Lauren Humphries-Brooks

Lauren Humphries-Brooks – Editor

Specializing in genre and literary fiction since 2015, with publishers and imprints including Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Tor.

Overview

I’ve been a freelance editor since 2015, working with large and small publishers, editing services, and private clients. I have amassed a resume encompassing literary fiction and non-fiction, genre fiction (including sci-fi/fantasy, horror, romance, LGBTQ+, and mystery/thrillers), academic publications, and film and television.


My clients range from experienced, award-winning authors, to new writers looking for guidance through the editing process, and include Pulitzer Prize nominees, first-time fantasy authors, indie writers, family historians, and film critics.


I'm passionate about writing and editing - every book is worthwhile, every writer has a story to tell. I strive to help authors create something splendid, something of which they can be proud.


I am a writer myself, with a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh. I believe that a good editor works for the good of the author.


My goal is to make a book the best it can be.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Fantasy Historical Romance Horror LGBTQ Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Women's Fiction
Languages
English (AUS) English (CAN) English (NZ) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Oct, 2015 — Present
Editing: Copy and content editing on fiction and non-fiction manuscripts accepted for publication, including novels, novellas, short stories, and journal articles. Work closely with established and first-time authors to improve structure, dialogue, grammar, and syntax in accordance with in-house style guides and genre writing conventions. Experience with literary fiction, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery/thrillers, romance/erotica, LGBTQ+ fiction, and academic manuscripts. Proofreading: Grammar, syntax, spelling/punctuation, and formatting for e-book and print publication. Experience with British and American spelling and grammar, and multiple style guides (CMoS, MLA, APA, AP, Harvard). Writing: Suggest changes in manuscripts. Advise the author on additional dialogue, scenes, pacing, structure, and maintaining character voice. Work with authors in creating new scenes.

Hamilton College

Sep, 2012 — Oct, 2015 (about 3 years)
Teaching: Taught academic and creative writing to international and multilingual students at Hamilton College’s ESOL Center. Provided one-on-one tutorials, grammar instruction for non-English speakers. Coached workshops on spoken English, grammar, syntax, and academic jargon for first year students in the ESOL program. Academic Writing and Literacy: Guided students in proper use of APA, AP, CMoS, and MLA citation styles. Edited and proofread academic papers, dissertations, creative writing assignments, grant applications, and cover letters. Program Development: Co-wrote ESOL Handbook, a guide for ESOL students to navigate academic language, grammar, and thesis writing. Developed workshop guidelines, exercises, and schedules. Wrote student progress reports for each academic term. Bi-annual analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the current ESOL program, with suggestions for improvement.

Portfolio

Rogue Protocol: The Murderbot Diaries

Martha Wells

Rogue Protocol is the third entry in Martha Wells's Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus Award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Murderbot Diaries.Starring a human-like android who keeps getting sucked back into adventure after adventure, ... read more
Lionhearts

Nathan Makaryk

History and myth collide in Nathan Makaryk's Lionhearts, a riveting story of vengeance, redemption and war, perfect for fans of Game of Thrones.All will be well when King Richard returns . . . but King Richard has been captured. To raise the money for his rans... read more
Song of Blood & Stone

L. Penelope

A TIME 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time A Time Magazine Best Fantasy Book of 2018 L. Penelope's Song of Blood & Stone is a treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.The kingdoms of Elsira and Lagrimar ... read more
The Reluctant Spacefarer

Tefft, Michael

Steam Powered Writing

Queer Happened Here: 100 Years of NYC's Landmark LGBTQ+ Places

Zinaman, Marc

Prestel

The Lights Go Out in Lychford (Witches of Lychford Book 4)

Cornell, Paul

Witch of the Winter Moon

Mascair, Stuart

Made with Reedsy
The Hut

Zeeba Ansari

What paths do we take to end up where we are? And how do they shape the person we become? Zeeba Ansari's debut novel, The Hut, explores these questions as it follows the fortunes of a young man on a quest to find his family. If you met Arun when he first came ... read more
Made with Reedsy
Children of Alpheios

Diana Fedorak

A genetically engineered colony on a new world. A baby born different than everyone else. A mother who will do anything to save him. On planet Eamine, twenty-one-year-old Alina must protect her baby when Mandin is born with a remarkable DNA anomaly. The colony... read more
Unanimity

Alexandra Almeida

UNANIMITY is a literary, sci-fi novel for the fans of Becky Chambers's A Closed and Common Orbit, Alex Garland's DEVS and Ex Machina, and Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror. Weaving near-future sci-fi elements with social commentary and queer romantic suspense, th... read more
Hateland

Daryl Johnson

A former Department of Homeland Security analyst takes a long view on the domestic terrorism threat from radicalized individuals and hate groups of various ideologies.America is a land in which extremism no longer belongs to the country's shadowy fringes, but ... read more
Finding Baba Yaga

JANE YOLEN

Finding Baba Yaga is a mythic yet timely novel-in-verse by the beloved and prolific New York Times bestselling author and poet Jane Yolen, “the Hans Christian Andersen of America” (Newsweek).A young woman discovers the power to speak up and take control of her... read more
The Scapegracers

H.A. Clarke

An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process. Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magi... read more
The Borgia Confessions: A Novel

Alyssa Palombo

'Under Palombo’s skillful hand, the entangled world of the Borgias comes vividly to life, exposing the dark facets of class structure and the all-consuming greed that comes with ambition--and love." - Heather Webb, internationally bestselling author of Last Ch... read more
Drinking Games

Sarah Levy

Part memoir and part social critique, Drinking Games is about how one woman drank and lived — until sobriety freed her.On paper, Sarah Levy’s life looked like it was perfect. She was 28, living in New York City, working a great job, and going out with friends ... read more
The Expert System's Brother

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Bestselling British master of science fiction Adrian Tchaikovsky brings readers a new, mind-expanding science fantasia in The Expert System's BrotherAfter an unfortunate accident, Handry is forced to wander a world he doesn’t understand, searching for meaning.... read more
Rosebud

Paul Cornell

“An elegant, elegiac examination of identity, fictionality, God and humanity itself”—Tamsyn MuirA multilayered, locked-room science fiction novella from Paul Cornell in which five digital beings unravel their existences to discover the truth of their humanity.... read more
Corrections in Ink

Keri Blakinger

Corrections in Ink is an electric and unforgettable memoir about a young woman's journey—from the ice rink, to addiction and a prison sentence, to the newsroom—emerging with a fierce determination to expose the broken system she experienced.An elite, competiti... read more
Static Ruin (The Voidwitch Saga)

COREY WHITE

Corey J. White concludes his pulse-pounding space opera in Static Ruin. As the most wanted voidwitch in the galaxy has no place left to run―except back to those who created her.She killed the man who trained her. She killed the fleet that came for her. She kil... read more
Miss Violet and the Great War: A Strangely Beautiful Novel

Leanna Renee Hieber

PRISM AWARD-WINNING AUTHORA superb, standalone adventure in Leanna Renee Hieber's groundbreaking, critically acclaimed Strangely Beautiful series, full of passion and power. From childhood, Violet Rychman has dreamed of a coming war, of death and battle on an ... read more

Lauren has 136 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

John M.

John M.

May, 2025

Yet another wonderful collaboration with Lauren, she is always patient in teaching me my most common mistakes, which I continue to learn from as much as possible in the editing process. She also makes my manuscripts shine, and I greatly appreciate her efforts! I highly recommend Lauren's service...
Read more
Novi M.

Novi M.

Apr, 2025

Thank you for great feedback and a lot of actionable insights, it's helping me perfect my query.
Michael P.

Michael P.

Mar, 2025

Working with Lauren Humphries-Brooks has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Her editorial assessment of my manuscript was thoughtful, thorough, and deeply insightful. She struck the perfect balance between encouragement and constructive critique, helping me see both the strengths of my stor...
Read more
Cole D.

Cole D.

Mar, 2025

This was my second time working with Lauren on this prose piece. Her guidance during the copy editing process further strengthened my manuscript after having completed the developmental editing process with her. The copy edit work is a wholly unique experience. It is a painstaking assessment o...
Read more
John M.

John M.

Feb, 2025

This is the third manuscript critique I've worked with Lauren on. Once again, her honest feedback and professional advice are very helpful in building my strengths as a writer and learning how to negate my weaknesses as well. She is a wonderful editor, and I continue to enjoy working with her!

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Lauren and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Lauren

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Hannah Elnan

Hannah E.

I'm a developmental editor with 15+ years' experience in book publishing at PRH imprints focusing on memoir, narrative NF and LGBTQ+ fic.

Seattle, WA, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Tove Innis

Tove I.

Meticulous proofreader and copyeditor who loves working with marginalized creators. Sliding-scale rates. Queer, neurodivergent, disabled.

Harrisburg, PA, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Hilary Turner

Hilary T.

I'm a cozy mystery and fantasy proofreader with five years of real-world experience at Penguin and ten years of editing experience overall.

Austin, TX, USA

95% reply rate

View profile