Award-winning novels, stories & essays
by M.J. HYLAND
THIS IS HOW
HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
CARRY ME DOWN
 'HARDY ANIMAL' Granta Magazine Issue 120: Medicine |  'EVEN PRETTY EYES COMMIT CRIMES' The Best British Short Stories 2013 |
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 'ON BECOMING A MORMON & OTHER MADNESSES' The Best Australian Essays: A Ten-Year Collection |  'A BOY, AN EX-ORPHANAGE & A TRAPPED DOG' Zoetrope All-Story Vol.10, No.3 |
 'THE THIEVES OF ROME' Better Than Fiction: True Travel Tales From Great Fiction Writers |  'HOW I EVADED ARREST ON A PLATFORM IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND' True Adventures From 30 Great Fiction Writers |
 'FAKE PAINTINGS' The Paris Review |  'EGGSHELL SKULL' Zoetrope All-Story. Vol. 12, No.1 |
 'ON REVISING & REWRITING' Write |  'RAG LOVE' BBC National Short Story Award 2011 Audiobook |
 'HOW TO EAT FOR FREE IN HELSINKI' A Fork in the Road: Tales of Food, Pleasure and Discovery On the Road |  'TOM WAITS KICKS MY ASS' Rock Country: The Sounds, Bands, Fans, Fun & Other Stuff that Happened |
 'TRIAL BY INTERNET' The Best Australian Essays 2011 |  'EVEN PRETTY EYES COMMIT CRIMES' The BBC International Short Story Award 2012 |
 'A SLEEPING SERIAL KILLER' Spindles: Stories From the Science of Sleep |  'EVEN PRETTY EYES COMMIT CRIMES' The Story: 100 Great Short Stories |
"Expect to be blown away by M.J. Hyland"
the GUARDIAN
"A complete original"
HILARY MANTEL
"This is writing of the highest order"
J.M. COETZEE
About M.J. HYLAND
M.J. Hyland in conversation with Michael Williams at the Melbourne Writers Festival
M.J. Hyland with Trevor Byrne, teaching at Faber Academy, London
M.J. Hyland discusses the publication of Harper Lee's Go Set A Watchman (BBC1/BBC News)
M.J. Hyland is an ex-lawyer and the author of three multi-award-winning novels: How the Light Gets In (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize); Carry Me Down (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Booker Prize, and winner of the Encore Prize and the Hawthornden Prize); and This Is How (longlisted for the Orange Prize and the Dublin International IMPAC Prize). Her short fiction has been shortlisted or longlisted for the BBC Short Story Awards 2011 & 2012, and the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award.
Hyland has written for, among others, the Paris Review, the Guardian, the Manchester Review, Film International, the Financial Times (her essay, 'The Trial of Mary Bale', also features in Best Australian Essays 2011, as 'Trial by Internet'), Granta ('Hardy Animal', originally published in Granta 120: Medicine, was shortlisted for the inaugural William Hazlitt Essay Prize), and is a reviewer of books, films and plays for BBC Radio 4 and the Monthly.
Hyland has led writing workshops for the Faber Academy (London), Guardian Masterclasses (London & Manchester) the Irish Writers' Centre (Dublin), Curtis Brown Creative (London), Arizona State University's Workshop Programme, Stockholm University, Griffith University (South East Queensland, Australia) and more, and was a senior lecturer at The Centre for New Writing (University of Manchester) since from 2007-2018. In 2025, Hyland was appointed as Royal Literary Fund fellow at the University of Manchester's Department of History.
In 2011, Hyland co-founded, with author Trevor Byrne, the Hyland & Byrne Editing Firm.
For more on M.J. Hyland and her writing, see 'Trojan Mules of Meaning', a conversation via 'miniature essays' with David Gavan (Tin House), and Hyland's thoughts on writing from a killer's perspective (ABC Radio, with Jeff Lindsay, author of the books behind the Dexter TV series). In 'The Drugs Do Work' (the Guardian), Hyland looks at the history and usage of neuroenhancers ('smart drugs'), and discusses her own experiences with them, a topic she returns to in 'Controlling Our Health' (The Forum, BBC Radio 4). This is just a small sample of the free written, audio and video content you can access online. Feel free to Google, or take a look at the M.J. Hyland Wikipedia article.
Editing
"I turn to MJ Hyland when I need a fresh, generous, honest pair of eyes on my work... she's a great writer, and edits with the eyes of a writer... I sing Hyland & Byrne's praises from the rooftops."
- Sophie Dahl, columnist, director, presenter & author of The Man with the Dancing Eyes and Playing with the Grown-Ups
"Hyland & Byrne are exceptional editors. They're consummate professionals ... loyal, generous and smart. I recommend them wholeheartedly."
- James Palumbo, author of Tomas & chairman of Ministry of Sound
Award-winning authors M.J. Hyland and Trevor Byrne offer the most comprehensive and professional editing service available online. They provide appraisals and line-edits of unparalleled detail and depth for novels, stories, and creative nonfiction. Their service is instructive, intelligent, robust and focused on ensuring that you produce writing of the highest quality.
Our approach to editing
We know, as fellow writers, that it’s important for an editor to engage not just with the words, but with you, the author of the work: your style, genre interests, experience level and ambitions are essential factors. Our work with you incorporates both in-depth analysis of your manuscript, and targeted, specific coaching and advice on how to improve your understanding of the craft of writing fiction.
We have years of experience at both ends of the editorial process: we’ve worked closely with hundreds of aspiring writers as they hone their work, and we’ve been through the editing process ourselves with some of the best editors in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia and beyond. We know how important honest, in-depth, generous, insightful engagement and feedback is. This is kind of exactly what we've offered every writer we've worked with, whether as Creative Writing tutors at university level, at masterclasses for Faber Academy, the Guardian, the Irish Writers Centre and Curtis Brown Creative, or - since the founding of Hyland & Byrne Editing Firm in 2011 - as literary editors.
Unique to Hyland & Byrne, we work as a two-editor team. To start things off, we read your manuscript independently, and begin the process of creating your in-depth appraisal (see below for more detail about our appraisals). After this, we work collaboratively, debating your manuscript's strengths and weaknesses and exchanging notes. This process ensures that no single editor’s stylistic or genre interests limit the appraisal of your book; instead, you and your work benefits from the attention of two experienced readers and editors, and a broad, rich range of knowledge, skills and interests.
What we offer
In short, you send us your book, and we'll produce a bespoke, 20-30 page appraisal (the most detailed in the industry; in effect, a book about your book), and a comprehensive line edit of your manuscript.
In our appraisal, we'll suggest specific story fixes which complement your story's style and intent, and provide a clear and fair discussion of the strength and weaknesses of your novel. We also offer you advice on language and style, pin-pointing key writing tics and bad habits.
Our line edits, meanwhile, neatly dovetail with your appraisal, as we can cross-reference the two documents, working on specifics in the edit and expanding on our ideas in the appraisal document. Our line edit isn’t simply a proof read (though we include that, too); it’s a detailed engagement with your novel which allows us to deal with specific problems at sentence level, and to work with your novel scene by scene.
Our system, deepened and refined across 15 years as literary editors, works just as well for beginning writers as it does with literary veterans with many publications, and all writers in between. During our initial consultations, we'll work together to establish what you want and need. We can help the beginning writer to master the fundamentals of their craft, helping you to improve your book or story and to become a better and more confident writer generally, while for veterans and the unfairly precocious, the aim will be on how to get your manuscript just right for submission to an agent or for publication, and the focus might be on language (vividness, clarity, precision), on story (pacing, tension, structure), on characters (psychology, plausibility, accessibility).
The end result is a manuscript that has been edited to the highest standard and, in the appraisal, a clear, detailed action plan for the author on how to create a high-quality final draft.
See below for more information on what a Hyland & Byrne appraisal and line edit entails Our appraisal: A 20-30 page report (the most detailed in the industry), which includes: In-depth reviews of your plot, structure, pace, setting and tone/atmosphere, and characters (plausibility/credibility, vividness, character motivations, and dialogue). If something’s not working in your novel, we’ll show how it can be fixed. Clear and fair discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of your novel. We suggest specific story fixes which complement your story’s style and intent, with a view to helping you come up with your own solutions. Advice on language and style. We will identify the aspects of your writing that are unique and appealing, as well as pin-pointing key writing tics, bad habits etc. The author can apply this advice to any story or novel and avoid mistakes they may have been making for years. Book prescription – a list of books that echo your themes, characters or style, with specific advice on what can be learned from each novel with respect to your own book. Authors tell us that these lists are of immense help, functioning both as a guide and an inspiration as they tackle their new draft. Advice on how best to approach agents and on submitting your work to editors/publishers. Our line edit A line edit by Hyland & Byrne is much more than a proofread, and includes: Using Microsoft Word’s Tracked Changes tool, we make detailed notes throughout your manuscript (note: Tracked Changes is compatible with Apple's Pages app). These are specific areas (from awkward sentence structure, fuzzy or unclear action and prolix, to implausible character psychology and continuity issues) which we think need to be reconsidered or re-worked in some way. These can be seen as comment boxes in the margins of the document. Stephen King’s redrafting equation is ‘second draft = first draft – minus 10 %’. We’ve never read (or written) a draft that didn’t need some cutting. If something’s superfluous, we’ll tell you. When we use strikethrough on a word, phrase or sentence in your manuscript, we’re suggesting you cut it, or we may offer an underlined alternative for your consideration. All spelling mistakes and grammatical and formatting errors will be fixed for you.
How it works
First, send us a message via online contact form at the bottom of this site, giving a brief outline of the work you’d like us to do for you (whether it’s a line edit and appraisal, or appraisal only, and a rough word-count for your manuscript). Expect a confirmation of receipt (and a big hello) from us within 24 hours.
During an initial informal consultation with Trevor and Maria (via email exchange, or, if you prefer, over the phone, Zoom, Facetime, etc) you get tell us some more about yourself and your writing generally, and to detail (if you like) any specific concerns you have about your manuscript specifically. Your input at this preliminary stage helps us to properly gauge and understand your manuscript in its right context, and gives you the opportunity to shape the kind of work we'll do for you.
You send us your manuscript via email in .doc or .docx format. Please make sure your manuscript is in a clear, unfussy 12 point font, with 1.5 line spacing.
Your two-editor team gets to work, and a final report - your co-authored appraisal - is written up and sent to you, along with your edited manuscript.
Fees and payment process
Fees are calculated according to the length in words of your manuscript.
Up to 30,000 words
30,000 - 40,000
40,000 - 50,000
50,000 - 60,000
60,000 - 70,000
70,000 - 80,000
80,000 - 90,000
90,000 - 100,000
100,000 - 110,000
£625
£675
£725
£775
£825
£875
£925
£975
£1025
(Tip: if your book is teetering on the edge of the fee price breaks, why not try to cut it down a little before sending it to us, so that you're eligible for the lower fee? Almost every book can do with a shave!)
Appraisal only
If you’d prefer the appraisal without the line edits, these are the fees:
Up to 40,000 words
40,000 - 65,000
65,000 - 90,000
90,000 +
£550
£590
£630
£670
Carla Jenkins' first novel published by Hachette
Huge congratulations to the multi-talented Carla Jenkins on securing a two-book deal with Hachette, and on the publication of her first novel, Fifty Minutes. It was an honour and delight to work with Carla on early drafts of her excellent debut.
Carla is the founder of Raw Writing, an innovative, vibrant and supportive writing community offering online and in-person creative writing workshops, courses and meet-ups.
Both Trevor and Maria are proud to be listed among Raw Writing's list of guest tutors.
Publication: Mick McCoy's new novel, What the Light Reveals
"Maria Hyland and Trevor Byrne, of the Editing Firm, delivered insightful and detailed edits over two drafts. I doubt this story would have interested my publisher without them. Maria and Trev taught me much about novel-writing craft; the guano and top dressing for my words."
More publication success: The Science of Appearances by Jacinta Halloran
Jacinta Halloran's third novel, The Science of Appearances, is out now, published by Scribe. Trevor and Maria worked with Jacinta before publication: we're delighted to have helped a talented writer and a compelling, thoughtful, vivid novel on their way.
Publication success for Jenny Valentish and Jo Ely
Huge congratulations to Jenny Valentish, whose debut novel Cherry Bomb has been published by Allen & Unwin (Trevor and M.J. had the pleasure of working with her on her manuscript as part of our Appraisal + Line Edit service), and to Jo Ely, whose debut novel Stone Seeds is published by Urbane Books (Trevor and M.J. worked with Jo on an early draft of her novel).
Short story success: trio of prestigious competition placings for Erika Banerji
In just four months, the wonderful and wonderfully talented Erika Banerji, who has been working with Maria on the craft of writing short fiction, has seen her stories longlisted for the Lorian Hemingway prize, the V.S. Pritchett Prize and the London Short Story Prize.
An incredible run and entirely deserved - expect to see more of Erika soon!
More Info
Without the wisdom and advice of the appraisal service, my novel wouldn't have achieved this success. Their editing advice absolutely transformed my writing and I recommend them to all writers without hesitation.
Barbara Henderson, author of the acclaimed children's novels Fir for Luck, Punch and Wilderness Wars
Trevor and Maria's appraisal and editing work was quite brilliant, far exceeding anything I was expecting. My novel was floundering and their encouragement, honesty and clear-sighted analysis was exactly what I needed. They are also highly approachable and truly interested in new writers. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Jonathan Budds, author of Consumed
The feedback was so incredibly detailed – so intuitive and insightful – that I’m stunned at how much they’ve given me. Not only are Trevor and Maria both exceptional writers, they’re both exceptional readers, and I highly, highly recommend this service to any writer no matter the stage of their project or career.
Sharlene Miller, author of The Retreaters
Hyland & Byrne have provided me with a deep, comprehensive appraisal of my manuscript. Their generosity and commitment to this critical facet of a writer’s journey was evident in their initial response to my first, tentative request for their services, right up to the appraisal document itself, and all the communications in between. I recommend these brilliant editors to anyone who wants their book to be vastly improved.
Contact
If you'd like to get in touch with M.J. Hyland, about editing your work or anything else, you can send her a message using the contact form below.