Lucy Mackay-Sim – Editor

Hi there! I'm Lucy.

I'm a former in-house commissioning editor with Bloomsbury, where I worked on the Carnegie-Medal winning October, October by Katya Balen; was highly commended for the Branford Boase Award and worked with internationally bestselling authors such as Sarah J. Maas, Alexander McCall Smith and Kalynn Bayron. I now work in-house part-time in children's picture books and get my middle grade and fantasy editing kicks freelance for publishers including HarperCollins, Bloomsbury and Bonnier.

My two great loves as an editor and reader are middle grade fiction and fantasy for all ages. I'll never get over the power of writing to transport us outside ourselves - whether that is to another world, or just into someone else's shoes for an hour or two. These two genres do that most powerfully for me.

My aim as an editor is first to get to the heart of your vision for the book. Sometimes when we write, it's like trying to provide a map for territory we have lived in all our lives. We know it so well we can't see the pitfalls that would trip newcomers. I take the time to truly understand the territory you're mapping, and then I can help you identify ways to make the reader's journey through it as effortless and immersive as possible. Sometimes that is as simple as a tweak in a character's voice, or upping the stakes in a scene that needs more tension. Other times it might be moving a whole chapter later in the book. And that can feel scary! I have so much respect and compassion for authors who are open to being edited. It takes huge courage. But time and time again I've also seen the high authors feel when an editor's suggestion unlocks a new idea for them and suddenly that awkward ending finally feels RIGHT. And having someone on your team who really gets the breakthrough you just made? That's even better.

It's all worth it, I promise.