Harriet Wade, Editor in London, UK

Overview

Over the last decade I have had the pleasure of working in both literary indie presses and Big 5 corporate publishers. I specialise in developing and nurturing an author’s creative voice while applying a data-led lens to the book's place in a competitive landscape.

I have acquired and edited over a hundred books across most genres, including award winners, bestsellers, and cult favourites with devoted fans. Selected highlights include John Vercher’s Three-Fifths (a Sunday Times, FT, and Guardian Book of the Year), bestselling book club fiction series from Ann O'Loughlin, WW2 fiction from Catherine Hokin and cozy crime from Katie Gayle, and award-winning translated fiction from Sarah Blau, Paula Rodríguez, and Yulia Yakovleva. I edited 'How We Disappeared' by Jing-Jing Lee which was longlisted for the Womens Prize, and worked on 'Frankenstein in Baghdad' by Ahmed Saadawi, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.

Whether you’re aiming for a literary prize or a commercial bestseller, I offer support across the entire journey — from early concept development and meticulous editing to strategic guidance on the path to publication. My goal is to provide the thoughtful editorial support and market-led insight needed to bring a project to life.

Services

Developmental Editing

Editorial Assessment

Query Letter Review

Book Coaching

Fiction

Contemporary Fiction Contemporary Romance Cozy Mysteries Historical Fiction Historical Mysteries Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller Women's Fiction

Languages

English (AUS) English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Certifications

University of Cambridge, MA

Work experience

Commissioning Editor

Bookouture, Hachette

Jan, 2023 — Present

As a Commissioning Editor, I acquire and publish books across all commercial fiction genres, including historical, crime, saga, and romance. Having guided dozens of authors from early concept to publication, I provide rigorous developmental, structural, and line edits tailored for both Kindle Unlimited and all retailers. My experience also includes IP creation and repackaging existing novels to find new life in the market. I work closely with self-published authors, providing the industry expertise needed to elevate concepts and ensure commercially focused results. Many of my authors have built successful, long-running series with growing readerships and consistent 4+ star ratings. My projects have reached the Amazon Top 100 in the UK and US (in both the main fiction chart and the subcategory charts), driving significant daily KU page reads and transforming revenue streams for the authors I publish.

Commissioning Editor

Pushkin Press

Jun, 2019 — Dec, 2022 (over 3 years)

I headed up the crime fiction imprint at indie literary Pushkin Press, which has a focus on translated and literary crime fiction. In my time at Pushkin, I also published English language crime fiction and literary fiction. My remit involved meeting with agents, developing relationships with publishers around the world, attending book fairs, acquiring, editing and setting the strategy for the list. While at Pushkin, I published a list where 50% of titles were featured as Guardian Books of the Month. This period saw the imprint twice nominated for CWA Imprint of the Year, complemented by a CWA John Creasey Dagger shortlisting for one of my lead titles.

Editor

Oneworld Publications

Mar, 2017 — Jun, 2019 (over 2 years)

During my time at Oneworld Publications – a double Booker Prize-winning independent – I worked across their prestigious crime, literary, non-fiction, and children's lists. I worked on books from authors including Junot Díaz, Tayari Jones, Clementine Ford, Jaco Jacobs and Will Dean. I identified high-potential submissions, championed them through the rigorous acquisition process, and provided in-depth editorial feedback. My work in non-fiction was broad, spanning complex subjects from global politics and mathematics to memoir and history. I developed a sharp eye for commercial viability, ensuring every book was positioned to compete on the shelves of Waterstones, Foyles, and WHSmith.

Portfolio