps. One of the most amazing things about professional editing is how it can help authors reconnect with their work. When line editing, I carefully consider each change to ensure it is strengthening the work and highlighting the author’s unique voice. I don’t make changes for the sake of changes. Before each edit, I weigh the pros and cons to make sure more is gained than lost. Line editing is subjective, and I do my best to consider the author’s intentions for the work with each change.
Rates
Developmental Editing: $0.04/word
Manuscript Critique: $0.025/word
Line Editing: $0.04/word
Proofreading: $0.025/word
Fees are due in two installments: half on booking the project and half on completion.
Contact
Email victoria [at] victoriagriffin [dot] com to discuss your project.
Testimonials
Tanya E. Williams
Any writer looking for quality editing with honest feedback, should look no further than Victoria Griffin and Blue Pen editing services.
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.
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.
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.
Susan F. Pruitt
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 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.
Ethan Cusimano
Victoria clearly cares for her clients. Her gentle honesty highlights improvements and reveals unexplored avenues to better your craft. Highly recommended!
Jeffrey Brown
Victoria will handle your work professionally and with care.
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.
Timothy H. Hilke III
She was very empathetic to my needs and my story.
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. I 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.
KL Watkins
That’s a piece of my heart and soul locked in those pages.
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.
Office Closed Monday April 8.
The EFA Offices will be closed Monday, April 8, 2024. We will reopen on Tuesday, April 9. Job postings, discussion list subscriptions, and other customer service requests may not be responded to until then.
