Laura Shanahan – Editor

Hello! I’m Laura, an editor based in beautiful Bath in the UK. I have worked in the publishing industry since 2016, starting out in academic publishing and quickly moving into trade fiction, where my heart really lies. As an acquiring editor at an independent press, I am proud to have built a list of literary and upmarket fiction, mostly by debut and early-career authors and including several award-nominated novels. Alongside my part-time role in publishing, I spend around half my week as a freelancer, working directly with authors as well as with several publishing houses and agencies.

I specialise in fiction, with a particular focus on literary, historical and upmarket contemporary novels; I also have a soft spot for romance and rom-coms. My academic background is in languages and translation, so I'm always delighted when I get to work on a translated book project. I am also sensitive to the specific needs of writers working with English as a second language.

I never use generative AI in my editing, and only work on 100% human-authored, AI-free manuscripts. I firmly believe there are no shortcuts to great writing or editing: LLMs can never replace human creativity and genuine editorial insight.

I'm always happy to discuss your individual needs and agree a tailored editorial approach. I offer the following services:

✅ Editorial assessment:

I will read your full or partial manuscript and produce a feedback report of around 3-5 pages, focusing on ‘big-picture’ issues such as plot, structure, pacing, narrative voice, characterisation and themes.

✅ Developmental editing:

I will produce a longer and more in-depth feedback report focusing on 'big-picture' issues of the kind outlined above, and will also add comments within the manuscript to give concrete examples of my suggested revisions.

✅ Copyediting:

I will carry out a meticulous sentence-level check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax issues, repetition, clarity, consistency and continuity. This kind of edit usually means working with tracked changes and comments in a Word document.

✅ Line editing:

This service is a kind of enhanced copyedit in which I suggest ways to fine-tune your prose style and enhance the reading experience, in addition to meticulously checking for the sentence-level issues listed above.

✅ Proofreading:

This service is the final pre-publication polish, and involves carefully checking for errors that have slipped through the net at earlier editorial stages, as well as typographic issues introduced at the typesetting/layout stage. Proofreading usually involves working on a PDF proof using the Adobe markup tools.

✅ Query letter review:

This service is for authors planning to submit to agents and/or publishers. I will provide industry-informed feedback on your query letter, and can also offer a full 'query package' review that includes your synopsis and the opening chapters of your manuscript (up to 10,000 words).