Matt Henderson-Ellis – Editor

IMPORTANT: I'm booked until late February. If you're not in a rush for a developmental edit, feel free to get in touch.

So, you’ve written a novel or nonfiction manuscript and you know it’s good. Your friends think so. Your spouse thinks so. Your cat is a solid supporter. Everybody says that you should get it published, or publish it yourself. But your standards are higher, and you know you need a qualified editor to bring out the best in your book.

Hi, I’m Matt. I’ve been working as an editor for 25 years, specializing in manuscript assessment and developmental editing for genres like crime, true crime, mystery, horror, and memoir. I’ve worked with NYT best-sellers, and award-winning indie authors. Some of my most successful projects have included military fiction, historical mysteries, and neo-noir crime novels. I especially enjoy working with war veterans and first-time authors.

What I will support you with:

—Strong, active opening pages.

—Plot pacing throughout.

—Plot holes, telegraphed payoffs.

—Credible, fully dynamic characters (even the secondary ones).

—Word choice. Most writers have tics and overuse certain words.

—Line-by-line writing, alerting you to monotonous sentence constructions.

—Description that "shows" and doesn't "tell." We have five senses, let's

use them all.

—Boiling your book down to its unique hook.

Recommendations for routes to publication, tips for perseverance, and my discreet support are always included.

But I'm more than just an editor. I have been in the trenches as a writer for years. As a traditionally published novelist, my debut Keeping Bedlam at Bay in the Prague Cafe was called "Darkly comic . . . immersive, nostalgic, and

thoroughly enjoyable," by Booklist. I bring my talents as a writer and

editor to bear on every project I undertake.

Request a quote and ask about my editing process, availability, or whatever. I'm here to help writers.

"Highly, highly recommended. When I sent my manuscript to Matt for a critique and feedback, I feared he’d come back to tell me that the story was broken, the writing was terrible and the characters lame. I worried about that because I believed it was all true. What I got back from Matt was a gentle confirmation of my worst fears. I also got back an incredibly insightful critique." — Frank Freudberg, author of neo-noir crime fiction Baby Please Don’t Go (1216 Amazon reviews)

NOTE: At this time, I do NOT offer copy editing, line editing, proofreading, letter review, or author coaching. I do not edit short stories or AI-generated writing. Thanks for your understanding.

If you are under 18 years old, please contact me through a parent.