Eve Hall

Eve Hall – Editor

Previously Editorial Director for Hodder and Stoughton, at Penguin before that, I'm a fiction editor and author with lots of experience.

Overview

I’ve worked for the two largest publishing houses in the UK – Penguin Random House and Hachette. Until late 2021 I was Editorial Director for Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hachette, and am now a freelance fiction editor, an author, and also I lecture about editing at Oxford Brookes University. I have a thriller being published in 2024 (Harper Collins) and a mystery series beginning in 2025 (Bonnier), both under different pen names.


I've worked with internationally bestselling authors and edited some of the biggest names in fiction today, as well as working with breakout debut writers. My experience is in commercial fiction – those novels that hit the bestseller charts. I’m not snobby, there can be brilliant novels in any genre and there are books that I love across the spectrum. I'm particularly experienced in the crime & thriller genre.


My experience means that I see hundreds of unpublished manuscripts from hopeful authors. I know what a book needs to stand out. I take great pleasure in helping authors to pull out what makes their book unique, to work on characters until they feel wholly real to the reader, to make sure that the pace zips along and that the book starts with a bang and has an ending that leaves you reeling.


Editing is a partnership. It is about trust, honesty, and respect. Everything from me will be a suggestion and, hopefully, restart your own creative flow. I will offer as much constructive criticism and suggestions for how to improve as I can, but, at the end of the day, I know it is your novel and will never push for something that you don’t agree with. It’s a brilliant job, I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Reading is important to me – as it probably is to you – and helping someone create art is a privilege.


I can help you perfect your query letter or submission package, work with you to do a structural edit, or dive into a line edit. If this sounds like a foreign language – just ask and I’ll explain what it all means. I’m very happy to chat it all through before you make your decision.

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Contemporary Romance Cozy Mysteries Horror Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Copy-Editing, The Publishing Training Centre
  • Creative Copywriting, Penguin Random House
  • Proofreading, The Publishing Training Centre
  • Creative Copywriting, The Publishing Training Centre

Work experience

Self-employed

Sep, 2021 — Present

Running an Editorial Consultancy agency focusing on helping unsigned authors reach their potential.

Hodder & Stoughton, Hachette

Nov, 2020 — Sep, 2021 (10 months)

Editorial Director of Crime and Thriller

Hodder & Stoughton, Hachette

May, 2019 — Nov, 2020 (over 1 year)

Hodder & Stoughton, Hachette

Jan, 2018 — May, 2019 (over 1 year)

Penguin Random House

Sep, 2016 — Dec, 2017 (about 1 year)

Working across Crime & Thriller, Women's Fiction and Reading Group Fiction. I worked with names such as Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, Gillian McAllister and Claire Douglas.

Penguin Random House

May, 2016 — Sep, 2016 (4 months)

Penguin Random House

Jan, 2015 — May, 2016 (over 1 year)

Portfolio

The Chalk Man

C. J. Tudor

“Want to read something good?. . . If you like my stuff, you’ll like this.”—Stephen King • WINNER OF THE ITW THRILLER AWARD • WINNER OF THE STRAND MAGAZINE AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT NOVELA riveting psychological suspense debut that weaves a mystery about a childhoo... read more
Seventeen

John Brownlow

You'll never know my name.But you won't forget my number.Behind the events you know are the killers you don’t. When diplomacy fails, we're the ones who gear up. Officially we don’t exist, but every government in the world uses our services. We’ve been saving t... read more
WAKE

Shelley Burr

"Politically savvy, cleverly plotted...the kind of book that invites the ravenous language of binge reading: compulsive, propulsive, addictive."--New York Times Book ReviewFor fans of Jane Harper’s The Dry or Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, a searing debut crim... read more
The Pharmacist

Rachelle Atalla

The bunker is a place of safety.Wolfe is the bunker's resident pharmacist. While the inhabitants wait for the outside world to heal, she doles out ibuprofen, sanitary towels and Xanax - all under the watchful eye of the increasingly erratic and paranoid leader... read more
The Bomb Girls

Daisy Styles

On an ordinary day in 1941, a letter arrives on the doormats of five young women, a letter which will change everything.Lillian is distraught. And whether she tears, hides or burns the letter the words remain the same - she must register for compulsory war wor... read more
Cosy up this Christmas with this festive wartime story that fans of Lesley Pearse, Maggie Hope and Dilly Court will love . . . 'An absolute joy to read' Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Homefront Girls'It made me smile and it made me cry' 5*... read more
Sins As Scarlet

Nicolás Obregón

'In the heady tradition of Raymond Chandler and Michael Connelly' A. J. Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window_____________Former homicide detective Kosuke Iwata is on the run from his past . . . Five years ago, he lost his family. Now he may have... read more
The Killing Choice

Will Shindler

Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month, one of The Times Best Crime Novels of 2021, The Sunday Times Crime Club Book of the Week, one of The Times best books to read this summer and one of the Observers thrillers of the month.'Riveting . . . Shindler's second no... read more
The Safe Place

Anna Downes

NO PHONESNO OUTSIDERSNO ESCAPE'An exciting and compelling new voice, Anna Downes' The Safe Place is a very accomplished debut' B.A. Paris, Sunday Times bestselling author of The DilemmaRated 4.5 * on NetGalley, this international bestseller is perfect for fans... read more
Girl Unknown

Karen Perry

The ADDICTIVE THRILLER perfect for fans of Fiona Barton's The Child and Lisa Jewell's Then She Was Gone.________'I think you might be my father . . .'Zoe Barry walks into Professor David Connelly's office and tentatively says these words.The lives of his famil... read more
The Colours of Death

Patricia Marques

'Breathtakingly original, and a captivating sense of place' Val McDermid, bestselling author of Still Life'Compelling and original, this glints with freshness' Daily Mail 'A brilliantly inventive and twisty tale' Claire McGowan, bestselling author of The Push'... read more
The Place We Met

Isabelle Broom

Fall in love with the romantic shores of Lake Como, Italy in this dazzling story about new beginnings'Fresh, intelligent, sparklingly escapist' Sunday MirrorLake Como, Italy, New Year's Eve. The perfect place to fall in love? Or the perfect place for everythin... read more
Call to Kill

Billy Billingham

THE FIRST IN A BRAND NEW SERIES FROM SAS: WHO DARES WINS STAR.A country in turmoil. A rescue mission gone wrong. A hero unlike any other fighting to save a broken world. Matt 'Mace' Mason is deployed on a deniable SAS mission in war-torn Yemen, becoming embroi... read more
The Break

Marian Keyes

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GROWN UPS, MARIAN KEYES'JUST BRILLIANT' SUNDAY TIMES___________'Myself and Hugh . . . We're taking a break.''A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?'If only.Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't le... read more
Anything You Do Say

Gillian McAllister

Would you run, or stay and call an ambulance, if it was you that pushed him?'A terrific premise, delivered with panache' CLARE MACKINTOSH'Dark and intense . . . an exhilarating, hold-your-breath read!' PrimaIt's the end of the night. You're walking home on you... read more
The Burning Men

Will Shindler

'AN UNMISSABLE DEBUT' Sunday Express Magazine'A GRIPPING DEBUT (...) YOU WON'T WANT IT TO END' HeatTHE FIRST IN A PHENOMENAL NEW SERIES FEATURING DI ALEX FINN AND DC MATTIE PAULSEN.Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Peter Robinson.When a deve... read more

Eve has 42 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

John Y.

John Y.

Aug, 2023

I can't overestimate the importance of having work edited well. Eve engaged with my MS immediately and clearly understood the characters and plot. I was particularly impressed with Eve's perception and attention to detail. I find that editing spots errors, indicates plot and time line problems, gives a framework for revision, suggests amendments which can be rejected/accepted - but more likely ...
Read more
Dan M.

Dan M.

Jul, 2023

Working with Eve is the best investment in your writing you'll ever make. She doesn't just see the book you send her but the novel it could become. Her suggestions and advice were insightful and at times challenging but took my work to a whole new level. I can't imagine writing anything else and not wanting to work with her
Mary H.

Mary H.

Jul, 2023

Eve provided a thorough and very helpful developmental edit for my novel which will help me greatly in preparing it to be the best it possibly can be. She was also quite quick in turning around the edits, which I really appreciated. She is also open to questions as I work through the editorial notes and dive into another edit of the story.
Eve H.
Thanks so much Mary! It was lovely to work with you and I wish you the best of luck with it all!
Robert James G.

Robert James G.

Jun, 2023

Eve was a joy to work with and exceeded my expectations in terms of advice, warning of minefields and guidance.
Monica W.

Monica W.

May, 2023

Eve was a pleasure to work with. Her developmental and copy edit was invaluable. She was extremely thorough, honest and encouraging and spotted plot holes and inconsistencies I'd overlooked. My manuscript has substantially improved thanks to Eve's input. Highly recommend!
Eve H.
Thank you Monica :)

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