“Rosie McCaffrey is a skilled and meticulous editor. I’ve relied on her help for various projects, including as a proofreader for the manuscript of my children’s book published last year, I Love St Andrews. Rosie is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to grammar, spelling, and syntax, but she is also good at suggesting larger structural changes to improve a piece. I would highly recommend her editing services.”
– Carly Brown, 2013 Scottish Slam Poet Champion, author of Grown Up Poetry Needs to Leave Me Alone and I Love St Andrews
“Black Opal Arts has gone beyond all my expectations for their work. They are careful and thoughtful readers that deliver not only detailed line edits, but suggestions for scene direction, character development feedback, and plot critique. They earnestly care for the potential of my best work, and it’s reaffirmed to me every time I read a well-placed comment or advice. They are the best beta team a writer of any sort could ask for, and I will certainly be using their services again.”
– Arienne Taylor
“I worked with Rosie McCaffrey and Billie Lamont during their horror short story event Noctis and the experience was incredibly positive. They worked extensively on the short story I had submitted and we went backwards and forwards over it several times. Each time, the feedback was tactfully worded and every point was backed up with solid, well-argued points. The criticism made my short story a lot stronger and I came out of the process feeling more confident about my abilities and having grown as an author. When I did not agree with something, Billie and Rosie took into account my point of view and the dialogue felt collaborative and productive. The end product was something that I was extremely proud to read aloud at the event and call my own. I highly recommend working with Rosie and Billie; their intelligence, sensitivity and editing experience would be a valuable asset to anyone.”
– Claire Martin
you can listen to Claire reading her wonderful story, ‘I am Waiting’, by going here
“Using Black Opal Arts has been a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend the company to anyone who needs some editorial assistance. Rosie and Billie’s attention to detail improved my work beyond expectations: I received comprehensive analysis of everything from plot to grammar and the entire service was provided in a timely and efficient manner.”
– Siobhan Murphy
“I was incredibly fortunate to complete the Masters of Letters Programme in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow with Rosie. For a year, I participated in a weekly writing workshop with her. Rosie’s edits were tremendously thoughtful, and her eye for detail and discrepancy, more than keen. She has a gift for being succinct, while providing you with much to consider. She does it all with the utmost respect and discretion. I would trust her to edit a document of any size, scope, and scale. I cannot sing her praises louder.”
– Nicole Culp
“Billie used her expertise to give me feedback with an appropriate level of detail. She carried out her edits promptly and gave me frequent opportunities to clarify and discuss certain comments and ideas further. She carried out thorough annotations of my work (as requested) as well as summarising key areas for me to work on in a fresh document. She struck a perfect balance between highlighting strengths in my work, as well as flagging up areas for development. She gave me detailed suggestions and great ideas in terms of how to approach the task of addressing development areas. She was very friendly and attentive during all correspondence.”
– John Campbell