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.
Request a quote
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.
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Mystery & Crime
Thriller & Suspense
Work experience
Editor
Self-employed
December, 2013
–
Present
(almost 8 years)
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 or vampire. 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 serial killer novels, for the same reason.
Portfolio (16 selected works)
Shoal Creek
Bledsoe, Lanny, Bledsoe, Lanny
Backwater Channel (Kurt Hunter Mysteries Book 2)
Becker, Steven
Ghosts - John Milton #4 (John Milton Series)
Mark Dawson
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 skills. So when he is arrested following a brawl in a Texas bar, the last person he expected to bail him out was a glamorous operative from t... read more
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 idea with whom he is dealing, and no idea how dangerous he is.But Milton is double crossed and badly injured. Unarmed and alone, he flee... read more
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 the Gulf Coast - with a debt of honor to repay. Isadora Bartholomew, who saved his partner's life, needs his help. Joel Babineaux, a rut... read more
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 box. But Bachman is no ordinary prisoner. He was an assassin for the Mossad, and he has favours to call in.Milton is in the Australian o... read more
The Agent (An Isabella Rose Thriller Book 3)
Mark Dawson
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, the prey see an opportunity to become the predators.Chased from the poverty of Mumbai’s slums into the sights of a sniper’s rifle amon... read more
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 dip into his case files, Milton is sent to Italy to investigate the death of a colleague from Group 15, the secret assassination squad t... read more
1,000 Yards: A John Milton Short Story
Mark Dawson
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. Milton is the man the government sends after you when everything else has failed. Ruthless. Brilliant. Anonymous. Lethal. You wouldn't pick... read more
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 ring, he’ll have to fight harder than ever to conquer the evil in his path. After Milton meets a refugee who lost a sister to people sm... read more
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 murder victim. And, unfortunately for him, Milton doesn’t remember a thing about the night before.Thrown into a gruesome Filipino prison, h... read more
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’t resist investigating.Milton uncovers a vicious drug kingpin and a group of crooked cops from a notorious precinct known as “The Alamo.... read more
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 Fabian. Fabian confesses that he is considering suicide, and that the reason for his depression was the abuse that he suffered as a child. M... read more
Edmund has 77 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Edmund Pickett is an outstanding editor, and he delivered everything that he said he would, as promised. He was tough, brutally honest, and gave outstanding advice for the project I had him review. Although I was able to apply that advice to other stories in my series, I will be using him again in a couple of months to review another book, and one after that. He has taught me many things, th...
Read more
Mike Campbell, October 2021
I have had Edmund work with me on five books and I would never have been able to do it without him. He has been helpful at guiding me through every step. I could never have asked anyone to be more professional. Its been a pleasure to work with him.
Lanny Bledsoe, October 2021
Edmund's brutal honesty is exactly what I needed for my first novel. He completed the project in the scheduled timeframe. The documents he provided were detailed, yet concise, and objective. I have a lot of work ahead, but I know I will be a better writer in the end. I will definitely request Edmund's services again in the future.
Dan Kuhns, September 2021
I think he once said his editing was described by one writer as 'brutal' . I'd go with that. If you want a no holds barred critique, Edmund is your man. Constructive criticism personified.
Kerry Costello, August 2021
I was very pleased with Edmund's developmental edit of my first novel. He was thorough, on time and as expected and hoped for, his comments were honest. One thing to note regarding Edmund's work is that he provides you with a comprehensive report on his edits in addition to going into your document and making comments. As a value added, he also undertook a serious copy edit of my work. This was...
Read more
Ryan Flannagan, July 2021
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Rachel Rayner
Crime thriller and historical fiction specialist with 10+ years' editing experience at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins
Zürich, Switzerland
David Larkin
A diligent, conscientious editor who enjoys helping writers develop their voice and getting the words right.
Beaufort, SC, USA
