Carl Smith – Editor

‘You are a fantastic editor – honestly, the best I've ever had’ – New York Times bestselling author, Teresa Messineo

'You are also a top-notch editor and I learned a lot from you' – Anthony and Agatha Award-winner, Elaine Viets

'Imaginative, collaborative, good-natured and eagle-eyed, Carl has that invaluable set of skills that make him the perfect editorial accomplice' – Agatha, Anthony, Lefty and Macavity Award-winning author, Catriona McPherson

‘You made my books better, and made me look smarter in the process – a pretty heavy lift. Working with you has been a joy’ – Shamus and International Thriller Award-nominated author, Gwen Florio

I’ve developmentally edited commercial fiction published in the UK and US for Canongate Books, Severn House, Bloomsbury and Lume Books. I’ve collaborated with Agatha, Macavity, Left Coast Crime and Edgar Award-winning authors, New York Times bestselling authors, and first-time authors across crime, thrillers, horror, YA and more.

When editing fiction I analyse pacing, structure, plot points, character development, and writing and narrative style. I do this via Microsoft Word’s track changes feature. I like to educate authors on the choices they make and how or why they are – or aren’t – effective. If we worked together, that’s what I’d do that for you.

I pride myself on creating harmonious working relationships with my authors and believe in accentuating the positives just as much as highlighting the aspects I think could be developed further. You'll have put your all into your writing, and you deserve an editor willing to do the same.