Literary Editing by Brian Wood-Koiwa
Thorough and sensitive editing for your speculative fiction. If its weird, I’m your editor! Scroll down for the details.
As your editor I’ll be your “third eye” to enable your creativity to reach its full potential. Every project I take on is an opportunity for both of us to learn, grow, and do something meaningful. I consider the authors I work with as partners and my work as an invisible foundation for their craft.
Hello fellow fiction author, I am Brian Wood-Koiwa, a Tokyo-based professional editor with extensive experience in technical and academic copyediting: I am now actively expanding into literary editing, specifically but not limited to speculative (dark fantasy, weird fiction, grimdark…) and LGTBQ+. I would like to be upfront with you: while my editorial background is significant, my specific experience in fiction editing is still developing. This honesty is deliberate; I believe the best working relationships are built on transparency from the start.
What I bring to fiction editing is a finely trained editorial eye developed over years of technical and academic copyediting. I am skilled at identifying structural weaknesses, inconsistencies in voice and tone, clarity issues, and problems with narrative flow; all skills that can translate naturally from academic and technical editing into literary work. I read closely, engage seriously with a writer’s intent, and understand that an editor’s job is to serve the work, not impose their own voice onto it.
I am also a novelist. I write and publish speculative fiction, specifically dark fantasy and weird fiction, via my Substack titled UrbanWeird Chronicles, which you are welcome to read at urbanweirdchronicles.substack.com. Writing seriously in a genre gives me an appreciation for the craft demands of fiction that a purely technical editor may lack. I understand pacing, atmosphere, world-building, and the weight of individual word choices in a way that comes from being a writer myself.
Because I am building my fiction-editing portfolio, I am offering my services at significantly reduced rates. This is a genuine opportunity to receive careful, committed editorial attention at a very competitive rate. In return, I ask only for the chance to do the work and, if you are satisfied, a brief testimonial. To test the author-editor waters, I will be happy to edit a sample of your work for free (up to 2,500 words) with no obligation to continue with a full edit if you are not satisfied.
Confidentiality is of course central to my practice. All manuscripts are treated as strictly private and are never shared, retained beyond the scope of the project, or used for any purpose other than the agreed editorial work. I may ask permission to use an excerpt of my editing of your work for promotional purposes.
Editing isn’t just about fixing grammar; it’s about shaping ideas, guiding understanding, and amplifying impact. I also love mentoring emerging writers and those who creating in English as not their first language, helping them discover clarity, confidence, and their own distinctive voice. If you live in the Tokyo area, we can easily set up a physical meet.
If you’re looking for an editor or writing partner who brings strategy, creativity, and heart to every project or if you want to talk about the craft of writing. Let’s connect.
If you would like to know more or discuss your project, I am happy to connect by email or video call at your convenience with no obligation whatsoever.
How It Works:
1. Contact me through here on what type of work you are writing (novel, short story, novella, essay…) and how long it is or think it will be.
2. Tell me what type of editing are you looking for. There are three main types as follows (in the order that they are usually done)
a. Developmental (a.k.a. structural, substantive, comprehensive): This focuses on the “big picture” and is usually done as the first phase of editing. It is done to detect any problems with the overall story (e.g., POV, plot, character, pacing). Once these are addressed then…
b. Line (a.k.a. sentence-level): This is the “make your words sing your unique song” editing. It is a more fine-grained editing than developmental. This editing is done line by line to make sure you sentences flow they way you want them by focusing on the style, tone, and length of your wording and sentences (tightening or expanding). After line editing comes…
c. Copyediting: This is the mechanics of sentences. It focuses on correcting any grammatical, spelling, or other inaccuracies in the work. It is usually the final major editing phase for a written work.
3. Tell me your timeline. When would you like to have the editing done by. Keep in mind that developmental and line usually require longer editing times than copyediting.
4. If you would like to test the waters, send me a sample of your work (up to 2,500 words), and I can edit it for free (let me know which type). Note that if the 2,500-word sample is just a small portion of your work, developmental editing will be limited since I will not have the “big picture”.
5. If you think my editing style matches, we can go ahead and formalize your work for whatever editing you would like me to do, e.g., type of edit, deadline, fee, and payment date/method.
Fees: Copyediting: $15 USD (¥2,000) per 1,000 words
Line: $20 USD (¥3,000) per 1,000 words
Developmental: $30 USD (¥4,500) per 1,000 words