Edmund Pickett

Edmund Pickett – Editor

I'm from the Rocky Mountain west. I've edited ten best selling thrillers, all for the same author. Now I'd like to help you.

Overview

I'm a novelist who got into editing accidentally and discovered that I liked it. I enjoyed the first two Mark Dawson thrillers I read but the next one seemed to have editing problems so I wrote him a long email. Instead of ignoring me, he offered me a job. That was about ten books ago. Besides writing my own thrillers and editing Mark's, I read a ton of thrillers by other authors (thank you, BookBub!) so I know the market and I know all the errors that can rob your plot of suspense and your prose of polish. I love sentences that flow and characters who are unpredictable. I can offer developmental editing in the early drafts, and copy editing for the final manuscript. I have non-literary experience that comes in handy in the thriller world also. I was born and raised in Wyoming and worked outdoors in Alaska for many years, so I know horses, trucks, firearms and explosives. My own writing is available on Amazon. Currently I divide my time between the Andes mountains of Argentina and the highlands of Mexico.
Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Mystery & Crime Thriller & Suspense
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs History
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Dec, 2013 — Present

As an editor I have had only one client, Mark Dawson. I have found that I enjoy editing. It's a good change of pace from my own writing and I always learn something. Since Mark writes thrillers and so do I, that is my area of concentration. Since I began to work for Mark I've found that I now think like an editor when writing my own books and also when reading other writers. I also keep in touch with the market by reading any new thriller author I can find. Best sellers, indies, newbies and wannabes, I read them all, so I can help you avoid the usual errors.
My focus in developmental editing is plot, characters, setting, continuity and pacing. I won't let you pad a chapter to make your daily word count. In copy editing, I'm hell on confusing fight scenes, mixed metaphors, unclear pronoun antecedents, and revolvers with safeties. I can help to make your action scenes addictive and your characters memorable. Note: Time passes and I've now worked with almost a hundred authors through Reedsy. Fifty-two of them have left reviews of me and you can read them by scrolling down. NOTE--there are several genres that I do not edit: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, supernatural, zombie, vampire or serial killer novels. I don't read those genres for pleasure so I don't think I would be the best choice to edit them. I also do not work on novels written in the present tense.

Portfolio

Straight Shot (Tom Keeler Book 1)

Lively, J.

Quiet Victory: The secret war against modern fascism (The Jackson series Book 1)

Bocks, M.

Backwater Channel (Kurt Hunter Mysteries Book 2)

Becker, S.

The Long Patrol: World War II Novel (164th Regiment Book 1)

Glatte, C.

Shoal Creek

Bledsoe, L.

The Ninth Step - John Milton #8 (John Milton Series)

Mark D.

John Milton is a former assassin for the British government. He is a ronin, trying to atone for his past sins by offering his services to those people who have no-one else to whom they can turn.Milton is keeping a low profile in London when he meets Eddie Fabi... read more
The Alamo - John Milton #11 (John Milton Thrillers)

Mark D.

New York isn’t ready for Britain’s most dangerous ex-assassin…John Milton has finally found a place to escape the bloodshed: off-season Coney Island. No tourists. No special ops. Just peace and quiet. But when a local boy witnesses a grisly murder, Milton can’... read more
Blackout - John Milton #10 (John Milton Thrillers)

Mark D.

An offer he couldn't refuse. A murder he can’t remember…John Milton’s life is about to change. The former government assassin follows a lead to Manila that he hopes will change his life. But he never expected to wake up in an unfamiliar hotel room beside a mur... read more
The Jungle - John Milton #9 (John Milton Thrillers)

Mark D.

An assassin haunted by his past. Two young refugees out of their depth and in need of his special talents.John Milton is no stranger to the world’s seedy underbelly. But when the former British Secret Service agent comes up against a ruthless human trafficking... read more
1,000 Yards: A John Milton Short Story

Mark D.

From Amazon number-one best-selling author Mark Dawson, this novella is an introduction to John Milton, the most dangerous assassin in the pay of Her Majesty's government. Meet John Milton. He considers himself an artisan. A craftsman. His trade is murder. Mil... read more
Tarantula: A John Milton Novella (John Milton Series)

Mark D.

Meet John Milton. He considers himself an artisan. A craftsman. His trade is murder. Milton is the man the government sends after you when everything else has failed. You wouldn't pick him out of a crowd but you wouldn't want to be on his list. In this second ... read more
The Agent (An Isabella Rose Thriller Book 3)

Mark D.

Isabella Rose is on the run, hunted by the very people she had been hired to work for. Trained killer Isabella and former handler Michael Pope are forced into hiding in India and, when a mysterious informer passes them clues on the whereabouts of Pope’s family... read more
Headhunters - John Milton #7 (John Milton Series)

Mark D.

Bury your enemies, and bury them deep. John Milton thought he was done with Avi Bachman. The most dangerous man he's ever known has been incarcerated in Angola, the brutal Louisiana prison. Inmates rarely leave Angola. Once you go in, the only way out is in a ... read more
Salvation Row - John Milton #6 (John Milton Series)

Mark D.

John Milton is trying to make amends for a career spent killing for the British Secret Service. He has a burning need to right wrongs - and rewrite his own bloody past.He finds himself in Louisiana - the Big Sleazy, the bayou, and the post-Katrina wreckage of ... read more
The Sword of God - John Milton #5 (John Milton Series)

Mark D.

A man called Milton walks into town… On the run from his own demons, John Milton treks through the Michigan wilderness into the town of Truth. He’s not looking for trouble, but trouble's looking for him. He finds himself up against a small-town cop who has no ... read more
Ghosts - John Milton #4 (John Milton Series)

Mark D.

John Milton is a ghost. He was Number One. The most dangerous assassin in Group Fifteen, the black-ops organisation that solves problems when diplomacy has failed. Now Milton is Her Majesty’s most wanted fugitive – an anonymous loner with a deadly set of skill... read more

Edmund has 103 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

William C.

William C.

Apr, 2023

I was looking for an editor to review a novel that I thought was largely done. Edmund proved to be exactly what I was looking for. He has a keen ear for what works and doesn't work, as well as an exceptional eye for typos and minor grammatical improvements, which he threw in for free! He cautioned me upfront that he could be harsh, but I would say that he was a little overboard in that self-des...
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corry P.

corry P.

Apr, 2023

Edmund has edited two novels for me. He is excellent. Both books benefited tremendously from his developmental editing. Will work with him on all of my books going forward.
Lanny B.

Lanny B.

Feb, 2023

I've worked with Edmund on eight books. I knew nothing about publishing when I began, and he led me all the way through. It has been a pleasure to work with him in every way. At times he was the drill sergeant, which he needed to be.
Joseph W.

Joseph W.

Jan, 2023

Edmund is everything you look for in an editor. He's easy to work with and his comments are always valid. I plan on continuing to work with him for all of my subsequent novels.
Steve H.

Steve H.

Jan, 2023

For a first time author, Edmund was amazing. He did an amazing job of keeping me on "task". As a developmental editor he made me look at each character individually, think about how they should behave and then made sure I kept to that decision throughout the book. He was amazing at seeing the "tiny details" that I otherwise missed. As much as I hated to see "Not sure this is right...." Every...
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