John Rickards

John Rickards – Editor

An ex-Big Five author who turned editor in 2012, I handle stories in a wide variety of genres for writers from the US, UK and beyond.

Overview

I’ve been a professional genre fiction writer, with six books published by the ‘Big Five’ in the US and UK, as well as a number of short stories and a variety of self-published releases. I began offering editing services in 2012 and I’ve since worked on hundreds of books, short stories and articles for writers in all genres and of all levels of ability, at all lengths, from flash fiction to epic novels.

I’ve therefore been both editor and edited, so I fully understand what’s useful and what’s not, and how to frame advice and criticism in a way that’s constructive, helpful, and thorough, yet respects your own voice and individual approach to your work. While I’m from the UK, all of my published work has been US-set, a considerable chunk of my full-time journalism was for a US news service, and the majority of my editing work since turning pro has been for American and Canadian authors and publishers. I’m fully capable of handling work from anywhere in the English-speaking world, or beyond, and down the years I've had clients from every continent except Antarctica.

My fees are very reasonable and I always provide an accurate estimate of turnaround time for editorial work because I know that as a writer you don’t want to be left in the dark. I’m happy to work with any kind of material, fiction or non-fiction, from shorts to novels to articles to academic papers, adapting to your individual requirements to suit. I pride myself on my attention to detail and professionalism, but also on being helpful and approachable, and many of my previous clients have become regulars as a result. I won't treat your story as just another job. I want to help you make the most of your writing, to make your work as strong as it can be.

Testimonials:

“I can honestly say it was the best copyedit I've ever had.” - C L Taylor.

“Highly recommend [John] for all your editing needs. I don't know if my book would have made it to print if it not for him.” - Karl Forshaw.

"Absolutely recommend John - he’s an awesome editor!" - Joni Harper.

Services
Fiction
Dystopian Epic Fantasy Espionage Horror Mystery & Crime Psychological Thriller Short Story
Languages
English (AUS) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Sep, 2012 — Present
I offer editing services from proofing to developmental editing, from shorts to 250,000 word novels, working across genres and story types, as well as in non-fiction and academic work, for clients around the world.

Penguin & Hachette

Mar, 2003 — Jan, 2012 (almost 9 years)
I wrote four books for Penguin's (now Penguin Random House) Michael Joseph imprint, and then two books for Hachette's Headline imprint.

Various

Jul, 1999 — Present
Since graduating, I've worked either full-time or freelance as a trade journalist on various publications, including stints as a magazine editor or deputy editor, veering occasionally into advertorial copywriting.

Portfolio

The Railroad (Lynch and Rose Book 2)

Brolly, Matt

Oblong Books

Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Ashes Of America

McNeill, Fergus

Independently published

Copy Editing
Stealing For The Sky

Roberts, Adam

NeoText

Copy Editing
Renia (Luna Ruinam Book 1)

Forshaw, Karl

Vortex3 LTD

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Strangers

Taylor, C.L.

Avon

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment
The Blackbird

Ray, Thomas

NeoText

Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Legion That Was (The Ironbreakers)

Hare, Vijay

Independently published

Copy Editing Proofreading
Silencer

Ray, Thomas

NeoText

Copy Editing
Ula & the Siren: Episode One: Going Home

Stockdill, J. A.

Monstralian Publishing

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
The Wishlord Trials

Gelinck, Jasmin

Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Gallows

Astaire, Desmond

King & Vagabond Press, LLC

Developmental Editing
Copy Editing Proofreading
The GoldTwinz

Libaire, Jardine

NeoText

Proofreading
The Excavator

DeMatteis, J.M.

NeoText

Proofreading
Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Epoch-1: New and Collected Sci-Fi Stories

Astaire, Desmond

King & Vagabond Press, LLC

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Curses of Scale (Evercharm Book 1)

Reeves, S.D.

Riversong Books

Developmental Editing
Midnight 99

Christine, Ashley

NeoText

Proofreading
You Don't Know Me

Magnanti, Dr Brooke

Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )

Copy Editing
Children of the Neon Bamboo

B. Glynn Kimmey

Northstar Studios

Editorial Assessment
Slate

Charyn, Jerome

NeoText

Copy Editing
Tozan: A Japanese Mountain Odyssey

Walks, Willie

Bozu Books

Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
The Moment Between

Frank, Gareth

Three Women Press

Developmental Editing
Sorcerers

Broaddus, Maurice

NeoText

Proofreading
Copy Editing

John has 4 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Brock B.

Brock B.

Aug, 2025

John pointed out many consistency errors and provided a thorough copy-edit, as well as much positive feedback. I enjoyed working with him, and I would definitely recommend him if you have specific concerns about your manuscript, and uncertainties about grammar and structure. He finished early and...
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John R.
It was a pleasure! A really fun project to work on - and I'm glad the tweaks were helpful!
Allen S.

Allen S.

Jun, 2025

He made sure to understand my work before editing it and was responsive when I reached out to him. He has taken his role very seriously and has been great to work with. I will be reaching out to him in the future for other projects.
Gideon B.

Gideon B.

Jun, 2025

John was quick and thorough. He picked up on a lot that I already thought was clean. His considered changes and suggestion were all on point. I implemented all proposed changes, and learnt a fair bit via his comments and explanations. Would recommend.
John R.
You're too kind! Gideon was great to work with, and the project was a lot of (very fungal) fun to work on!
Sam S.

Sam S.

Apr, 2025

John did a fantastic copy edit for me. He really polished the manuscript up, and delivered before the deadline. All for a great price as well. Very happy and will not hesitate to use again on my next book.
John R.
Thanks, Sam! That's very kind of you. Sam was a great client to work for, the book is a fun one, and everything was smooth as could be - I'll look forward to next time!

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