Christopher Shevlin

Christopher Shevlin – Editor

I'm a developmental editor specialising in comedy. As a successful comic novelist, I know just what you need. And I’m friendly and thorough.

Overview

My philosophy is this: to be successful, a book has to be loved.


Books sell when people recommend them, and people only recommend books they love. To be loved, a book has to be perfectly itself. It needs to be its own thing, obey its own laws, and perhaps even have its own characteristic flaws.


As a writer, it’s easy to become blind to what your book really is. It helps a lot to have someone who can tell you: someone who can point out where it’s being itself, where it isn’t, and what you can do to cut away the things that aren’t right.


As a novelist, I’ve been lucky to find editors who have done that.


My first editor was my future self. Unfortunately, I had to wait ten years to get his feedback. In those ten years, I got a lot of experience as a professional writer and editor. When I returned to the book, I read it with fresh eyes and saw exactly what it should be and where it was failing. I wrote myself an editor’s report, with a plan for a new draft.


That new draft got me signed by Curtis Brown, the literary agency. My agent there was my second editor. Her notes conveyed her experience of reading my book, chapter by chapter. It was wonderful seeing into a reader’s mind like that. The changes she recommended weren’t huge, but they made a big difference.


She didn’t manage to find me a publisher, because (as she’d warned me) publishers hate comic fiction. But by then self-publishing was an option. I put my book out and people started to find, read and recommend it. Since then I’ve sold over 80,000 copies of my fiction, and it’s been my main source of income, fulfilling a childhood ambition.


My current editor is Scott Pack (also on Reedsy and highly recommended). He gives me a comprehensive report, telling me his reactions, chapter by chapter, as well as what needs doing overall. Sometimes he recommends quite big changes, other times very little.


So, there we are. I know what I need as a writer and what I want as a reader, and that tells me how to be a helpful editor. I’ve been a professional novelist for getting on for ten years, and have been a professional writer, editor, writing trainer and coach for over twenty years. I’ve had non-fiction books published by Penguin, have had journalism published in the Financial Times, and have run a Guardian Masterclass in self-publishing.


“Fantastic, exactly what I needed. Everything in his report made absolute sense to me, and his suggestions were exactly what the story needed. I'm now very excited about going back to it and bringing it together.”

Bowen Revill, author of THE END OF THE STREET


I provide:

- a Zoom call before and after

- line-by-line notes on your manuscript

- a report with chapter notes, overall thoughts, and a plan for the new draft

Services
Fiction
Humor & Comedy
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Short- and long-listed for the Bath Novel Award

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2012 — Present

I've written three novels starring the loveable but slightly useless Jonathon Fairfax, and the inadvertent chaos he creates. The first was described as 'a comic gem' by Stylist, the Guardian said 'You can't help being tickled', and Metro said it was 'absurd and engaging'.

Self-employed

Jan, 2004 — Present

I wrote Writing For Business, and A Simple Guide To Email – both published by Penguin.

Self-employed

Jan, 2003 — Present

I've done everything from coaching the comms manager of a big bank to inventing a giant outdoor board game for an international development agency. I've also edited and consulted on all sorts of publications, including reports for the World Health Organization and the UN.

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