Laura McFarlane

Laura McFarlane – Editor

Experienced editor and proofreader of historical, literary and crime fiction.

Overview

With a background in trade publishing, I have worked across every genre and with awarding winning authors, from Booker winners to finalists for the CWA Gold Dagger. I'm passionate about literary and historical fiction and love a good high-brow thriller. I'm experienced in anglicisations, proofreads, copy-edits and structural edits and I collaborate with authors to help lift and polish their work whilst maintaining the integrity of their writing. I know that your book is a labour of love and that editing can be a nerve-wracking experience – my goal is to understand and work to your vision and to help you make your novel the very best it can be.

Recent projects of mine include proofreading and editing for Muswell press and structural editing for Audible originals.
Services
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Rewriting and Substantive Editing, the Publishing Training Centre
  • Digital Editing Short Course, the Publishing Training Centre
  • English Literature and History BA (Hons) – University of York

Work experience

Oneworld Publications

Mar, 2014 — Present

I oversee the editorial process at Oneworld, working on a diverse list of fiction and non-fiction. I anglicise, copyedit and proofread our titles as well as briefing and managing the quality of all of our editorial freelancers.

Inside Careers

Aug, 2012 — Mar, 2014 (over 1 year)

Commissioned and edited copy for a range of professional career guides.

Portfolio

The Partisan Heart

Gordon Kerr

Close to the Edge

Toby Faber

The Lizard

Ministry Of Guidance

Shardik

Richard Adams

This brilliantly inventive fantasy epic by the award-winning author of Watership Down immerses the reader in a medieval world complete with created languages, detailed maps and elaborate traditions and rituals. Centring on the long-awaited reincarnation of a g... read more
Mayday!: A History of Flight through its Martyrs, Oddballs and Daredevils

David Darling

In a world without aircraft, to believe flight might be possible required a certain kind of character. You had to be starry-eyed, a possessor of practical ingenuity, nerves of steel and a level of sanity that would be best described as deficient. In Mayday!, D... read more
A Cast of Falcons: Birder Murder Mystery 3

Steve Burrows

The threat from above casts a dark shadow. A man falls to his death from a cliff face in western Scotland. From a distance, another man watches. He approaches the body, tucks a book into the dead man’s pocket, and leaves. When the Scottish police show visiting... read more
The Syndicate

Guy Bolton

The hotly anticipated sequel to The Pictures. Guy Bolton’s unforgettable 1930s Hollywood fixer Jonathan Craine is thrust into the dark underbelly of the LA mafia, only to discover more secrets and liesJune 1947Eight years have passed since the events of The Pi... read more
A Perfect Crime (Point Blank)

A Yi

"Where Anthony Burgess sought to conjure a world of abstract flair and inexplicable cruelty in A Clockwork Orange, Yi strikes a far deeper chord, delving into the mind of a youth whose lethal motivations are abundantly and undeniably troubling.—World Literatur... read more
The White Boy Shuffle

Paul Beatty

Paul Beatty's hilarious and scathing debut novel is about Gunnar Kaufman, an awkward, black surfer bum who is moved by his mother from Santa Monica to urban West Los Angeles. There, he begins to undergo a startling transformation from neighborhood outcast to b... read more
Damnation

Peter Beck

Dead clients are bad for business, something Tom Winter, head of security for a discrete Swiss private bank, knows all too well. After a helicopter explodes, leaving behind the charred bodies of a client and a colleague, he teams up with Fatima, a mysterious E... read more

Laura has 3 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Vaneeta K.

Vaneeta K.

Jan, 2020

Laura has been such a supportive editor in the editing phase of my two-book series. The second in the series was difficult for me to work through not just because of the novel content but for so many other reasons. Laura displayed understanding, patience and open communication. She worked patiently with me to help bring out the best in my novel. I am so glad that I chose Laura as my editor as s...
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Christina M.

Christina M.

Jun, 2019

Professional and thorough in her editorial assessment of my book. Laura presented a detailed report on my book with amendments and suggested corrections giving me a renewed and clear focus to finishing my book.
Vaneeta K.

Vaneeta K.

Feb, 2019

I couldn’t have found a more insightful editor to help me build story in a novel. I was very nervous about sending my manuscript through Reedsy – but Laura’s thoroughly detailed report helped me bring my characters and story to life; and definitely assured me I that I made the right decision. Completely professional and helped me with every stage of the editorial process. I’m excited to begin m...
Read more

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