Client reviews

Discover what our clients think about our services

I emailed Deb a "final draft" of a manuscript I'd shelved; figured a pair of fresh eyes couldn't hurt.

I'd have been happy with anything beyond a DNF, and was unprepared for the prompt and professional treatment I received from bell to bell.

I read six critiques so detailed, I required breaks to digest them.

Thanks Emily, Erin, Megan, Brooke and Deb, for illuminating the many blind spots in my manuscript.

A tremendous service that over delivered. 10/10.

- A.R. Raspa - Author

Deb Mcllroy is a fantastic coach. I met her at a time when I was so stuck that I'd no idea how to move forward. With her unique blend of constructive guidance, kindness, and advice, Deb set me on the right track. From beta reading my book to Zoom calls to answering my random questions, she is always there, and I'm so grateful to have her on this journey with me.”

- Sharon Dunne

★★★★★

I had the pleasure of working with Deb, and I must say she is absolutely amazing and highly professional. She went above and beyond to help me with the first part of my draft by thoroughly reviewing it. Her comments and feedback were incredibly valuable, as they helped me understand areas that needed improvement and made my draft better.

Deb's keen eye for detail is truly commendable. Her insights and suggestions were spot-on, and I am extremely grateful for her assistance. She not only acted as a reader and editor but also provided guidance that went beyond my expectations.

I highly recommend Deb to anyone in need of a reader and/or editor for their work. Her commitment is evident in every interaction. I am grateful for her positive impact on my writing, and I know I'll probably reach out to her again. Thank you, Deb!

- Mimo Dodosh

★★★★★

”My debut novel In the Hello and In the Goodbye drops in April 2024, and I have Deb MclIroy to thank for it! Deb served as an early BETA ready for this novel offering valuable feedback to help me tighten the story into what it became. As a published author, voracious reader, and skilled editor Deb offers a wealth of knowledge in her literary critique. She also provides thoughtful and kind real talk to help you grow as a writer.

Beyond her BETA Reader and Editor services, Deb is skilled in helping authors develop marketing/promo materials for their books. She assisted in creating both reels and graphics in support of early marketing for my book, which helped drive social media engagement and sign-ups for my newsletters and ARC Readers.

Deb's talent is only outshined by her humanity. She's kind, generous, creative, and very reliable.

Working with Deb is like having your own personal cheerleader. I value my professional experience with Deb MclIroy and look forward to continuing to work with her.”

- Melissa Whitney, Author

Alis review was thoughtful, intelligent and beautifully written. The perfect reviewer . I will beg her to read all my future novels !

★★★★★

- Caroline Montague - Author of The Pieces Of Us

★★★★★

”Deb was extremely easy to work with! She's efficient and thorough and she creates effective features on her social media.

Outside of the initial interview, she does a lot of behind-the-scenes work to help promote indie authors and her efforts are much appreciated.”

- Cecilia Conway

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Verified Testimonials & Recommendations from Satisfied Clients

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a man laying on a floor with a computer screen showing the words, the murder

★★★★★

”I have had the pleasure of working with Deb McIlroy to help launch both of my books, The Murder Game and Glitz. Glamour. Murder. and she did an amazing job creating reels for both. They were so well done that you'd swear that you were sitting in the movie theatre and seeing a trailer for an upcoming theatrical release! I love her creativity and imagination: she starts with a blurb about the book, a bit of background about the characters and the locations, and a few central themes or quotes, and voila! If you're considering any kind of marketing for your book, I can't say enough great things about Deb and the work that she does. HIGHLY recommended!”

- Sonny Hudson

★★★★★

”I had the pleasure of meeting Deb on Instagram. I have been working with her now for a couple of months, with her book planning/ coaching service. Deb is professional, knowledgeable, great at listening, kind, helpful and honest. I totally trust her to guide me and keep me motivated when I am feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to do something. I would absolutely recommend Deb and the services she provides. Thanks, Deb!”

- Claire Robinson

★★★★

”When I let her read my novel, she took the time and patience to answer any questions I had, even accommodating my needs! She was quick with her reading and never took long to respond. Her feedback has been truly helpful and has made me learn how to become a better writer. She is the best if anyone is looking for a developmental editor and beta reader. And if you are struggling with your story and you need a coach, I would definitely recommend Deb!"

- Gina

★★★★★

"Working with Deb has been such a wonderful and helpful experience. She's helped me take a nugget of an idea and develop it into a story I'm excited to tell, working with me to develop the stakes and conflict as well as flesh out the characters. Deb has true coaching superpowers because she not only helps you figure out the problem with a story beat or plot point but she can help you figure out the best way to solve it, all while empowering you as the author to make the story yours. She's full of resources and wisdom and I am so glad I found her!"

- Christina Kilada

★★★★★

"I absolutely love working with Alis! She received a review copy of my first novel by chance, and I've been sending her pre-published copies of all my work ever since. I've just released my third novel in the Anna Croix Series, and I believe Alis has played a huge part in the success of the series. I know she stays booked (forgive the pun, couldn't help it) with requests, but she never skimps on the quality of her feedback. Communicating with her is a joy. She is a true gem and an amazing book blogger. Thank you Alis for being such a crucial part of my team!"

- SM Reeve Author of the Anna Croix series

"Deb is already my favourite blogger and now she is an amazing reviewer, too.
Not only did she help me get an honest review but also suggested valuable tips to improve my writing. I love that, she is doing great in the field to help writers and provide them with a platform to reach a broader audience. Her hard work, dedication, and skills surely will take her to a better position every day. I wish her luck in the future.

- Narayani

★★★★★

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★★★★★

"I used Erin Shea as my beta reader, and I couldn't be more pleased with her feedback. She did an outstanding job providing detailed insights, including chapter and page numbers that made it easy to understand her perspective.

Erin offered specific examples of what worked and what didn’t, which proved to be incredibly helpful. Her thoughtful critiques not only assisted me in refining my work but certainly will benefit other authors as well.

Her feedback has truly boosted my confidence in the revision process, and I genuinely appreciate the time and effort she dedicated to helping me improve my manuscript. Being a beta reader is hard work, and Erin's commitment and support has made a significant difference. I highly recommend her to any author seeking detailed and constructive feedback. 💜"

★★★★★

”Deb McIlroy featured me as a Star Saturday author and did an amazing job capturing my book’s themes, reviews, and overall vibe. She was easy to work with, responsive, and so kind and supportive. Deb is one of the rare gems out there that supports authors with genuine love and support. I highly recommend working with her.”

- Melissa Gowdy Baldwin

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”I had the absolute delight of working with SafeHaven Author Services on a novel I had just completed. I was impressed with the professionalism, organization, and ease of communication. They had NDA's for the Beta readers (Mega, Jaida, Sarah, Veda and Deb), a clear timeline, and communicated updates well. I have worked with many wonderful Alpha readers, Beta readers and ARC readers. The detail, thoughtfulness, and feedback I was given by SafeHaven, not only far exceeded my expectations, it was beyond what I even imagined. I felt encouraged, supported and challenged all at the same time, and I am certain, the final quality of my book will be far greater because of it. If I recommended them any higher, the recommendation would be lost to the airless void of space.

- Tyler Edwards Author of the Outlands Trilogy and the Dark Realm series

★★★★★

"I submitted a picture book collection to SafeHaven and I couldn't believe how useful the feedback was! I had a few readers (Emily, Laura, Megan, Erin and Deb) looking at the texts, and they were all so thorough. Each one gave me great advice on my characters, my story arc, and pace. The comments were really well thought out, and I could tell that the stories had been looked at in detail. Each reader prepared a separate report, so it was great to see a few different perspectives on the texts.

It's sometimes hard to see which areas can be improved and the feedback gave me great pointers of things to work on, and which scenes to enhance. I managed to use these comments to really hone my manuscripts.

The review has also helped me to boost my confidence, as it's the first time I've had people outside of my network look at my work. The experience of using Safe Haven was incredibly positive and I'd really recommend them to anyone who wants extra eyes on their work!"

- Helen Rose