FOR WRITERS
I work as a development editor, mentor, and mini-mentor. At the bottom of this page, you’ll find my courses on Substack, which you can read a sample of before subscribing.
Mini-Mentor: One-off Career Workshops
Sometimes in life, you don’t have a manuscript. Sometimes you don’t have a plan. Sometimes you don’t even have a pl.
I’m offering these sessions because it feels like people need them. Message me via Substack (and nudge me on Instagram if I haven’t got back to you quickly — sometimes the tech fails us) with a paragraph on where and how you’re stuck, and we can set up a time to chat.
£50 for 40 minutes on Zoom (also covers my time mooching on your socials / research).
Development Editing & Mentoring
I really love to work on books that aspire to change the world. Luckily for me, there are other brilliant writers out there, so I never have to not be contributing to exceptional, powerful fiction written by passionate, talented people. I specialise in feminist and LGBTIQA+ works, across fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and autofiction, working with clients from initial pitch (non-fiction) through to publication.
My ethos as an editor is that I want us both to be right for each other. I don’t work on projects where I feel like I’m not the right reader or I can’t help you achieve what you hope.
My editing work began as Books section editor of Phoenix Magazine, where I was lucky to work with writers such as playwright Sabrina Mahfouz and short story writer Kate Squires.
I then edited and published a zine, I Hope You Like Feminist Rants, featuring creative fiction and non-fiction voices as diverse as My Name Is Leon author Kit De Waal, Jubilee author Shelley Harris, The Irrational Diary of Clara Valentine author Coralie Colmez, Nomadness owner Evita Robinson, musician Haleluya Hailu, writer Cath Bore, book industry pro Julia Callahan, comedian Samantha Baines, How To Have Sex producer Ivana Mackinnon, domestic violence charity Worthy Australia’s director Jennifer McGivern, and Natasha Minoso of BookBaristas, and published art works by French artist Ana Nas Montand, East Midlands artist Tam Lai, and Los Angeles cartoonist Carmen Johns. Wow, that was a fun era.
I now work with a select few writers a year as a development editor. What that means is that, rather than focus on line edits, I do three things
-give headline notes on structure, story, characters, arcs
-work on themes and purpose (what do you want to do to your readers? what impact do you want the book to have in the world outside of its pages?)
-discuss writers’ personal relationships to themes and plot (one for instance: is there something being held back, or forced into a manuscript, because of our personal experience and related emotions surrounding a topic?)
-talk about the book’s reception and commerciality, including sales potential, and sensitivity reads
I work on the principle that the book belongs to the writer. I’m here to cast a seasoned and sensitive eye over the work, to offer thoughts, and provide someone to talk to, even co-regulate with, about the book. I’m not a therapist, but it feels like therapy — because writing is emotional work, even more so than it is technical.
As a final note, I also offer help at no cost with Arts Council applications for DYCP and other funds, which can cover my fee and also pay you to write.
My courses
In autumn of 2024, I shared an essay-based course to get you writing, inspired by questions real people — writing clients, Instagram followers, and my brilliant handyman — had recently asked me about writing. Click on the links below to read.
“I feel intimidated by, or unworthy of writing a novel. Can you help me?”
“How do I write chapters that move the story along?”
“How do I edit my book when I can’t afford an editor?”
“How do I develop rules or a manifesto for my writing?”
“How do I get a literary agent for my novel?”
So, what do you feel like doing? You can
-Check out my introductory course on Substack
-Contact me for development editing or mentoring
-Book a mini-mentor session