Our book editors
From the world’s major publishing houses.
An in-house editorial team with experience at Penguin Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster.
Big Five publisher expertise
Our editorial team members are professionals with experience at Penguin Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster. They have worked on bestselling and award-winning novels published to international acclaim. They are in-house, wholly dedicated to our writers, and work as a team under the direction of our Editorial Director.
When you choose The Finished Novel Course, you work with publishing professionals who know exactly what a manuscript needs to reach publication standard. They oversee every aspect of your novel as you progress toward a finished draft, and when you’re ready, introduce you to the literary agents and publishers we know.
Professional publishing experience
Previously, leading literary agents submitted novels to our editors in their capacity as acquiring and commissioning editors at major publishing houses. Now our editors submit to those very same agents on your behalf.
Our editorial team bring a laser-sharp focus on the developmental edit: the creative, structural work that transforms a promising manuscript into a publishable one. They understand the acquiring and publishing process, so when it’s time to pitch your book, they know exactly what agents and publishers are looking for.
Serious guidance for serious writers
Edit to submission standard
The Big Edit phase of The Finished Novel Course takes you through every aspect of the editing process with the structural and developmental work first, through to the technical writing skills and line-by-line style that give your manuscript its finish.
An in-house team, not freelancers
Our editors meet weekly to discuss our writers’ works-in-progress, pooling their combined knowledge and experience. You have access to the whole team, connected to the literary agents and publishers who matter for your book.
From the developmental edit to a final review
We guide you through the full editing process down to line-by-line style so that you can become your own best editor. When your manuscript is ready, we help you build a complete submission package: a standout synopsis and a pitch letter that makes agents want to read on.
Editorial feedback on demand
Once you join a course, you can book any further paid feedback sessions you need, when you need them, with one of our editors. Mostly, The Finished Novel Course, which includes a full read and feedback , will cover all your needs. The full read, and any extra sessions you want, should happen during the second half of your program, when your story is settled and the feedback can be applied to the work you know you’re keeping.
Working with an editor
Anything else? Read the full FAQs.
A good editor sees the big picture; what’s working structurally, and where the story needs to be pushed further. But they also know how to execute your vision at the sentence level. At The Novelry, our experienced publishing editors have worked with bestselling and award-winning authors at the Big Five publishing houses. Serious writers work with serious editors.
Work with a team of professionals. Book editors tend to have genre specialisms and publishers will only acquire books that perform well within a genre. At The Novelry, our editors meet weekly to discuss our writers’ works-in-progress, pooling their combined knowledge and experience. You have access to the whole team, and to an editorial team that understands the current market for your book.
An editor can identify the problems. Fixing them is the writer’s job! Best to learn your craft skills! Our job is to make sure you know exactly how to go about that. You work with your editor directly across multiple rounds. An editor cannot write your book. But the right editorial team can show you how to write it really well.
Editorial services can be expensive, and you place a great deal of trust in your book editor. What seems cheap today can prove expensive in the long run. Many consultancies farm out their editing to freelance editors paid at very low rates, and some take a 10 or 15 percent commission on your publishing royalties. (Always check their terms before you commit.) We offer the expertise of in-house professional editors at a more accessible price point through our combination of coaching, course-based development and editorial sessions included in your plan. Work with editors who are invested in your book, and your success.
Typically, a consultancy or freelance editor’s work ends when they hand back your manuscript with corrections and a report. Your editor at The Novelry, from a respected publishing house, gives you detailed feedback, assessing your manuscript’s potential to meet the standards of a traditional publisher before advising on changes. If your manuscript is a match for one of our trusted literary agents, you will be invited to enter our submissions process. We work with over 40 trusted literary agencies including WME, CAA, The Book Group and more, who actively look to us for new fiction. Submission is never guaranteed. But we are rooting for you.