Nina Winters

Nina Winters – Editor

Creative, supportive and commercially minded editor. Formerly Penguin Random House/Hachette working on Amazon and Sunday Times bestsellers.

Overview

I’m a creative, empathetic and commercially minded editor with eight years of experience working with bestselling authors for Hachette and Penguin Random House across both fiction and non-fiction. I know that writing a book can be a daunting experience, and I’m here to help you develop your vision from a first draft to a fully realised novel that stands out among the crowd.

You can expect collaborative, in-depth developmental editorial letters with creative, practical and manageable solutions, involved line edits with clear suggestions and your desired level of intervention, and kind, creative guidance suited to your writing style and needs. I’m here to guide you along your creative path, help you to find your voice and thrive as an author.

I have significant experience working on commercial fiction ranging from psychological thrillers with jaw-dropping twists to cosy crime with loveable amateur sleuths and heart-rending historical fiction. My aim is to help you write a gripping page turner that will have your readers flipping the pages deep into the night.

I’ve also worked on a wide range of non-fiction, including chilling true crime, moving memoirs with LGBTQ+ themes, and life-changing personal development and smart thinking titles. I’ve worked closely with a diverse range of authors to bring their stories to life with sensitivity and lyricism.

Testimonials

‘A kind but thorough editor, picking up plot holes, inconsistencies and general mayhem in our manuscripts and helping us turn them into a clean and readable end products. Nina’s ability to give quick, accurate feedback is unmatched! She’s always happy to chat us through the tough spots, and help brainstorm solutions.’

— Katie Gayle

‘Working with Nina on my books was an incredible experience! She is deeply involved and brings genuine passion to every stage of the process. [...] She truly cares about the story, the characters, and the author’s vision. Her thoughtful guidance and dedication not only made my stories stronger but also helped me sharpen my storytelling skills.’

— Ruhi Choudhary

‘I loved working with Nina - she saw something in me and in my work that so many other editors didn’t, and helped build my work and my confidence to new heights. I would absolutely work with Nina again, and can’t recommend her enough.’

— Claire Lunn

‘Her input was valuable beyond measure and totally professional with every attention to detail during the whole process. Her creative suggestions brought my book to life, making it so much more of an addictive, unputdownable read, and I am hugely grateful for the part she played in its development.’

— Hayley Smith

'She was the perfect editor for me and was able to add a layer of authenticity to my books [...] offering excellent insight and advice to make them the best they could be. Nina is very approachable and personable, is quick to respond to queries, has a sharp insightful mind and is always encouraging – in fact she possesses all the qualities anyone could wish for in an editor.'

— Imogen Matthews

Services
Fiction
Cozy Mysteries Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller Women's Fiction
Languages
English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2025 — Present
After nearly a decade working at major publishing houses including Hachette and Penguin Random House, I’m now working as a freelance editor. I love stories and I’d love to help you tell yours, so get in touch and let’s get started!

Bookouture, Hachette UK

Jul, 2020 — Aug, 2025 (about 5 years)
I acquired commercial fiction and non-fiction for a highly successful list. I published works by bestselling authors including Gregg Olsen and Katie Gayle. I was part of the publishing team behind the multimillion copy bestselling author Angela Marsons, and the Sunday Times bestselling The Stable Boy of Auschwitz. I also reviewed and fed back on query letters and submissions from unagented authors. During my time there, Bookouture won Imprint of the Year at the 2025 British Book Awards.

Ebury, Penguin Random House

Apr, 2017 — Jun, 2020 (about 3 years)
I ran digital advertising campaigns for bestselling authors and brands including Yotam Ottolenghi, Mary Berry, Doctor Who, Richard Branson, Caitlin Moran, Charlie Mackesy and many more. I was the strategy lead for consumer data for editorial and marketing, researching trends, identifying high potential authors and providing market insights for new editorial projects. I wrote features for the Penguin website.

Self-employed

Sep, 2016 — Jun, 2020 (almost 4 years)
The first time I worked as a freelance editor, I provided developmental editing, line editing and copyediting services for narrative non-fiction books, including philosophy and personal development. I also wrote features for journals and magazines including ELLE.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
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Developmental Editing
What the Dying See

M J Lee

Canelo

The system is broken - and it wants you dead.An elderly ex-soldier is found dead in his home starved, alone and long forgotten. No one notices. No one cares.The same day, a man walks into a Ma... read more
Proofreading
The Hanging Place

Nick Louth

Canelo

The savage murder of one of their own shocks the force.Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington is shot dead at his farm, alongside one of his employees. His wife is found suspende... read more
Proofreading
I KNOW IT WAS YOU a totally addictive psychological thriller full of shocking twists

Ryan, Sadie

Choc Lit Psychological Thrillers, Suspense and Crime: A Joffe Books Company

Proofreading
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Nina has 5 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Dusty S.

Dusty S.

Dec, 2025

Pinned
Working with Nina has been such a positive and productive experirence. Her knowledge and professionalism was of great benefit for me. It's my first time going through a process such as this, and it's been quite productive and beneficial. I appreciate her partnership in this process and will not h...
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linda B.

linda B.

Oct, 2025

Pinned
Nina is an outstanding editor. Professional, friendly, and an expert in her field. Not only did she help with editing my query, she's given me excellent career advice. I will continue to work with her on other projects.
Nina W.
Thank you so much Linda, I've loved working with you!
Rial C.

Rial C.

Oct, 2025

Pinned
Nina delivered exactly what I hoped. Her fresh perspective and perceptive suggestions helped me craft a much improved query. She went out of her way to list some possible comps, and suggested an agent she thinks might be worth contacting. All in all, she's been an excellent choice and I would rec...
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Nina W.
Thank you so much Rial, it was a huge pleasure working with you!
Dusty S.

Dusty S.

Feb, 2026

This is my second collaboration with Nina and once again it was an outstanding experience. Nina has a depth of knowledge that enhanced our partnership greatly. I'm definitely a novice when it comes to much of this but Nina finds a way to highlight the stronger parts of my stories and then teaches...
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Nina W.
Thank you for this review, Dusty! It was wonderful working with you again.
larry C.

larry C.

Oct, 2025

Great editing and attention to detail! HIghly recommend!
Nina W.
Working on your book was such a joy, thank you Larry!

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