Ian Harper

Ian Harper – Editor

I’m drawn to cinematic action/adventure thrillers. If your pitch sounds like an Indiana Jones movie, then I’d love to hear from you!

Overview

Over the last twenty years, I have worked with award-winning screenwriters, bestselling authors, undiscovered novelists, and first-time scribblers. I have worked in comedy, mystery, science fiction, religious suspense, and even erotica, with a particular focus on action/adventure thrillers. Any globetrotting quest with unique characters, witty dialogue, and intriguing locations will definitely pique my interest.

If you’re looking for an editor who can guarantee your success, I’m not your guy. The literary world has been good to me, but it has yet to reveal all of its secrets. However, if you’re searching for an editor who will help refine your story while respecting your vision and your voice, then I hope to hear from you. Together, we’ll try to find the best possible version of your story.

Whatever you decide, here’s the best advice I can offer: no matter where this journey takes you, keep writing!

Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Historical Mysteries Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2011 — Present
As a freelance editor I have reviewed literary manuscripts and feature film scripts across numerous genres. My services include assisting with story/character development, revising manuscript/script structure and grammar, and consulting on publishing options.

Chris Kuzneski (best-selling author)

May, 2006 — Present
As Chris Kuzneski's editor and legal consultant, I assisted in bringing numerous projects to market, including 13 Amazon bestsellers, 12 Sunday Times bestsellers, 2 New York Times bestsellers, and the 2016 ITW E-Book of the Year. I developed 50+ story concepts, revised 20+ manuscripts for structure and grammar, designed content layout for 10+ publications, created 100+ promotional images/videos, adapted 4 novels into feature film scripts, assessed publishing contracts and option agreements, and handled legal correspondence.

Craig Mazin (Emmy-winning writer/producer)

Jun, 2003 — Apr, 2006 (almost 3 years)
As the assistant to Craig Mazin, I participated in the story development for two #1 movies: Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4.

Ian has 13 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Bruce S.

Bruce S.

Aug, 2025

Pinned
Ian has brought his valuable perspective to my work. He has great attention to detail and was able to find the gaps and inconsistencies in the first portion of my manuscript and is now working on the remaining portion. I look forward to his comments and suggestions as I believe they will help me ...
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Kj C.

Kj C.

Apr, 2025

Pinned
Ian has been amazing to work with. We’re only halfway through edits but it’s already clear how much better the book is turning out. His attention to detail is impressive, and pushes the story in the right direction, and never makes it feel like it’s getting taken out of my hands. He’s also been ...
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Gaby M.

Gaby M.

Dec, 2023

Pinned
I recently had the pleasure of working with Ian, and I can honestly say it was an incredible experience. Ian's professionalism and expertise really stood out throughout our collaboration. He's an amazing developmental editor, and his meticulous attention to detail helped my story reach new levels...
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Andrew W.

Andrew W.

Apr, 2026

I worked with Ian on a developmental edit for the first segment of my novel, and the experience was very positive. His feedback was clear, insightful, and easy to apply, while fully respecting my voice and vision. He also identified deeper structural and stylistic patterns I hadn’t noticed, whic...
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Mark O.

Mark O.

Apr, 2026

Very smart... and very good at what he does. I'm rehiring him for more work.

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