If you’ve ever stared at your finished manuscript wondering whether it’s truly ready for readers, or if you’ve felt overwhelmed by the technical side of formatting and publishing, let me introduce you to someone who could be exactly what your story needs: Sarah Neeson. She’s a professional editor with over 15 years of experience who brings both precision and genuine warmth to every project—plus, she’s a published romance author herself, so she truly understands your journey.
Sarah isn’t just any editor. She’s someone who named her four goats after literary greats (Jane Austen, Bram Stoker, Louisa May Alcott, and Mary Shelley), has a 150-pound dog named Book, and writes romance under one pen name while publishing her fantasy under another. In other words, she gets the creative, slightly chaotic life of a writer.
From financial documents to fiction: why precision matters
Sarah’s editing journey began in an unexpected place—the financial sector, where she spent years reviewing complex policies and reports for banks and credit unions. That world demands absolute accuracy, where a misplaced decimal or unclear sentence can cause serious problems.
What this background means for your manuscript: Sarah brings that same meticulous attention to detail to fiction, but with the heart of someone who truly loves stories. She knows how to catch every error while respecting your voice and vision.
“That work really helped hone my eye for precision,” Sarah explains. Now, instead of financial documents, she focuses on proofreading fiction manuscripts and guiding books through their final polish before publication. She’s also published eight romance and fantasy novels herself, so she understands both sides of the author-editor relationship.
The “aha moment” that changed everything
Like many writers, Sarah struggled with finishing her first book—it took her four years to complete. But once she crossed that finish line, everything changed. Her second novel? Just two months from start to draft.
“You learn more from finishing one book than you do from starting 10,” Sarah says, quoting Elizabeth Boyle. Before that first completion, her brain was constantly doubting: “Maybe you’re not good enough, maybe you can’t do this.” But finishing that first book proved it was possible, and each subsequent project became easier.
What this tells you about working with Sarah: She understands the emotional journey of writing, not just the technical aspects. She knows what it feels like to doubt yourself, to struggle with that “fog of war” feeling when you can’t see the whole story yet. Her editing approach honors both the craft and the courage it takes to finish a book.
Understanding what you actually need (and when you need it)
One of Sarah’s greatest strengths is helping authors understand the different types of editing and when each makes sense. Many writers feel confused about what they actually need, and Sarah breaks it down clearly:
The right order matters:
- Finalize your manuscript through revisions and developmental edits first
- Copy Edit after all the major revisions are complete to ensure your paragraph- and sentence level story is working the way you want it to
- Format the manuscript including all front and back matter
- Proofread once the book is truly done—this catches typos, grammar issues, formatting problems, and consistency mistakes
Sarah has seen what happens when these steps get mixed up. Authors who send documents for final formatting only to revise them again create double the work and sometimes introduce new errors. Her experience in both financial editing and fiction has taught her that rushing the process always costs more time in the end.
The technical stuff that trips up even experienced writers
Sarah’s pet peeves reveal exactly the kinds of details that can make or break a professional-looking book:
Biggest formatting offenders:
- Hard returns vs. soft returns: Using Shift+Enter instead of Enter creates formatting nightmares later
- En dashes vs. em dashes: Using the short dash with spaces when you need the long dash without spaces
- Double spaces after periods: An old typing habit that creates tedious cleanup
- Inconsistent ellipsis spacing: Some before/after spaces, others not
For Sarah, consistency is everything. If you use a particular style, that’s fine—as long as it’s the same throughout your entire document.
Why she always requests a physical proof
Here’s something that sets Sarah apart in her personal process: she always requests a paperback proof copy from Amazon before hitting “publish.” That hands-on review often uncovers mistakes that software or screens won’t catch.
Real examples from Sarah’s experience:
- Scene breaks that looked normal on screen but were far too large in print
- Page numbering glitches from formatting programs
- An entire book’s page numbers that were off due to a silent software bug
“I’m a bit of a control freak,” Sarah laughs, “but in proofreading and formatting, that attention to the smallest detail is exactly what authors need.”
Her approach to working with authors
Sarah’s editing philosophy comes from her own writing journey: take each step one at a time. She knows that looking at the entire publishing process can feel overwhelming, but each individual piece is manageable.
What working with Sarah looks like:
- She follows your style guide if you have one, or creates one during editing to keep future projects consistent
- She handles both US and Canadian/British spelling preferences
- She offers both proofreading and formatting services, understanding how they work together
- She volunteers her talents for community groups, keeping her skills sharp and her passion high
Software expertise that serves your story
Sarah has extensive experience with different formatting tools:
Atticus: User-friendly but sometimes makes odd choices with hyphens and page breaks
InDesign: Allows full, detailed control
Because InDesign offers more options when it comes to formatting, this is the program she uses, allowing authors the opportunity to choose exactly what they want with regards to fonts, page layouts, image placement, and much more.
—great for complex layouts and special graphics, though more complex to learn
Her recommendation depends on your comfort level and specific needs. She’s not tied to one solution—she chooses what works best for each project.
Ready to connect with Sarah?
You can reach Sarah at:
- Email: 18streeteditorial@gmail.com
- Website: 18streeteditorial.com
- Use the contact page for quick responses
Sarah is happy to answer questions, explain her process, or discuss how she can help give your book its best possible debut.
Is Sarah right for you?
Sarah might be perfect for you if:
- You’ve finished your manuscript and need professional proofreading before publication
- You want someone who understands both romance and fantasy genres
- You’re looking for formatting help that goes beyond basic layout
- You value working with someone who’s also a published author in your genre
- You want an editor who takes a methodical, step-by-step approach
- You appreciate attention to detail and consistency throughout your manuscript
She might not be the right fit if:
- You’re looking for developmental editing or story restructuring
- You want someone to rewrite sections
- You’re still in early draft stages and need big-picture story help first
- You prefer to handle all technical aspects completely independently
Your story deserves professional polish
After all the time you’ve invested in writing your romance—developing characters readers will fall in love with, building tension and chemistry, creating that perfect happily ever after—you want nothing to distract from the reading experience. Professional proofreading and formatting ensure that technical issues don’t pull readers out of your carefully crafted world.
Sarah Neeson brings over 15 years of precision-focused experience, genuine love for storytelling, and deep understanding of what it takes to finish and publish a book. From her literary goats to her dual pen names, from financial documents to fantasy worlds, she proves that the best editing combines technical expertise with creative heart.
Whether you’re preparing your first manuscript or your tenth, Sarah’s methodical approach and author-friendly perspective could be exactly what your story needs to shine. Sometimes the difference between a good book and a great reading experience is simply making sure every detail is exactly where it should be.