Overview
I am a co-founder and fiction editor of Blackwater Press, having previously worked as managing director of Ringwood Publishing. I have experience in seeing manuscripts of many genres from early stage to finished article, be it historical fiction, medical thrillers, academic journals, short story collections and more. Meticulous and thorough and savage when called for – always with love! Here are some real-life appraisals from authors I've worked with:
'In all my years as a writer, I've never had an editor as good as him.'
'His editing was outstanding.'
'I am very pleased with John's comments; he's inspired a rewrite.'
'Excellent as always!'
And they're real, I promise! More than happy to begin immediately with proofreading and line-by-line editing, but often the most useful thing for an author who wants to get published is to start with a manuscript assessment (redacted example below), and then move on to the in-text editing. There's no manuscript in the world that wouldn't benefit from a manuscript assessment. Of course, all editorial work is tailored to the unique requirements of the text. Just get in touch and we'll get cooking!
'In all my years as a writer, I've never had an editor as good as him.'
'His editing was outstanding.'
'I am very pleased with John's comments; he's inspired a rewrite.'
'Excellent as always!'
And they're real, I promise! More than happy to begin immediately with proofreading and line-by-line editing, but often the most useful thing for an author who wants to get published is to start with a manuscript assessment (redacted example below), and then move on to the in-text editing. There's no manuscript in the world that wouldn't benefit from a manuscript assessment. Of course, all editorial work is tailored to the unique requirements of the text. Just get in touch and we'll get cooking!
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Entertainment
History
Philosophy
Fiction
Dystopian
Humor & Comedy
Magical Realism
Short Story
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Works with
Wix
Awards
- George Bruce Memorial Prize for Excellence in Creative Writing
- Shortlisted for Streetcake Experimental Writing Award
Certifications
- University of Edinburgh Creative Writing MSc (Distinction)
- University of Aberdeen English with Creative Writing MA (First Class Honours)
- CIEP's Introduction to Proofreading
Work experience
Self-employed
May, 2020 —
Present
Blackwater Press is an independent publisher and editorial consultancy with an international team of editors. Dedicated to producing beautiful books through our press and helping authors achieve their potential through our editing services.
Ringwood Publishing
Sep, 2019 —
May, 2020
(8 months)
Small independent publisher of fiction and non-fiction which I left as Managing Director. Heavily involved in all editorial tasks including proofreading, editing and typesetting, and it was here I saw my first editorial projects in print.
Portfolio
