Katie Brown - Editor
Fiction editor with ten years' experience in publishing. Passionate about story-telling. I will help you bring out the best in your book.
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Overview
I am editorial director for a major UK publisher. I have worked in the publishing industry for over ten years.
I am obsessed with story-telling; the theory of stories and why we tell them, the 'rules' of story (and why it is important to know when to break those rules), and what makes a story satisfying for a reader. I specialise in honing the structure and plot of a novel: the most important part (alongside good writing!) and what agents will be concerned with when considering the marketability of a book. I offer manuscript development services, including structural feedback, line-editing, manuscript margin comments and, in some cases, mentoring and brainstorming sessions.
I have published a stellar list of commercial, genre and reading group novels which have achieved commercial and critical success. My authors have been Sunday Times, New York Times and Amazon bestsellers, nominated for awards including the Women's Prize and the Costa First Novel Award, and chosen for retail promotions such as Waterstones Book of the Month.
I love working closely with authors on structural and line edits, and I am always conscious of marking what I love in a manuscript as well as providing constructive feedback. As a former commissioning editor, I have a good commercial eye and an extensive awareness of the market, which I can feed into any books I am working on, and my experience extends from aiding authors plotting out their novel right through to final proofread. I am a warm, thoughtful and conscientious editor who is willing to go above and beyond for my authors to help them make their book the best it can be.
I have a broad range of interests and experience working on fiction (novels, novellas or short stories), and I can help writers in the following genres:
- Crime and thriller
- Contemporary
- Historical / time-slip
- Speculative / magic-realism (upmarket/ literary)
- Book club
- Children's books (MG + only)
As well as my editorial services, I can provide feedback on synopses and pitches and help you with query letters to agents and publishers.
Finally, I am passionate about improving inclusion and representation in publishing and have been working particularly on promoting socio-economic and regional diversity within the industry.
I am obsessed with story-telling; the theory of stories and why we tell them, the 'rules' of story (and why it is important to know when to break those rules), and what makes a story satisfying for a reader. I specialise in honing the structure and plot of a novel: the most important part (alongside good writing!) and what agents will be concerned with when considering the marketability of a book. I offer manuscript development services, including structural feedback, line-editing, manuscript margin comments and, in some cases, mentoring and brainstorming sessions.
I have published a stellar list of commercial, genre and reading group novels which have achieved commercial and critical success. My authors have been Sunday Times, New York Times and Amazon bestsellers, nominated for awards including the Women's Prize and the Costa First Novel Award, and chosen for retail promotions such as Waterstones Book of the Month.
I love working closely with authors on structural and line edits, and I am always conscious of marking what I love in a manuscript as well as providing constructive feedback. As a former commissioning editor, I have a good commercial eye and an extensive awareness of the market, which I can feed into any books I am working on, and my experience extends from aiding authors plotting out their novel right through to final proofread. I am a warm, thoughtful and conscientious editor who is willing to go above and beyond for my authors to help them make their book the best it can be.
I have a broad range of interests and experience working on fiction (novels, novellas or short stories), and I can help writers in the following genres:
- Crime and thriller
- Contemporary
- Historical / time-slip
- Speculative / magic-realism (upmarket/ literary)
- Book club
- Children's books (MG + only)
As well as my editorial services, I can provide feedback on synopses and pitches and help you with query letters to agents and publishers.
Finally, I am passionate about improving inclusion and representation in publishing and have been working particularly on promoting socio-economic and regional diversity within the industry.
Languages
English (UK)
Fiction
Dystopian
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Romance
Thriller & Suspense
Women's Fiction
Young Adult
Certifications
- Copy-editing (The Publishing Training Centre)
- Proofreading (The Publishing Training Centre)
Awards
- PPC Quarterly Award Best Publicity Campaign
Work experience
Senior Commissioning Editor
Orion Publishing Group
January, 2018
–
Present
(about 5 years)
I acquire and publish commercial and book club fiction for Trapeze, an imprint that specialises in books that start conversations. Trapeze was shortlisted for imprint of the year at the British Book Awards 2019. My role includes:
- Working with authors on developing their manuscript, providing detailed editorial notes and line edits to help them make their book the best version of itself it possibly can be
- Developing and leading the fiction strategy for Trapeze, working towards turnover targets
- Building our fiction output by bringing in established talent and developing new authors
- Developing brand partnerships, IP and collaborative projects
- Working with the digital teams on eBook and audio strategy for the imprint
- Negotiating, pitching and making prospective approaches
- Copy-writing, metadata and blurb optimisation
Senior Publicity Manager
Headline Publishing Group
January, 2016
–
January, 2018
(about 2 years)
I worked across all of our imprints on individual campaigns while being involved with the overall strategy for our more literary imprint, Tinder Press. I managed brand authors including Neil Gaiman, Sarah Winman, Jill Mansell and Mary Berry. I spearheaded an award-winning campaign for One Pound Meals, one of the bestselling cookery debuts of 2017, and my campaign for Sarah Winman’s Tin Man came highly commended at the annual PPC Awards.
Senior Campaigns Executive
Riot Communications
January, 2013
–
January, 2016
(about 3 years)
My role included:
- Developing traditional and digital campaign strategies
- Writing publicity plans, press releases, campaign updates, internal updates, digital strategies and evaluations
- Selling in news stories and feature ideas to the media
Editor
Sweet & Maxwell
January, 2012
–
January, 2013
(about 1 year)
I managed five legal titles while working within the legal and academic publishing branch of Thomson Reuters; I was responsible for copyediting and proofreading three of the titles, while project managing the freelancers on the other two. My role also involved liaising with the authors, publishing editors and production controllers to ensure deadlines were met, high standards were maintained, and projects were delivered within budget.
I also spent some time within the marketing team: I created, edited and proofread collateral for both digital and print titles.
Portfolio (9 selected works)
Queenie
Candice Carty-Williams
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION'Hilarious, compelling, painful, enlightening, honest. I loved it' - Dolly Alderton'Brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking' - Jojo Moyes'A deliciously funny, characterful, topical and thrilling novel for our times' - Bernardine Evaristo, WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZEMeet Queenie... read more
The Girl He Used to Know: A Novel
Garvis Graves, Tracey
Somewhere Close to Happy
Lia Louis
'A wonderfully written, funny and moving debut with an intriguing mystery at its heart... Unforgettable.' - Sunday Times bestselling author, Claire DouglasLizzie James is happy. She has a steady office job (with a steady stream of snacks), has had the same best friend since school, and she sees her family every Thursday night for take-away and trashy TV. Lizzie likes her uncomplicated life. Th... read more
A Mother's Journey
Donna Douglas
FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR A dramatic new saga series, set during World War II, from the author of THE NIGHTINGALE GIRLSYorkshire, 1940. Edie Copeland has just arrived on Jubilee Row, carrying a suitcase and a secret.She left York and her job at the Rowntrees Factory after tragedy struck to make a fresh start, but she's a stranger to this street, and her fellow tenant doesn't hes... read more
The Mothers
Sarah J. Naughton
'Original and stylish... will keep you guessing to the last page' - SHARON BOLTON'A meticulously plotted exploration of friendship, foe-ship and the lies that bind, which builds to a gripping and powerful conclusion' - CARA HUNTERFive Women.They meet at their NCT Group. The only thing they have in common is they're all pregnant.Five Secrets. Three years later, they are all good friends. Aren't... read more
Christmas at Emmerdale
Pamela Bell
A wonderful Christmas gift for fans of ITV's Emmerdale and readers who love heartwarming and heartbreaking stories set in wartime.August 1914, and a terrible war begins, one that will affect the lives of everyone in the village of Beckindale. For Maggie Sugden, left to run Emmerdale Farm on her own while her husband, Joe, is at the front, it will bring grief and loss but also independence and ... read more
The Matchmaker
Innes, Catriona
The Woman Inside: A Novel
Scott, E. G.
The Wreckage
Morgan-Bentley, Robin
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