Blog

Sally-Anne Watson Kane has 30 years’ professional writing and editing experience. She is a professional member of Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) and Secretary of Life Stories Australia. Below is a portfolio of her  experience editing manuscripts for authors including First Nations Australians, Timorese, Nmibian, Maori and other writers, and including neurodivergent and disabled writers. 

Editing projects currently underway in 2023/24

We are providing coaching in writing and self-editing, as well as editing services (without the coaching component).

1. Poetry and short stories by a Namibian-Australian author who lives in Adelaide SA. Coaching in self-editing, and editing. Author’s name revealed after their book is published.
2. Novel by a First Nations writer who lives in Far North Queensland. Ongoing mentoring via telephone. Previously, coaching and mentoring in writing and structural editing, via verbal  (telephone) and written feedback. Author’s name will be revealed after their book is published.
3. Memoir by a neurodivergent female author who lives in Queensland. Coaching in self-editing, and structural editing. (NDIS funded.) Author’s name will be revealed after their book is published.
4. Fantasy novel (based on memoir) by a neurodivergent male author who lives in Perth WA. Coaching in writing and self-editing, and structural editing. (NDIS funded.) Our coach KJ Rajah is the hands-on coach/developmental editor for this project. Author’s name revealed after their book is published.
5. Memoir by a female author who lives in New South Wales. Coaching in self-editing, and structural editing. (NDIS funded.) Author’s name will be revealed after their book is published.
6. Short stories and creative non-fiction articles by various writers. Structural editing,  coaching in writing and self-editing, and occasional mentoring.
7. Life story by an elderly First Nations man who lives in Northern Territory. Recording and transcribing oral stories by this man and his extended family members, then editing and compiling his life story. Still in the research and information-gathering stage. Family/storytellers’ names will be revealed after their book is published.
8. Oral history publication – special project. Recording and transcribing  storytelling for later publication. Author’s name  revealed when their book is published.

Completed editing projects – books not yet published

In her role as structural and developmental editor and/or copy editor, with the assistance of her editing team Sally-Anne has edited the below manuscripts. To our knowledge these books have not yet been published.

1. Memoir of trauma, ancestral history and identity, authored by a female writer of White settler heritage, in Perth WA. Detailed structural/ developmental edit completed in 2023. Author in midst of self-editing/rewriting process in 2023.
2. Literary novel based on own experiences in Far North Queensland (FNQ), authored by a male First Nations writer in FNQ. Structural/developmental edit completed in 2023. Author in midst of self-editing/rewriting process in 2023.
3. Literary novel based on own journey and including poems/songs, authored by a male writer in Geelong area. Detailed structural/developmental edit completed 2022. Author in midst of self-editing/rewriting process in 2023.
4. Memoir and local history of Milingimbi by an author and his Yolngu wife (with approval from the Elders) in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Structural edit including rewriting and initial copy edit completed 2022-2023; publisher to do final copy edit, design and print. Author now overseeing publication in 2023.
5. Murder mystery novel, by a female author who lives in NSW. Structural edit  completed; author then continued the self-editing/rewriting required. Author then began finalising manuscript for submission to a publisher in 2022.
6. Memoir by an autistic author who lives in Gippsland, Victoria. Coaching in writing and self-editing in 2021-2022. Memoir manuscript not completed due to lack of funding and cessation of project. (NDIS-funded.)
7. Memoir/history by an  author who lives in South Australia. Structural edit completed. Author intended to continue the self-editing/rewriting required and then self-publish in 2020.
8. Historical novel based on ancestors’ activities in WWII in The Netherlands. Developmental edit completed. Author intended to continue the self-editing/rewriting required and then self-publish in 2009.
9. Memoir (including poems, illustrations and “how to”) by a First Nations author from Katherine/Top End. Developmental editing, and coaching in writing/self-editing. Collaborated with author to produce manuscript: memoir, poems, artworks and detailed instructions on how to make a didgeridoo. Collaboratively, copy edited the manuscript to design-ready stage. Intended by the author to be self-published in 2005/when funds allowed.
10. Buibere volum 2 (2001) – in Tetun, translated into English. This self-published (2001) book of 22 women’s stories in the Tetun language was translated into English by Sally-Anne Watson (Kane) in 2002-03. Unpublished manuscript.
11. The Caracol, by Sally-Anne Watson (Kane). Rewritten and self-edited to copy editing stage in 1994. Unpublished manuscript.

Books that we have edited that have been published

Sally-Anne Watson Kane (On Time Typing Books and Life Stories) has edited all the books listed at: Books produced by Sally-Anne.

The following books were edited by us, and then the books were designed, produced and published by the author or a publisher.

1. Among the Wildflowers by Delia Tobin, Seamus Foley and Sally-Anne Watson Kane. Compilation of poetry. Under Sally-Anne’s editing guidance, all three poets collaboratively edited one another’s poems.  Produced  by all three authors. Self-published under the imprint of On Time Typing Books and Life Stories in 2023.
2. Te-gadda we ell (Together we can) by Gerry Marr. Structural edit completed for Gerry, who was living in NSW then moved back to Scotland.  Finalised and self-published by the author in the UK, in 2022.
3. Rohingya Dreams, anthology by Rohinga Refugee Poets compiled by Emily Reid for The Danish Refugee Council. We edited the book (on a voluntary basis), and Risen Writers self-published the anthology in 2020.
4. Trauma education publication. Copy edit completed (for the author). Published by a university press in 2019.
5. Academic publication – Indigenous education issues. Copy edit completed (for the compilers). Published by a university press in 2020.
6. Academic publication – Indigenous education issues. Copy edit completed (for the compilers). Published by a university press in 2018.

For our experience in editing articles, reports and policies, see here.

Image: Sally-Anne Watson Kane.