Anna Barrett (née Hogarty)

Anna Barrett (née Hogarty) – Editor

Former literary agent; editor for the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency.

Overview

I’m a book editor and former literary agent with the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, one of the most prestigious agencies in London. With eleven years’ experience in the publishing industry, I work with writers at all stages of their journey: from discussing ideas and assessing projects in progress, to developmental editing and providing help with creating that all-important pitch.


I have worked for the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency (Literary Agent of the Year, 2018) for the past eight years, as in-house editor, as a part-time literary agent, and now as a freelance editor. Prior to this I worked at some of the UK’s top publishing houses including Penguin, John Murray, Hodder & Stoughton, Headline and Atlantic Books, where I saw a variety of titles through from acquisition to print.


As a freelance editor, I have worked additionally with HarperCollins/HQ, Macmillan, Little, Brown Book Group and Constable & Robinson.


While working in publishing, I have been professionally trained by the Publishing Training Centre in a wide range of editorial skills. I have also studied creative writing at City University, City Lit and as part of the Faber Academy's flagship six-month ‘Writing a Novel’ course. For my own writing, I am represented by Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann.


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Editorially, I specialise in commercial fiction: crime and thrillers, mystery, ‘up-lit’, historical fiction and book-club reads. I have been lucky enough to work with writers such as Gail Honeyman, Fiona Barton, Elizabeth Kay and Elizabeth Macneil on their novels ahead of their publishing deals. I love nothing more than finding a bright, new voice in fiction, an unusual premise you can’t wait to talk about, or a character that pulls you right in.


Another big passion of mine is yoga, which I teach on the side, and I have represented writers such as Katherine May, Mimi Kuo-Deemer, Michelle Elman, James Reeves and Gabrielle Brown on their publishing journeys. If you are writing inspirational non-fiction, or have a project in the ideas-for-living space, I might be the editor for you.


While most of my freelance editing centres on wider structural notes or help with query letters and agent-approach packages, I am experienced in line editing too. If you’d like to discuss working together, do get in touch with a brief. It would be lovely to hear from you.

Services
Non-Fiction
Health & Wellbeing Inspirational Nature Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Historical Fiction Mystery & Crime Psychological Thriller Women's Fiction
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Proofreading - Publishing Training Centre
  • Grappling with Grammar - Publishing Training Centre
  • Copywriting - Publishing Training Centre
  • Search Engine Optimisation - Publishing Training Centre
  • Copy-editing - Publishing Training Centre

Work experience

Self-employed

Aug, 2014 — Present

Freelance editor (and former literary agent) at the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency; Freelance editor for publishing houses including the Atlantic Books/Corvus, HarperCollins/HQ, Macmillan, Little, Brown Book Group and Constable & Robinson; Editor and book doctor; Copywriter for various brands; Yoga teacher (yin yoga and yoga nidra).

Atlantic Books

May, 2013 — Jul, 2014 (about 1 year)

Commissioned titles for a wide-ranging commercial-fiction list; wrote structural editorial notes for existing authors; worked on bestselling and debut books; devised copy for book jackets, websites and marketing material; wrote and copy-edited reading-group guides and book-club submission synopses; developed relationships with literary agents; received and responded to submissions for publication.

Headline Publishing Group

Feb, 2012 — Apr, 2013 (about 1 year)

Oversaw the production process for a large number of high-profile titles, from delivery of manuscript to final files; worked with bestselling authors including Karen Rose, Lisa Gardner and Deborah Harkness; wrote cover copy and reading-group discussion guides.

Hodder & Stoughton

Jul, 2011 — Jan, 2012 (7 months)

Researched and selected out-of-print classics to be published as paperback reissues and e-books; managed, updated and created content for the Saltyard Books website; additional tasks included: reading and commenting on proposals, developing flat plans for illustrated non-fiction titles, compiling offer memos, and writing copy, marketing sheets and cover briefs.

Penguin Books

Mar, 2011 — Jun, 2011 (3 months)

Undertook audience research, developed targeting plans and instigated partnership activity for various titles, drawing on experience from a previous career in advertising/marketing.

Portfolio

The Animals at Lockwood Manor

Jane Healey

Deeply gripping and darkly atmospheric, The Animals at Lockwood Manor is a tale of long-buried secrets and hidden desires by Jane Healey.Winner of the HWA Debut Crown Award 2020Some secrets are unspoken. Others are unspeakable . . .August 1939. As the Second W... read more
One Night With You

Laura Jane Williams

‘Sexy, fun and full of heart.’ Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare ‘A charming, uplifting contemporary romance – this is Laura Jane Williams at her best!’ Sophie Cousens, author of This Time Next Year ‘I have three words of advice: ADD TO CART.’ Hannah Doyle... read more
Lovestruck

Laura Jane Williams

This isn't one love story. It's two.Becca Calloway is calling it: she's ready for Mr Right, and she's ready now. She even goes as far as to hold a manifestation ceremony for him - and when she receives a text from her ex five minutes later, she knows it's a si... read more
And the Stars Were Burning Brightly

Danielle Jawando

An extraordinary novel about loss, understanding and the importance of speaking up when all you want to do is shut down. From an incredible new talent, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer Niven and Nikesh Shukla. Shortlisted for the Water... read more
Greenwich Park

Katherine Faulkner

Helen has it all...Daniel is the perfect husband.Rory is the perfect brother.Serena is the perfect sister-in-law.And Rachel? Rachel is the perfect nightmare.When Helen, finally pregnant after years of tragedy, attends her first antenatal class, she is expectin... read more
The House on the Lake

Nuala Ellwood

No matter how far you run . . .He's never far behind'Gripping, poignant' Rosamund Lupton'Eerily haunting' Jane Corry'I literally couldn't put it down' Emma Curtis__________________________________________Lisa needs to disappear. And her friend's rambling old h... read more
Wintering

Katherine May

How do you survive the ‘wintering’ phase of your life?Wintering, the dormant periods in our lives, the dark moments we endure – which can be brought about through myriad of ways; from the death of a loved one to a sudden change in circumstances or mental healt... read more
Beautiful Bad: A Novel

Ward, Annie

The Recovery of Rose Gold

Stephanie Wrobel

'SET TO BE NEXT YEAR'S BIGGEST THRILLER' StylistA chilling exploration into obsession, reconciliation and revenge in 2020's must-read novel.Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years.She thought she needed the feeding tube, the surgeries, the whe... read more
The Year of the Runaways

Sunjeev Sahota

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015'A brilliant and beautiful novel' Kamila Shamsie, Guardian'The Grapes of Wrath for the 21st century' Washington PostThe Year of the Runaways tells of the bold dreams and daily struggles of an unlikely family thrown toge... read more
The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

Beth Morrey

For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove, a life-affirming, deeply moving "coming-of-old" story, a celebration of how ordinary days are made extraordinary through friendship, family, and the power of forgiving yourself--at any ag... read more
The Lamplighters

Emma Stonex

They say we'll never know what happened to those men. They say the sea keeps its secrets . . . 'A mystery, a love story and a ghost story, all at once. I didn’t want it to end' - S J WatsonCornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles fr... read more
The Silent Treatment

Abbie Greaves

A lifetime of love. Six months of silence. One last chance: read the unique and moving Radio 2 Book Club pick, adored by readers and shortlisted for the RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year Award.An unforgettable novel about the power of love and the importanc... read more
Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter

Lizzie Pook

Picked as one of Stylist magazine's 'Fiction Books You Can't Miss in 2022' ‘Tense and vividly atmospheric, with a determined, independent heroine intent on the truth . . . beautifully written, unflinching and brimming with adventure’ - Jennifer Saint, bestsell... read more
Little Darlings

Melanie Golding

* * * THE SMASH NUMBER ONE EBOOK BESTELLER * * * ‘Atmospheric and very creepy’ The Guardian ‘Goosebump-inducing...Unforgettable’ Woman & Home ‘Unforgettable...there is something of Sylvia Plath in Lauren...One suspects that the real sorceress here is Golding, ... read more
How Do You Like Me Now?

Holly Bourne

'The most perceptive book I have ever read about the female interior' DOLLY ALDERTON'Identifiable, heart-breaking and wickedly funny. I'd say this is one of my favourite books of the year' GIOVANNA FLETCHER'Bourne holds a mirror up to contemporary aspiration' ... read more
The Whistling

Rebecca Netley

FEEL SHIVERS DOWN YOUR SPINE WITH THIS CHILLING AND GRIPPING GHOST STORY SET ON A FAR-FLUNG SCOTTISH ISLAND . . .'Wonderfully atmospheric, genuinely eerie' GUARDIAN'Gripping, chilling and very, very satisfying' DAILY MAIL'A ghost story that kept me guessing' S... read more
The Burning Girls

C. J. Tudor

THE MOST TERRIFYING BOOK YOU'LL READ THIS HALLOWEEN . . . THE RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK'SOME WRITERS HAVE IT, AND SOME DON'T, C.J. TUDOR HAS IT BIG TIME' LEE CHILD________When Rev Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo move to Chapel Croft, they're far from ... read more
The Push: A Novel

Audrain, Ashley

The Maid

Nita Prose

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center” (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart. “The reader comes to understand M... read more
The Hunting Party

Lucy Foley

*The brand new thriller from Lucy Foley – THE PARIS APARTMENT – is available to pre-order now* *The Sunday Times No.1 bestseller* NEW YEAR. OLD FRIENDS. IT’S A PARTY TO DIE FOR... New Year, the Loch Corrin Estate: in a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottis... read more
The Paris Apartment

Lucy Foley

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Told in rotating points of view, this Tilt-A-Whirl of a novel brims with jangly tension – an undeniably engrossing guessing game.” — Vogue"[A] clever, cliff-hanger-filled thriller." — PeopleFrom the New York Times bestselling a... read more
Another Life

Jodie Chapman

THE STUNNING AND DEVASTATING LOVE STORY ABOUT HOPE, SACRIFICE AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT FOREVER BIND US'A modern day Atonement meets David Nicholls. Beautifully written - I couldn't put it down' EMMA GANNON'Like if One Day had been written by Sally Rooney' 5***... read more
Seven Lies

Elizabeth Kay

The mesmerizing and unsettling debut thriller everyone will be talking about in 2020'One of the most interesting and compelling narrators I've ever encountered' SHARI LAPENA_______________ It all started with one little lie . . . Jane and Marnie have been inse... read more
The Doll Factory

Elizabeth Macneal

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER - AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB CHOICE 2019'A sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the TrainThe Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is the int... read more
The Widow

Fiona Barton

THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK'If you liked GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, you might want to pick up THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton. Engrossing. Suspenseful' Stephen KingWe've all seen him: the man - the mons... read more
The Chalk Man: 'If you like my stuff, you'll like this' STEPHEN KING

C. J. Tudor

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK THIS YEAR MAKE IT THIS ONE. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER . . . 'If you like my stuff, you'll like this' STEPHEN KING'Wonderfully creepy - like a cold blade on the back of your neck' LEE CHILD'A tense gripper with a leave-the-lights-on ... read more
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: Debut Sunday Times Bestseller and Costa First Novel Book Award winner 2017

Gail Honeyman

‘Funny, touching and unpredictable’ Jojo MoyesEleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to liveEleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two... read more
The Wreckage

Robin Morgan-Bentley

One fatal crashBen is driving on the motorway, on his usual commute to the school where he works. A day like any other, except for the crash.Two colliding worldsAdam has left his home for the last time. In his final despairing act, he jumps in front of Ben's c... read more
Xiu Yang: Self-Cultivation for a healthier, happier and more balanced life

Mimi Kuo-Deemer

For centuries, Chinese sages, rulers and spiritual seekers have embraced a simple yet powerful principle to enable them to live in harmony with the Source of nature and all life; the art of 'self-cultivation' or, xiu yang. Xiu yang works with the idea that we ... read more
The Hidden

Melanie Golding

Following her acclaimed debut Little Darlings, Melanie Golding's newest folkloric suspense is a spine-tingling twist on Celtic mythology.One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, author... read more
Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis: Nourishing Practices for Body, Mind and Spirit

Mimi Kuo-Deemer

Reduce stress, release pain and create whole body harmony with this practical introduction to Qigong and the yin/yang balance of Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese arts of 'movement meditation'. From reducing stress and improving posture to balance and general mobil... read more
The Book of Rest

James Reeves

How to find peace in a restless world, from the UK’s leading yoga nidra practitioners.We live in a restless society. Even the things we do to relax and restore ourselves have become competitive, often played out and packaged for social media. We’re on a consta... read more
The Echo Killing: A gripping debut crime thriller you won’t be able to put down!

Christi Daugherty

The most exciting new crime voice you’ll read this year!Fifteen years ago her mother’s killer got away. Has he finally struck again?MURDER SHOCKS PEACEFUL NEIGHBOURHOODA woman in her thirties. Found naked and stabbed on the kitchen floor. Discovered by her twe... read more
Revolver Road: A Harper McClain Mystery

Christi Daugherty

Crime reporter Harper McClain is back on the beat when a troubled musician vanishes in Christi Daugherty’s Revolver Road.Even in the chill of February, no place touches Harper McClain’s heart like Savannah. She should be walking beneath the historic city’s tow... read more
Pleesecakes

Joe Moruzzi

SMASH IT with the new stars of cheesecake! Joe and Brendon have reinvented the cheesecake for a new generation with their massively successful Pleesecakes. Their inventive toppings and out-of-this-world flavour combinations will have you drooling with anticipa... read more
Unfrazzle: The Easy Way To Reclaim Your Calm (The Truth About Stress & A Six-Step Plan)

Stephanie Lam

Do you feel more frazzled, and less rested, than ever before? Do you feel you’re always running to catch up, but never quite make it? Are you searching for a route back to your calmer self, without adding yet another thing to your to-do list?If you’d like to f... read more
Festival of Death

Laurence Anholt

Buddhism, love, art and murder - welcome to the world of the Mindful Detective . . .When Ethan Flynn, charismatic vocalist of supergroup Stigma, is electrocuted by his own guitar in front of 175,000 witnesses on the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival, s... read more
The Orchid Girls

Lesley Sanderson

‘By far the best book I have read in 2018!... A gripping, brilliant, have-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat-in-suspense psychological thriller! From the very first page I was enthralled and hooked... Kept me guessing... The ending will knock you square off of your ... read more
Art of Death

Laurence Anholt

'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler Buddhism, love, art and murder - welcome to the world of the Mindful DetectiveWhen a famously narcissisti... read more
Recipes for Melissa: The heartbreaking story of a mother's goodbye to her daughter

Teresa Driscoll

Is it ever too late for the gift of goodbye? As I write now, you are eight years old – asleep in the bed next door in princess pyjamas, with a fairy costume discarded on the floor. Twenty-Five. The age I had you. The age our story began. And the age, I hope, t... read more
I Will Make You Pay

Teresa Driscoll

Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the terror returns.It seems like an ordinary Wednesday, until the phone rings. A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next W... read more
Am I Ugly?

Michelle Elman

In today's world of supplements, celebrity diets and social media, it's very easy to be hard on ourselves about the way we look. With all this pressure to strive for 'perfection' aesthetically, it is easy to forget how damaging this can be psychologically. Mic... read more
The Santiago Sisters

Victoria Fox

They should have stayed as one. They couldn’t survive apart.It was fate, forever destined to come to this: from birth to death, two halves of the same whole.Twins Calida and Teresita Santiago have never known a world without each other…until Teresita is wrench... read more
The Children of Jocasta

Natalie Haynes

In The Children of Jocasta, Natalie Haynes retells the Oedipus and Antigone myths to reveal a new side of an ancient story . . .My siblings and I have grown up in a cursed house, children of cursed parents . . .Jocasta is just fifteen when she is told that she... read more

Anna has 100 reviews

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Value

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Robert C.

Robert C.

Dec, 2022

Anna is exceptional in every way as an editor—insightful, articulate, able with a fine intelligence. I believe she pinpointed precisely what my novel needed, which was no small task. I'd hire her again in a heartbeat. You can't go wrong. I recommend her wholeheartedly.
Poppy C.

Poppy C.

Sep, 2021

This is the second time I've worked with Anna and she was just as brilliant as last time. She really got under the skin of the book, understood the characters, and what I was trying to achieve. She was always very encouraging while also giving me solid suggestions on how to tie up loose ends and make different aspects more believable. Without a doubt, she has improved my novel massively and I s...
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davina B.

davina B.

Aug, 2021

I can't recommend Anna enough. She gave me very helpful, honest feedback - she picked up on my 'blind spots' and gave me a steer in the right direction (as to character and plot). I now feel that I'm on the right track - at this critical, final phase of my draft. Thank you Anna!
Bryan G.

Bryan G.

Aug, 2021

I'm very happy I selected to work with Anna - I would certainly recommend her to others.
Sarah W.

Sarah W.

May, 2021

Anna did a fantastic job and I'm so glad I trusted her with my project. Her report was extensively detailed and shows how thoroughly she delved into my manuscript. Her suggestions and insights are amazing and has made me excited to dive into revisions. Anna also made it clear that she was available for questions even after the work was completed which is very reassuring. She is also very prompt...
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