A list of editors and literary agents available to pick up Writers & Artists editing services. Click here to browse our full range of editing services.
If you're an editor or literary agent and would be interested in making yourself available for any of our services, please get in touch at writersandartists@bloomsbury.com We encourage enquiries from all backgrounds, especially editors from underrepresented backgrounds.
Editors
Louise Buckley has worked in publishing for almost fifteen years. After cutting her teeth as a bookseller with Waterstones and earning a Masters in Creative Writing, she then spent six years working in editorial, first at Dorling Kindersley and then in the commercial fiction division at Pan Macmillan, where she published a mix of commercial bestsellers and award-winning authors.
More recently, she was an Associate Literary Agent at Zeno Agency Ltd. As an agent she represented a roster of commercial and literary fiction, including Anne Griffin’s When All is Said, which spent five weeks at number one in Ireland and sold into 17 territories.
She works as a freelance editorial consultant and book mentor, alongside her other role as an Associate Literary Agent at the Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency.
Testimonials:
“Louise was incredibly helpful. Her comments were extensive and have set me up to really improve my work, by pointing out the specifics of what I need to work on that beta readers have been unable to put their finger on… I highly suggest working with her!” – Katie T
“Thank God for Louise Buckley! Six pages of notes and lessons to be learned. Over four thousand changes to accept or not. The thing is this; I was encouraged not discouraged! And I would recommend Louise to anyone who is serious about getting their book published.” – Calum K
“I’ve been working with Louise for a few months now. Through our interactive sessions and assignments she has helped me to refine my current novel, strengthen my writing and, most importantly, believe in myself as a writer with stories to tell that people will want to read.” – Vikki
Camilla Chester describes herself as a dog walker who writes.
After receiving a distinction in a Diploma for Creative Writing and Literacy, Camilla went on to self-publish three children’s novels. She was a finalist in the National Literacy Trust New Author Award 2016 and Mslexia Children’s Novel Award 2019. Her traditionally published children’s novel, entitled Call Me Lion, was shortlisted for the Oxfordshire and Portsmouth Awards in 2023 and won the SCBWI 2023 Crystal Kite Award. Camilla also writes for the popular online school resources, Serial Mash and Fiction Express.
Camilla has a long history of supporting other writers both voluntary and through her freelance work. She has a very practical eye and likes nothing more than helping writers find the heart of their story.
Testimonials:
“Camilla is such a great writing coach! She is so knowledgeable about story structure, story planning and writing techniques. Working with her to plan my latest story has felt like having a secret weapon. It’s definitely my story and I’m really proud of it, but without Camilla I’d still be in a massive confused heap of half-finished outlines.” – Kirsten Percival, author/illustrator
“Camilla’s honest, astute and thoughtful feedback strengthened my writing and helped take it to another level. I’m so grateful to her!” – Charlotte Teeple Salas, MG/YA Writer
“Camilla has excellent insight into what makes all aspects of stories work, and what can be done to make them work better. I’d recommend her services for writers at all stages of their journey.” – Susan Bain, author and SCBWI Retreat organiser
Lucy Courtenay has been writing children’s fiction for almost 20 years, working as a team writer on series such as Animal Ark, Dolphin Diaries, Beast Quest, The Pet Finders Club and Heartside Bay. She has several series under her own name, including Wild, Scarlet Silver and Space Penguins, and the romantic teen comedy The Kiss (Hodder 2015). She is a freelance editor of children’s fiction for Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and the author of Get Started in Writing an Illustrated Children’s Book for the Teach Yourself series (John Murray 2016). She is represented by Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown Ltd. See www.lucycourtenay.com.
Testimonials:
“Huge thanks to Lucy for my critique. A eye opener into POV. Grateful for this evaluation now at this stage. I have some work to do but remain confident my writing will improve to the betterment of my manuscript.” – Lucy P, W&A Your Children's Book delegate
“I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed your classes and how much I've learned. I knew fiction writing would be hugely different from the feature writing I've done for years, but there really is more to consider than I had realised. Thank you for 'opening my eyes' and hopefully I can use all the info to get a little book out some day.” – Eileen, W&A Your Children's Book delegate
“I learned so much from the workshop and your book, and came away thoroughly inspired and excited about putting it all into practice.” – Alexandra Strick, Get Started In Writing An Illustrated Children's Book delegate
After years spent flying around the world as cabin crew, Justin Davies finally hung up his wings to focus on writing books that children can lose themselves in. His first book, Help! I Smell a Monster (Orchard) won the Fantastic Book Awards in 2021. Justin’s new, darkly comic middle grade novel, Haarville, was published by Floris/Kelpies in February 2023; he’s currently working on a new book set in the same, mysterious world.
As well as writing, Justin loves visiting schools to share his books and deliver creative writing workshops, which he says is one of the best things about being a children’s author. Justin’s especially keen to read your middle grade work – especially funny MG. He’d also love to read any MG or YA with a fantasy, sci-fi or supernatural twist; combined with humour – even better! Justin lives with his husband Andrew, and Sally the rescue greyhound, in the shadow of the Forth Bridge in Fife.
Testimonials
“I was in a dark valley of writing—deep in rejections for my debut novel and wondering if I was even worthy of being called a writer when I found Justin. I didn’t know what to expect when I sent him my first 15k. His honest but upbeat critique was just what I needed for the sun to shine again and the joy of writing to return. His perspective on my story helped me see ways to revise and improve. He showed me alternatives to the plot, making a considerable difference to the trajectory of my story without losing my central themes.” – Carol Carlisle, mentoring client
Cressida Downing has worked in bookselling and publishing for over twenty years. She started at Waterstones in Hampstead, working in the children’s book department for a year before going to Sussex University to read English Literature. After graduation, she worked at Dillons Booksellers in a variety of Central London locations, mainly in charge of the fiction section and was one of the inaugural bookseller judges for their First Fiction Award.
Moving into publishing, she worked at Penguin Books and Piatkus Books. As a freelance editorial consultant for the last twenty years, she has worked with a variety of publishers and literary agents on both fiction and non-fiction titles, as well as directly with authors. She runs workshops and gives lectures on editing and submission, attending conferences such as the Felixstowe Book Festival and the Self Publishing Conference.
Recently she won the inaugural Lindisfarne Prize for an unpublished crime novel set in the North-East, and is hoping to have her first draft finished soon. She also runs Reading Retreats to enable readers to have uninterrupted reading time.
She reads a wide variety of books from crime to sci-fi to fantasy to chic-lit to literary fiction. In non-fiction, her tastes are broad, covering pretty much anything that would be interesting for the lay reader. As the mother of two children, she has rediscovered modern children and teen literature.
Her house is brimming with books, but she also loves her Kindle and embraces Twitter as a way of chatting to authors she admires.
Testimonials:
"My book has attracted some fantastic praise with people talking about it being 'compelling reading' and 'beautifully written'. I do not think that this would have been the case without the help of Cressida Downing of Writers & Artists whose feedback and advice in her manuscript assessment was invaluable, especially to a first-time author. It really helped me improve the final work." – Graham Addison, author of Raiders of the Hidden Ark
"I was most impressed by Cressi’s ability to swiftly grasp what the plot and characters needed. She treated me like an authentic novelist and gave validation to my writing. She handled my work with encouragement and professionalism." – Liz Chettur
“I thought [Cressida’s] reports exemplary in their insight and helpfulness. I found the sharpness and constructiveness of her formal or aesthetic sense remarkable, and particularly helpful." – Matt Jordan
“Cressida Downing – The Book Analyst – has line-edited two of my books so far and has great insight into what changes need to be made. The service she offers is quick, without being rushed, efficient and cost-effective, and I would gladly recommend her to any authors who need a critical eye cast over their work.” – Andrew Goodman, author of Tiberius Found
“Friends can only go so far. As a professional reader, Cressida Downing analyses the good and the bad in my writing. The relationship between editor and writer becomes a dynamic process. Her suggestions help my reflection and sense of purpose.” – Margo Gorman
“Cressida Downing has assisted me for seven years assessing typescripts and proofs with a view to their publication. Her reports are concise, insightful and highly intelligent.” – Alan Samson, Publisher, Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Kylie Fitzpatrick is a novelist and Creative Writing tutor and has worked as a freelance manuscript editor for over ten years. Prior to this she worked as a script editor in the UK, the US, and Australia after training at the Australian Film, Television and Radio school. She has worked for the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. She is the author of four historical novels which have, between them, been published in eleven languages, and is a lecturer on the Creative Writing degree course at Bath Spa University.
As an author herself, Kylie understands the sensibility with which writers approach their work, and knows from experience that writing a novel can be a deeply personal undertaking. She believes that a good editor is not only fluent in the technical language and the mechanics of crafting a novel but can also identify its underlying themes and sensibilities and help an author to identify the story that they want to tell. She understands that allowing someone to read and critique one’s writing can sometimes feel a little like having one’s soul critiqued.
Because of her teaching experience, Kylie is as comfortable and competent working with a writer who needs guidance in the basic principles of narration, composition and character development as she is with more assured and experienced writers. She is passionate about supporting emerging novelists and helping them to refine all aspects of technique, from prose through to plot. She has edited both literary and mainstream fiction, including YA and historical, and also memoirs.
Testimonials
“Kylie was my mentor and editor when I wrote After Everything. She was patient, encouraging and nursed me through many early drafts, always offering the most constructive and creative advice in both plot and character development. She knew when something was not working, and more importantly, knew how to fix it. I couldn't have completed the book without her encouragement and I know I wouldn't have got a two book deal with Simon and Schuster in America without her help. In short, she was invaluable. And good fun as well.” – Suellen Dainty, author of After Everything
“It’s a lucky writer who falls into the hands of Kylie Fitzpatrick. Astute, capable, experienced and with a fantastic intuition for drawing out the soul of a manuscript, Kylie is able - with great gentleness - to guide you in the right direction. I highly recommend her as an editor and mentor.” – Jennifer McVerigh, author of The Fever Tree, a Richard & Judy Summer Read
Read our editing Q&A with Rachel Hamilton
Rachel Hamilton has seven years’ experience as a freelance editor, mentor and consultant, and loves helping authors refine their manuscripts and find their voice. She is a literary agent with the Ben Illis Agency and has written six books, published by Simon & Schuster and OUP in the UK, and Scholastic in the US. Rachel holds a first-class BA (Hons) degree in English Literature and Language and a PGCE in Secondary English teaching, which she has put to good use running creative workshops, moderating at literature festivals, and co-presenting the ‘Talking of Books’ radio show. A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, she is addicted to learning about the craft of storytelling and has taken writing and editing courses with Faber, Cornerstones, Arvon, The London School of Journalism and St Martin’s College. As someone who has spent over fifteen years living in other cultures (mostly in the Middle East), who has worked in two high-security prisons, and who has a fantastically neurodiverse family, Rachel enjoys working with a wide range of voices. Her varied background and unusual position as an author-editor-agent-teacher hybrid put Rachel in a unique position to support authors at every stage in their journey to turn ideas into creative and commercially viable stories.
Testimonials
“Rachel always pushes me to grow as a writer, providing insightful comments and expertise. Her attention to detail is unmatched, with an exceptional eye for plot inconsistencies. She cares not only about my manuscript but my skills as an author. I would recommend her to every writer I know.” – Mel Darbon, author of Rosie Loves Jack, nominated for the Carnegie Medal
“Rachel Hamilton is a highly skilled and insightful editor with an eye for details. She’s also funny and smart, and easy to work with.” – Jessica Jarvli, author of When I Wake Up and What Did I Do?, Montegrappa First Fiction Prize winner
“Rachel is the queen of structure. As an editor, she doesn’t simply point out where your story might need some restructuring, she suggests practical ways to achieve it so the entire book works better. She also quickly spots any places where your writing might have become a bit saggy or inconsistent - the kind of details you can easily rectify to help to make your writing really sing. If Rachel notices something isn’t quite right, you can be sure a publisher will notice it too - which makes her advice invaluable.” – Lu Hersey, author of Deep Water, winner of the Mslexia Children’s Novel Writing Award.
Alex Hammond has worked in publishing for most of his professional life, and there's nothing he likes more than talking to an author about their book, diving into the pages, and helping them identify any issues that might be holding their story back. Alex holds a BA (Hons) in American Literature with Creative Writing from UEA, an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Lancaster, and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Southampton. After completing his MA, Alex worked at Rogers, Coleridge & White literary agency, working with authors such as Zadie Smith, Philip Hensher, Nick Hornby, Sandi Toksvig and Joe Dunthorne.
Alex joined Cornerstones Literary Consultancy in 2014, managing editors, assessing new author enquiries, and scouting for agents. He went freelance in 2017, and his clients include Ipsita Deb (Winner of the Arvon Mushens Prize 2021) and Ravindra Rathee (True To Their Salt, Amberley Publishing, 2022). He teaches Publishing and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.
Testimonials:
"Alex Hammond's insights and recommendations have helped me to get my book on the path to publishable quality. His advice always navigated that fine line between firm, fair and sensitively put. I can't thank him enough." – Alexander Headley-Brown, W&A Full Manuscript Review client
"Alex is a skilled and empathetic editor and mentor. His knowledge of both the creative writing, and publishing process has been invaluable. He is also skilled at being able to put across complex messages with the power of good examples. It means that with his help I have developed as a writer at the same time as improving my manuscript" – James Pearce
"I asked Alex to give me feedback about my 32,000-word outline of my work-in-progress. Alex provided me with amazingly accurate and pertinent feedback. He clearly read my outline in close detail, and completely understood what I was trying to achieve. His 3,000-word written report to me was just great - full of really meaty plot, character, and tension advice. He also did a mark-up version of my 32,000 outline - which was thankfully blunt and to the point. My face-to-face meeting with him, where we talked about my novel, was even more helpful; he was able to respond in a very constructive way to my many questions and requests for advice. I could not recommend him highly enough.” – Tom Irvine, author of Amy's Proof
“Alex is an amazing editor. I have everything I need to revise the manuscript.” – Craig Moloney
“After two years work on my first novel I was totally worn out but after receiving Alex Hammond's book report I was full of enthusiasm, motivation and raring to go on what I hope will be the last edit. His comments on what I'd done well and what could be improved were spot on and I'm more than happy to recommend him.” – Kim Brooke
Kesia Lupo grew up in the UK and Germany, studied History at Oxford University and Creative Writing and Bath Spa, then launched her publishing career at Pan Macmillan London as an editorial services assistant in 2013. She transitioned from adult to children’s fiction when she joined Chicken House in 2015, then from a senior editorial role to agenting when she moved to the US and joined The Bindery Agency in 2023.
She is currently a freelance editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Continuing to write alongside her publishing career, she’s the author of three YA novels published by Bloomsbury UK - fantasy duology We Are Blood and Thunder and We Are Bound By Stars, and YA horror/thriller Let’s Play Murder.
Emma Norry has a BA (Hons) in Film and an MA in Screenwriting. She grew up in the care system in Cardiff, but now lives and works in Bournemouth with her husband and family. Emma’s previous books include both fiction and non-fiction. Son of the Circus (Scholastic, 2019), which was shortlisted for the Diverse Book Awards, and Amber Under Cover (OUP, 2021). Her short stories have been published in anthologies including The Super Sunny Murder Club (Farshore, 2024), Doctor Who: Origin Stories (Puffin 2023), The Very Merry Murder Club (Farshore, 2022), Happy Here: 10 stories from Black British authors & illustrators (Knights Of, 2021) and The Place for Me: Stories about the Windrush Generation (Scholastic, 2021). Emma's fantasy adventure novel, Fablehouse: Heart of Fire, the follow up to Fablehouse, (Bloomsbury, 2023) is out now.
Emma has over five years mentoring and editorial experience - currently working freelance for Jericho Writers and as a mentor for the year long Megaphone scheme. https://megaphonewrite.com/megaphone-mentoring/
Testimonials:
“Em has supported me through every stage of my writing over the last six years. She is my go-to person for help with everything from plotting problems to line edits and there is no one in the world I trust more with my messy early drafts. Her feedback is insightful, to-the-point, and warm, and I always come away feeling positive and overflowing with ideas to improve my story. It's hard to balance honest helpful criticism with encouragement and cheerleading, but Emma does it perfectly every time. I would recommend her to anyone serious about developing as a writer” – Jennifer Spangler, author of MG novels from Simon and Schuster, The Vanishing Trick, The Incredible Talking Machine, and Valentine Crow and Mr. Death
“Receiving feedback from Emma Norry is like receiving a gift. I've had the pleasure of having her insight on various flash and short stories over the past few years, and her advice is always incredibly constructive and comprehensive, as well as encouraging. She's been able to provide guidance on my work as a whole as well as individual word choices, and my writing has only grown stronger from following her advice. She knows what she's doing, and she's the first person I seek out for advice on work I care about.” – Sara Hills, author of The Evolution of Birds
“As a writer, one of the most important decisions you will face is selecting someone to provide feedback on your manuscript. It can make all the difference in the growth of your story and your writing abilities – both positive and negative. There are many factors to consider in your choice, but, for me, the most important is trust. You’ve poured all your skill, hard work, and love into your story. You should expect nothing less from the person reviewing your work. I can assure you E.L. Norry will pour herself into your story and love it the same way you do. She is part cheerleader, sounding board, thought generator, and yes – if you need it – drill sergeant. My own work has benefited immensely from her ability to spot weak points and provide numerous actionable suggestions to address them. She really is the best thing that ever happened to my story.” – JD Burns, mentored by E.L Norry as part of the US scheme, Author Mentor Match
Richard Roper is an author and editor.
As a novelist, he is published by Penguin in the US, Orion in the UK, and around the world in 20 languages. His novels have been Barnes & Noble Fiction Book of the Month picks and optioned for TV.
As a non-fiction editor at Headline, an imprint of Hachette UK, he has commissioned and edited numerous Sunday Times bestsellers, Waterstones Book of the Month and BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week selections, and other and award-winning titles.
His debut reading group novel Something To Live For was pre-empted by Orion in the UK and Putnam Penguin in the US (where it was published as How Not To Die Alone in hardback). Positive reviews followed in the likes of The New York Times (‘I loved this novel with my whole heart’), the BBC (‘A charming, humorous and life-affirming tale about human kindness’), and author endorsements from Lucy Foley (‘A magnificent read!’) and Beth O'Leary (‘I adored this!’).
He loves the feeling of helping authors figure out the puzzle of putting a book together. His approach is to provide feedback that is honest, empathetic, encouraging, and solutions-based.
Testimonials:
“Richard’s editorial assessment of my manuscript was exactly what I hoped it would be and more. He put a lot of thought and enthusiasm into his feedback. It’s solutions-oriented, which I love. Rather than just telling me what wasn't working, he offered specific ideas for improvements where needed, and sometimes even multiple ideas/options to get my own creative wheels turning. The assessment was encouraging and kind, the type of feedback that has you itching to go back to work.” – Evan Porter, author of Dad Camp (Dutton Books)
“Richard was absolutely great to work with. Working with him has, without a doubt, improved my manuscript. He really did go the extra mile for me and was also happy to offer advice to me as a new author that has proved invaluable.” – O.R. Simmonds, author of The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray (Appellation Press)
Read our editing Q&A with Rachel Rowlands
Rachel Rowlands is a fiction editor and author. She has a degree in English and Creative Writing and has worked on hundreds of books for both independent authors and publishing houses, including Bookouture, Hachette, HarperCollins, Black Library, and Penguin Random House. Her novels Snowed in at the Cat Café and Cake Off at the Cat Café (both with Hodder) are being translated into multiple languages worldwide. She also wrote and independently published the fairytale retellings The Darkest Curse and The Wicked Prince.
Rachel edits adult and YA books – her two main genres are fantasy and romance (whether that be romcoms, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy romance, or sci-fi romance). She also works on thrillers as well as some other speculative genres, including dystopian and supernatural fiction.
Testimonials:
"Rachel’s manuscript assessment taught me so much, and unlocked a completely new way of looking at and understanding what did and didn’t work in my manuscript. Her notes were incredibly thorough, thoughtful and detailed, returned in a well-structured document with constructive ideas for fixing the big issues. I felt such an injection of energy after working with her, it has been invaluable for me." - Rachel Dauncey, YA author
"Your manuscript assessment was exactly what I was hoping for. You confirmed some thoughts I had, raised plenty of new ones and helped me see where things were working where otherwise I had doubts. My head was nodding throughout and I found your suggestions/explanations inspiring. I can’t wait to get to work." – Charlie Kelly, romance author
"If you ever need an editor, Rachel is AMAZING. She’s so nice, professional, and understanding. Working with her has been great!" - Kristen Hynes, YA author
"After working with her, honestly… you just feel good. She’s genuinely interested in the work. She includes notes about what she likes and wants to know more about. These little tidbits of positivity really help when you’re up for long hours remaking your world. Rachel was a wonderful addition to my team and in helping bring my book to life. I would recommend her, especially to new authors who need a helpful hand in cleaning up their work. She was worth every penny. I would hire her again without a doubt." - Ean S. Mills, fantasy author
“I've been lucky enough to count Rachel among Black Library's pool of freelance editors and proofreaders since 2018, and since then she has lent her talents to a variety of products across our range, including work on our fantasy, science-fiction and horror genres. Rachel is a professional and conscientious editor, taking the time to provide in-depth queries where necessary. She is extremely thorough in her work, always hits deadlines, and is seemingly never phased by the amount of unusual terms to be found in our fiction! She has worked on both short and long-form stories, and seems eager to tackle any task. I would not hesitate to recommend her services.” – Karen Miksza, Desk Editor, Black Library (Games Workshop)
“Rachel’s detailed feedback was instrumental in making my novel what it is today. Her insights into character development, structure and plotting have massively helped me create a much pacier and more layered book. Not only did Rachel look at overall issues and strengths of the novel, she also gave detailed chapter by chapter feedback. Such attention to detail is something I’ve rarely come across in an editor. You’ll find Rachel creative, passionate and above all professional and kind. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.” – Molly Aitken, author of The Island Child (Canongate)
“As one of my first readers Rachel’s feedback has been invaluable. She helped me tackle a particularly difficult plot hole that, in turn, carried me through a particularly difficult set of structural edits. Her keen eye, level of precision, and insight provided me with the fresh perspective on my writing that I desperately needed. I would recommend working with Rachel – you’ll find her critique both appraising and inspiring.” – Aisha Bushby, author of A Pocketful of Stars (Egmont)
Sara Starbuck has spent twenty five years working in UK trade book publishing. She has had experience as a commissioning editor, desk editor and development editor, and also as an author’s agent. She currently works as a freelance book editor, proofreader and writer, specialising in all fiction, YA and children’s books. Sara is the author of nine published works so far, including the non-fiction memoir Breakfast Epiphanies (Atlantic Books, 2006); the children’s adventure novels, The Dread Pirate Fleur and the Ruby Heart (Random House, 2009) and its sequel, The Dread Pirate Fleur and The Hangman’s Noose (Random House, 2010); The Fairythorn Tales series under the pseudonym, Lara Faraway (Templar Publishing, 2013); two non-fiction books for children, Lions (Hachette Publishing Group /Born Free Foundation, 2015) and Leopards (Hachette Publishing Group/Born Free Foundation, 2016); and adult non fiction, Pig Wrestling, ghost writer (Penguin 2019).
Sara is passionate about storytelling and working with writers. She has a keen eye for a good story and the ability to hone it..
Testimonials:
"I have been blessed with having Sara as my editor. We had a great chat, bounced ideas, and she really got me thinking of upping my game. The result is a re-write, but this version really has more depth; and I am enjoying the new ride." – Marc McGowan, W&A Opening Chapters client
"Sara Starbuck was a source of encouragement at a time when I was looking for fresh advice and a boost of confidence with my novel, Not Alone. Her advice was warm and nurturing, whilst also balanced and sharp, and it helped me lift the next draft of the story. I went on to submit to agents some time after this and finally found my agent." – Sarah K. Jackson, author of Not Alone
“I learned more from Sara's edit on my first draft than I did in two years on a Creative Writing MA. Incisive, intelligent and creative editing that absolutely lifts a piece of writing.” – Jane Brittan, author of The Edge of Me
“Sara has the most attuned editorial eye I’ve ever come across. She notices gems no matter how deeply hidden and can coax the very best out of people with her gentle and encouraging hand. Her talent as a writer herself has, I think, a lot to do with this.” – Jodie Hodges, Literary Agent, United Agents
“I’ve worked with Sara as an author and as a proofreader, she has been a delight in every respect. Talented, reliable, responsive and extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the publishing industry, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her services.” – Felicity Johnston, Commissioning Editor, Orion Children’s Books
“Sara Starbuck commissioned my first novels at Hodder & Stougton and I couldn't have wished for a better editor. Hugely insightful, sensitive and warm, she cares passionately about her writers and their work. She helped me become a much better writer and - some thirteen years and eleven books later - she is still my go-to person for advice on all things writing and publishing and the first person I recommend to other writers seeking editorial guidance. Massively experienced, highly respected within the publishing industry AND a lovely person, what more could any writer ask for?” – Siobhan Curham, author of Dear Dylan, the Shipwrecked Series, True Face and The Moonlight Dreamers
“I highly recommend Sara to any aspiring writer. Sara understands not only the mechanics of story writing, plot construction, and character development but also makes an effort to understand the motivations of the author behind the story. I could not have asked for a better editor. Her thoughtful analysis of my manuscript made me fall in love with it all over again, and helped me identify precisely the spots that need more work.” – Sadie Noni, W&A Full Manuscript Review client
Penny Walker has a degree in English Language and Literature from Oxford, and a Masters in Business Studies. She has worked in book publishing for over 25 years: she was an editor at Century Hutchinson, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and Reed Elsevier, and for 10 years was Publisher at Random House Children’s Books. She has had the pleasure of working with established, award-winning authors as well as discovering new, exciting talent during her time at Random House. She left that position in 2006 to move to France, from where she has been working in a freelance editorial capacity.
Penny’s speciality is children’s books (fiction and picture books). She recognises that this genre requires additional expertise, including knowledge of different formats, age group-related vocabulary and content, and the importance of illustration and design. She has teenage children, and has a particular interest in young adult fiction.
In addition to her experience in the children’s books world, Penny has interests and knowledge in a wide variety of literary genres, from literary fiction to romance and sci-fi. She has lived in France for 8 years so is happy to read French books, and she especially enjoys stories with a Gallic flavour!
Penny is an editor who is very happy giving ‘broad brush’ advice as well as more detailed editorial direction. She has a great respect for the writing process, and enjoys the collaborative process between author and editor. She is responsive to the needs of each individual author, giving expertise and support, whether that person is a first-timer or a more established writer.
Testimonials:
“Penny’s feedback has taken my stories to a new level, which is precisely what I was looking for. She gently steered me to consider different options and gave me confidence to keep going. Not only are my stories much better now, but I have learned a lot from the experience and am more confident about approaching agents.” – Mahrukh McDonald
“I worked with Penny on a number of picture book projects when she was editor at what is now Random House Children’s Books, part of the Penguin Random Group. It was a very happy experience. She was an unfailingly fair judge of both words and pictures, no mean feat as the skills for judging both areas together require a very special ability. It was a great sadness to me when she left as working and building a relationship with a good editor is a vital part of all authorship. The author has to trust the judgement of the editor and that trust has to be won through experience. In short Penny was an ideal editor and I would recommend her to any other authors and or illustrators without hesitation.” – Ian Beck, illustrator and author
“I worked with Penny on a much cherished project and found her to be insightful, sensitive and utterly professional. She guides very gently, bringing her wealth of experience to each project, but never dominates or interferes.” – Janey Jones, author of the Princess Poppy series of books for Random House.
“Working with Penny on some of my most successful picture books over about 9 years was a joy. With the lightest touch and a clear eye she would help to resolve any problems - but more than that, she inspired. Before one book was finished, along came another. I owe her huge thanks for seeing the best in me and for steering my texts to a happy conclusion.” – Joyce Dunbar, author of This is the Star, Tell Me Something Happy, The Very Small and many other highly successful picture books for Random House.
"Penny's intelligent feedback was gold for me!" – Teresa Viarengo
Natalie Young was born in London. Her first novel, We All Ran Into the Sunlight, was published by Short Books in 2011 while Natalie was working as the Arts editor for Prospect magazine. Before that she was a journalist with The Times. Her second novel, Season to Taste or How To Eat Your Husband, was published by Tinder Press in the UK in 2014 and by Little Brown in the US and was translated into several languages. Natalie toured with the book in the UK and in New York and took part in the Edinburgh and Cheltenham Literary Festivals. Season to Taste is now being adapted for film. Since then Natalie has worked as a literary consultant, editor and mentor, and works with Bloomsbury through the Writers & Artists website, and also as the facilitator for the SO:WRITE Women Writers group with Artful Scribe. She continues to explore new forms in her writing and has been the recipient of a grant from the Royal Literary Fund and two awards from Arts Council England. Most recently she received a Work in Progress award from the Society of Authors and the Authors Foundation for her third book. She loves the process of developing works in progress and is comfortable working with writers across all genres with a particular interest in adult literary long fiction, novellas, short stories and the prose poem.
Testimonials:
"I would recommend Natalie to anyone who wants a clear and honest analysis of their work. Natalie was very straightforward on the pros and cons of the nitty gritty of my storytelling – structure, dialogue, characterisation – offering her advice on what worked and what didn’t work, what needed improving, changing, cutting out, and so on, but in a way that was supportive and positive. She offered examples of what she felt were my strongest areas and how I could develop those, as well as general guidance on how I could expand my knowledge of contemporary literature and the styles and impact needed in making commercially viable stories. She took an interest in the reasons for my writing and how the subjects I wanted to express myself via the characters either came through, or needed more work, and the balance required for a successful story that maintains readers’ interest. It is clear she has worked with first time novelists and understands the commitment needed to finish a project without being too fawning or too critical in her constructive feedback." – Rob Rankine, W&A Full Manuscript Review client
"Gave me great encouragement to dive back into my manuscript and look at it in a different way. Natalie's thoughtful critique and understanding of the story I really wanted to tell has helped me understand my work so much more." – Ryan Love
"Natalie's edit was just what I was looking for. Concise, accomplished and never a stone left unturned." – Robert Rawlings
“As a mentor and editor, Natalie is able to provide what all writers need: honesty and insight with rigour and sympathy." – Harpreet Singh
“I found Natalie as I was trawling the internet researching literary agents with a view to sending my work to somebody in the hope of getting it published. I had just completed a Creative Writing MA and received really positive feedback from my course tutors but my manuscript wasn’t yet polished and ready for market. I was nervous to work with someone else on the manuscript but I knew that I needed some expert help. Natalie has been such an incredible guide through a re-draft process. She listened carefully when we spoke about what I wanted from the mentoring package and has been supportive and encouraging every step of the way. She’s very astute, could see immediately what needed work, and her personable approach meant that she was able to communicate it to me in a way that felt solution-focused and never critical. During the many conversations I’ve had with Natalie – over email, Skype and in person – I have felt inspired to do the work my manuscript needed and feel reinvigorated in my writing journey.” – Sarah Purchon“I thought long and hard about engaging the services of a literary consultant, slightly sceptical about their benefits and a little nervous about exposing my work in such a way. However, I’m thrilled to say my fears dissolved with Natalie. Her detailed report captured precisely what it was that was missing from my manuscript. Immediately I saw what it was that I needed to do to strengthen their story. I found the whole process thoroughly worthwhile. I’ve learnt so much and really improved as a writer thanks to my engagement with Natalie.” – Paul Coffey“Natalie got to the heart of things, the heart of my story, the heart of my hero, my reasons for writing what it is I’m writing. Then she got to work, focussing on key issues and helping me explore new methods, new ways. It can be challenging for sure but I wouldn’t have it any other way. With Natalie’s mentoring I feel I’m taking great steps forward as a novelist.” – Paul Bradley-Cong
Literary Agents
Megan Carroll graduated from Goldsmiths with a BA in English and American Literature in 2013 and worked as an intern at Watson, Little and Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency before returning to the agency as the assistant in July 2014. She is now a Literary Agent and is building her own list.
Megan is looking for writers in a variety of areas, and from a wide range of backgrounds – she is particularly keen to hear from Black, Asian, and LGBTQIA+ writers. Her main areas of focus this year are adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as non-fiction for 7+, and MG and YA fiction.
In Fiction, Megan is keen to see high-concept love stories (think The Flat Share or The Lock In) for both commercial and reading group readers. She’d love to see those familiar romance tropes – enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, love triangles, forbidden love etc. – with underrepresented characters at the centre.
She is also looking for historical fiction and gothic horror (think Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Silvia Moreno-Garcia) – anything that has a creepy, uneasy undertone is likely for Megan’s list. Megan is also actively looking for upmarket fiction and would love to see layered family drama, contemporary stories about life today and darkly comic novels that explore a specific time, place or experience.
In Non-Fiction, Megan is keen to hear from experts in their field talking about topics relating to film, music, true crime, popular culture, history and issues from largely unrepresented perspectives. She is keen to see memoir, narrative non-fiction and essay collections.
In Children’s and YA, she is keen to see contemporary YA with humour, and romance at the heart – fun and emotional stories that appeal to the interests and issues of the teenage readers. She’d also love to see thrillers and horror stories for this age group too. It’s unlikely that high fantasy novels for YA readers will be right for her, but she is keen to see stories with fantasy elements in a real world setting.
On the younger end, Megan is looking for funny, contemporary middle grade – think Louise Rennison and Karen McCombie – and anything creepy and spooky for 8-12 year old readers too. She’d love to find something like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and is keen to find original adventure stories in both fantasy and realistic settings.
Please note, Megan is currently closed to picture book submissions, and does not represent adult SFF.
You can reach her on Twitter (@MeganACarroll) with any questions or queries.
Charlotte Colwill began her career as a bookseller in independent bookshops in London and Melbourne, including Daunt Books and most recently running the children’s department at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, before becoming an agent in 2018. She has worked at Tibor Jones, on many of Wilbur Smith's recent co-authored titles and at the Jo Unwin Literary Agency where she worked with Eliza Clark and Caleb Femi. In 2022 she joined forces with former Penguin editor Kay Peddle to form Colwill & Peddle, an independent literary agency that represents a wide range of authors of commercial fiction, non-fiction and children's books.
Samar Hammam founded Rocking Chair Books Literary Agency in 2013 after six years as a Director at Toby Eady Associates. Prior to that she worked as a literary scout in New York City for Linda Clark Associates. She is a primary agent, but works with other agencies to represent their rights in translation. Samar represents a genre-spanning number of clients, from poet and writer Warsan Shire to comedy fiction author Amita Murray. She lives in London with her fella and two kids.
Eli Keren started his publishing career at Curtis Brown before joining United Agents as an assistant in 2016. In 2021 he became an associate literary agent, representing a growing list of clients across fiction and non-fiction, actively seeking books that are going to make a positive impact in the world in some way, big or small. Before working in books, Eli was a research scientist designing and synthesising novel drugs (white coat and everything), and science books remain a particular passion of his. He is also very interested in LGBT-themed books in both fiction and non-fiction. In 2022 he wrote and taught Jericho Writers’ HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL course, and in 2023 he was elected treasurer of the Association of Authors’ Agents.
In non-fiction, Eli’s main interest is helping scientists and academics bring their vital research to the mass market. He is looking for expert-led smart science and popular psychology and any similar field. He also works on social histories, and non-fiction books with social justice or a campaign at their heart. In fiction, Eli is looking for anything from commercial to book club/reading group fiction but doesn’t tend to work with the more literary end of the market. He loves crime, suspense and mystery. He doesn’t work with SFF or children’s/YA literature.
Juliet Pickering worked for Waterstones as a bookseller and fiction buyer before starting at A P Watt in 2003, where she became an Associate Agent in 2007. Juliet joined Blake Friedmann in 2013, becoming Vice Head of the Book Department in 2017 and a Director in 2020, and her authors have been shortlisted for and won various awards including the Booker and the Costa. Her fiction interests range from literary through to book club, and she enjoys fresh, contemporary romantic novels with deep emotional heart, and rich, multi-layered, authentic characters. She also represents many non-fiction writers across the board, including memoir, pop culture, social history, writing on issues of race, gender and class, cookery and food, humour, and all sorts in-between. She is always looking to bring more under-represented voices to readers, and for her writers and their books to provoke conversation.
Milly Reilly is a literary agent at Colwill & Peddle, where she represents a dynamic list of writers of non-fiction and literary fiction. Prior to joining Colwill & Peddle, she worked at First Story and Jo Unwin Literary Agency.
In non-fiction, Milly’s taste is broad. She’s on the look-out for informed, illuminating writing that challenges readers to think and live critically and imaginatively. Topics that interest her include food, art, comedy, the natural world, human behaviour and psychology, and the social and political. She represents writers of memoir and creative non-fiction, where she’s especially excited by bold, perceptive writing that interrogates the means of telling a story. When it comes to fiction, she’s drawn to brutally honest, character-driven stories that delve into inner lives and social dynamics. She likes a story that deals with darkness and complexity but is not without hope, and writing that’s playful and poetic.
Hannah Sheppard is a literary agent working across commercial fiction for children (MG, teen & YA) and adults (crime/thriller, women’s).
She worked in-house in editorial for a decade (at Pan Macmillan and Headline Publishing Group) which gives her valuable insight into the workings of a publishing house and an ability to explain the industry and publishing process from both sides of the business.
She joined the DHH Literary Agency in 2013 when she realised the more senior she got in-house, the less she got to do the bits of her job she really loves - working directly with authors to develop their ideas for commercial success.
In 2023 Hannah launched Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency with the aim of being part of the change that publishing so desperately needs - she runs a drop-in monthly call to try to demystify publishing for authors and is working on other initiatives to bring more diversity of voices to bookshelves.
After a childhood buried in library books and Beanos, Lydia Silver started her career in the editorial team at Egmont, where she commissioned books such as the Carnegie Medal-winning The Poet X. She joined the Darley Anderson team in 2018, and was chosen as a Bookseller Rising Star in 2022. With experience on both sides of the commissioning desk, Lydia loves working editorially with her clients and developing ideas from an initial spark into a full manuscript. She represents clients across all age groups, including picture book, chapter book, middle grade and YA, and has a particular focus on non-fiction.
Lydia reads and considers widely, and among other things she is looking for snort-inducing stories for younger readers, clever and contemporary teenage and YA fiction, and non-fiction projects that take big ideas and make them easily navigable, accessible and fun. She would particularly love to see a high-concept YA romance, an ambitious and cinematic middle grade, clever and funny younger readers and anything in the graphic novel space. No matter the story, Lydia is drawn to voice above anything else and will always be sucked in by a strong hook. Lydia is actively looking for submissions from all under-represented writers, and if you’re comfortable doing so, you can use the hashtag #diversevoice when you submit to indicate that you identify as under-represented.
Lydia represents clients including Soofiya, Maria Motunrayo Adebisi, Gina Blaxill, Mark Bradley, Ryan Hammond, Alice Harman, Joyce Efia Harmer, Catherine Jacob, Mina Ikeomoto Ghosh, Hannah Moffatt, Rachel Morrisroe, Laura Noakes, Ellie Robinson, Nick Sheridan, Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Eva Wong Nava. If you could sum up her tastes in three words, they would be curious, characterful and heartfelt, and in three books, they would be One of Us is Lying, Nevermoor and You Are Awesome.
Sarah Such has worked in publishing for over 30 years holding senior positions across editorial, marketing and press. She began her career in 1990 at (then) Random House in the Children’s division, moving to Chatto & Windus as Press Officer then Marketing and Publicity Manager. She was appointed Publicity Manager at Penguin Books, becoming Head of Publicity and ultimately Publicity Director of Penguin UK, with corporate responsibilities. She later joined 4th Estate as Commissioning Editor, becoming Senior Editor at Hodder & Stoughton and Editorial Director of Duckworth Publishers. She founded Sarah Such Literary Agency in 2007 since when she’s been shortlisted three times for Literary Agent of the Year at The Book Industry Awards. Sarah has been a judge for Mslexia first novel competition and the London Short Story competition. She was a panelist on the Royal Society of Literature’s 2023 Careers in Literature Event with Kings College London. Follow her on Twitter at @sarahsuch, Instagram @sarahsuch1 and at https://sarahsuchliteraryagency.tumblr.com
Clare Wallace joined the Darley Anderson Agency in January 2011. Clare is building both the Darley Anderson Children’s Agency and the Darley Anderson Illustration Agency lists and is scouting for new authors of picture books, middle grade, teenage, YA and illustrators. Clare also represents a boutique list of commercial and accessible literary women’s fiction but is closed to new submissions.
At the Agency Clare represents authors in adult fiction both in the UK and the US including Sophie Cousens, Kerry Fisher, Pat Sowa, Phaedra Patrick, Polly Ho-Yen, Martyn Ford, Tom Ellen, Honor Cargill-Martin, Deirdre Sullivan and Beth Reekles. For a list of Clare's children's clients, please go to our children's website.
Clare formerly assisted the Luxton Harris Ltd literary agency. Graduating with a first from a BA in Creative Writing and Cultural Studies at Bath Spa University, Clare went on to gain a distinction on the MA in Creative Writing. She has proof-listened to hundreds of adults and children’s audio books for AudioGO and worked for Cardiff University as a research assistant and coach to international students.
Laura Williams joined Greene and Heaton as an agent in 2018. She worked at Peters Fraser and Dunlop from 2011, after completing a degree in Classics at Oxford. She is actively building a fiction list and a small non-fiction list. She is currently looking for literary fiction, edgy commercial fiction, psychological thrillers and high-concept contemporary young adult, as well as narrative non-fiction of all types. Her taste is quite dark, and she loves gothic, ghost stories, horror and anything sinister. She also loves books that make her cry, from a big love stories to intense family dramas.