Rachel K - Editor

I'm an award-winning, passionate editor of commercial non-fiction based in London with multiple bestsellers under my belt and 10 years' experience working in two of the biggest publishing houses in the country. I love working closely with authors to deliver new and exciting books they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

As a former Editorial Director, I also know what commissioning editors are looking for, so if you're an aspiring author but don't know where to start, I'm here to help.

A former Bookseller Rising Star and Star Buyer, I also headed up the non-fiction list at HarperCollins imprint HQ, from its launch in 2016 through to 2020, when I went freelance.

In that time, HQ was shortlisted for Imprint of the Year in 2019 and BOSH!, one of my first acquisitions for the list, became a Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller, the biggest-selling vegan cookbook of all time and won Non-Fiction Lifestyle Book of the Year at the Nibbies.

I've also been lucky enough to work with a whole array of wonderful authors including Jane Fonda, anti-racism advocate Sophie Williams, Grazia Fashion Editor Kenya Hunt, award-winning period poverty activist Amika George, superstar influencer Patricia Bright, founder of the Positive Birth Movement Milli Hill, actress and TIME's Person of the Year Rose McGowan, Olympian Tom Daley, chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine, poet Charly Cox and psychotherapist Owen O'Kane to name just a few.

I'm super organised, with a keen eye for detail and something of a perfectionist. I will not rest until a book is as good as it can possibly be. But that doesn't mean I'm a dragon - my authors say I'm approachable and I like to think they mean it!

I have experience working with bestselling authors and major brands and I'm a safe and collaborative pair of editorial hands who's just as comfortable coming up with awesome new book propositions as I am editing manuscripts. ​

I'm available for:

- workshopping and developing book ideas

- comprehensive, useful feedback on your non-fiction book concept or proposal

- writing, editing or tidying up proposals and covering notes

- structural editing or book doctor work

As part of my editorial feedback, I can offer practical advice on:

- how to make yourself as attractive as possible to potential agents and publishers​

- how to arrive at a compelling book idea and title that's authentic to you and plays to your strengths​

- how to create an unmissable pitch and proposal that does your idea justice​

- how a book goes from an idea to a bestseller​

- how the publishing process works.

I love working with smart, dedicated, curious people and am totally committed to making their work sing.

But don't just take my word for it. Below is some feedback from a couple of lovely authors I worked with recently at HarperCollins.

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"As soon as I met Rachel, I knew she was the editor I wanted to work with. She was informed, enthusiastic and warm - she felt like a safe pair of hands to guide me through the process of writing and releasing my first book. She literally made it impossible for me to consider going with anyone else! Rachel was always available when I needed her, and helped to demystify what can be a confusing process for first time writers."

Sophie Williams, author of Anti-Racist Ally and Millennial Black

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"Rachel had the vision to see that the world needed a book about why birth is a feminist issue, when this idea was completely off many editors' radars. From the moment she commissioned Give Birth like a Feminist, she backed and believed in it, seeing the book through to fantastic sales and Amazon bestseller status. She is the perfect combination of approachable warmth and razor sharp insight."

Milli Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book and Give Birth Like a Feminist

"Rachel is an incredible talent. Her uniqueness is her creative brilliance combined with her phenomenal eye for detail and finesse. She also happens to be an incredibly decent, authentic and lovely person to work with."

Owen O'Kane, author of Ten Times Happier and Ten to Zen