Book Editing Services for an African Historical Fiction Novella - FreelanceJobs

Description

Hello,

I hope this message finds you well. I'm Nana Kusi, a Ghana-based multidisciplinary artist.

Earlier this year—and after a two-year long journey—I completed a word manuscript for a historical fiction novella titled, 'The Otu Palaver.

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Here's a summary of the story:
1734 CE. Danish Guinea (present-day Ghana).

The Akuapem, an indigenous people, are settling into the first years of their newfound freedom following the downfall of their former overlords.

While a semblance of peace prevails in the Akuapem mountains—under the rulership of its new king—not all in the mountains welcome the new order.

There are also troubling reports about the plight of Otu, a reputed demigod and former guardian of the Akuapem mountains.

In response to these concerns, the King of Akuapem convenes a series of public hearings intended to present the new monarchy in a favourable light to its subjects and to investigate the circumstances surrounding Otu's unraveling and eventual demise.

Magnus Engmann—a dissolute colonial officer on thin ice within the Danish Establishment—is dispatched to the Akuapem mountains to observe proceedings on the Otu palaver.

His true purpose in the mountains, however, is to oversee the Establishment's assets in the area ahead of the King of Denmark's first visit to the colony.

As Magnus' tenure in the mountains progresses, he finds himself increasingly unsettled by the fantastical nature of the palaver and its revelations.

Magnus' accounts of the palaver—documented as written reports addressed to the then-governor of Danish Guinea, along with personal notes recorded in his diary—form the basis of this work of historical fiction.

I began this novella as a way to explore and reclaim what I could of my own heritage as an Akuapem.

As someone who grew up in urban—and largely Westernized—Accra (Ghana's capital), with relatively superficial connections to the towns and villages that my parents and grandparents hail from, I've always felt like something of an outsider, a "foreigner" to my own culture.

Moving away from Ghana as I entered young adulthood, only deepened this feeling but I was determined to find a way to channel my yearning to belong into something constructive.

My leaning into this deep-seated yearning was what birthed this work.

What started as a personal journey led to my uncovering of less talked about aspects of Ghana's colonial history and deeper layers of Akan lore and mythology that I had previously known little about.

At its core, the work offers an inversion of traditional colonial power dynamics and explores—with a touch of dark humour and some thriller elements—what happens when an outsider's identity, authority, and belief system begin to unravel in the face of unfamiliar worldviews.

Another motivation for taking on this work is my strong belief in the limitless storytelling possibilities that exist in reimagining Ghana's indigenous histories and folklore — stories that deserve to be retold in fresh, compelling, and contemporary ways.

My hope for this novella is to engage African and African-diaspora adults interested in exploring their heritage, as well as general readers drawn to African, Ghanaian, or Akan history and mythology—particularly those curious to learn more about lesser-known aspects of Ghana's colonial past, such as the formation of the Akuapem kingdom.

Bridging historical fiction, psychological drama, and myth, the novella may also resonate with fans of writers like Chinua Achebe, Marlon James and Jennifer Makumbi who explore power, identity, and the supernatural within the context of the African diaspora.

In late October, I got my manuscript professionally typeset at in preparation for a pre-publication launch event, where I handed out limited author's edition copies of the novella.

Currently, I'm working towards a full publication launch in January/February 2026 and to that end, I'm pooling together resources to get the novella professionally reviewed, packaged and distributed.

I'd like to work with an editor who can appreciate the story's relevance and refine the work where needed. I'd also like to have the editing phase completed in about 4 weeks.

Please let me know if you'd be interested in taking on this work.

I'm also happy to get on a call to properly introduce myself, discuss my plans for the book and see if we could be a good match.

Best wishes,
Nana Kusi Minkah-Premo

Contract duration of less than 1 month. with 30 hours per week.

Mandatory skills:
Developmental Editing, Academic Editing, Proofreading, English, Book Editing, Copy Editing, APA Formatting, Academic Proofreading, Grammar & Syntax Review, Research Papers, Academic Writing, Citation Style, Creative Writing, Error Detection, Writing