Sam Buchan-Watts

Sam Buchan-Watts – Editor

I am a writer and editor, with extensive experience of publishing and editing poetry collections, magazines and artists' books.

Overview

I am a writer and editor with a PhD from the Dept. of English at the University of York. I have published my own writing with Faber & Faber and Prototype and in many magazines and journals. I have acted as Poetry Editor of Five Dials (Hamish Hamilton) and Reviews Editor of Poetry London. I am a founder of clinic poetry press, through which I have worked on numerous anthologies and single-authored works, from commissioning writers through to developmental editing to proofing. I've also worked as a copy-writer and editorial assistant for The Poetry Archive, a competition judge for the Poetry Book Society and a reader for New Writing North. I have been invited to give talks on editing and small press publishing at Northumbria University, The Tetley (Leeds) and to curate poetry line-ups for Port Eliot Festival. I specialise in poetry publications, but invite a range of editorial projects - including fiction, creative-non fiction, academic prose and more – believing that all forms of writing benefit from the close ear we associate with poetry.
Services
Non-Fiction
Art
Fiction
Literary Fiction Poetry
Languages
English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Poetry London

Nov, 2016 — Feb, 2018 (over 1 year)

Five Dials

Sep, 2011 — May, 2013 (over 1 year)

clinic press

May, 2010 — Present

Sam has 9 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Daniel F.

Daniel F.

Jul, 2025

I appreciate Sam’s serious engagement with my text. He made some excellent suggestions, and even those I did not accept made me stop and reconsider some things, which I subsequently revised based on his feedback, elevating the overall work greatly. So I’m very grateful that he accepted my proposa...
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Kripa B.

Kripa B.

May, 2025

I went through how Sam addressed my concerns. That is exactly what I was looking for, and he fully addressed my concerns. I am satisfied. Now I am very happy. Thank you so very much. He is a great person. And a very good person, indeed. I strongly recommend him.
Peyton K.

Peyton K.

Apr, 2025

Sam simultaneously encompasses the attention to detail and the ability to see the bigger picture. I felt seen by him and he was very understanding. His feedback and advice on publication was very helpful. I highly recommend.
Johannes L.

Johannes L.

Apr, 2025

I think we were a really good match, reading through his feedback I never felt not understood and that is what matters the most to me with a project like mine.
Rhys C.

Rhys C.

Feb, 2025

Sam was great! There were some edits with poetry I was questionable about, but then again everyone perceives poetry differently. Thank you so much Sam!

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