Lydia Shamah – Editor

CURRENTLY ONLY OPEN FOR QUERY LETTERS, SYNOPSES, AND EXCERPTS UP TO 5K WORDS.

I have ten years of experience in the US and UK, both as a literary agent and commissioner. I've read thousands of submissions so I know how to get that elusive Full request, and how to craft a story that can make it all the way to bookshelves, e-readers, or earphones!

MY EXPERIENCE:

As Director of Originals at Audible UK, I worked with world-class content partners like Disney, Warner DC, Ubisoft, and The Agatha Christie Estate. My projects include the New York Times Bestselling The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, and the Audible record breaking series Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.

As Director of Original Content at Realm I produced and edited serialised fiction co-written by teams of authors. I worked on fan-favourites such as Orphan Black: The Next Chapter as part of a varied list including YA, Mystery, Action, Thriller, Horror, Historical, SciFi, Fantasy, Western, and Romance.

As an agent I sold books to Penguin Random House, S&S, Hachette, HarperCollins and Macmillan.

I have worked with award winning, NYT and Sunday Times bestselling authors including: Paul Auster, Neil Gaiman, Max Gladstone, Jed Mercurio, Rivers Solomon, Maria Dahvana Headley, Mur Lafferty, Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Cavan Scott, Christopher Golden, Amber Benson, Tim Lebbon, Sophie Hannah, Clare MacIntosh, BA Paris, and many more.

AM I THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOUR PROJECT?

I love fiction with big imagination, immersive world building, strong emotions, magic, mystery, thrills, romance... I particularly love stories that achieve the above while saying something interesting or important about the world and our place within it. I have worked on a lot of beloved IP and am interested in creating new work with the ability to inspire fandoms.

My genre experience is broad, but I am particularly suited to Fantasy, SciFi, Historical, and Horror. I think mystery is key in any genre, and I enjoy a romance sub-plot. I love fiction that blends genres in unexpected ways.

MY PHILOSOPHY:

I prioritise safe and respectful collaboration that works for you as an individual. Please feel free to raise any access requirements, which I will happily accommodate. My aim is to guide you towards commercial success while valuing your unique vision.

MY SERVICES:

→ Editorial Reports (Big picture review of plot, character, pacing, voice, and all the building blocks of a successful project, delivered in an actionable editorial letter.)

→ Development Edits (For those looking for more detailed feedback in the form of margin comments as well as an editorial report.)

→Line Edits (For those looking for feedback and clean up on a sentence level.)

→ Submission Packet review (Feedback on any combination of your query, synopsis, and opening.)

→ Coaching (Writers block, stuck on the difficult middle, struggling with your outline? A one-off call or regular meetings to keep you moving forward.)

Please reach out to find out more about working together, or just to discuss Buffy fan theories! I can't wait to hear about your project!