Richard Blandford – Editor

As a professional author of nearly twenty years, I know only too well what is needed to meet the required standard for publication. Having also written many hundreds of editorial assessments for literary consultancies such as Jericho Writers and Cornerstones, I have developed my own system for giving feedback that works for authors at various stages of their writing development.

Firstly, I concentrate on characterisation. I ask if the protagonist can carry the story. Are they sufficiently complex? Does their course of action make sense? Are there characters in this novel whose behaviour is incoherent?

From there, I move on to plot. To put it simply, I examine whether you are telling a good story. Does the beginning successfully set up all that follows? Is there an engaging progression as we make our way through the novel? Is the ending a satisfying resolution of all that has gone before?

Finally I look at the use of language. Not just grammar and punctuation, but also style. I will ask if your writing is doing what it needs to do, or could it go still further?

In my reports, I seek to encourage, pointing out everything that works, and what particularly entertained or stimulated me. I will also push, making an argument for how your novel could be better, suggesting ways for it to reach its full potential. Many authors have found my opinion on their work valuable. I hope that you will too.