Sarah Thickett

Sarah Thickett – Editor

Lifestyle non-fiction editor with 15 years' experience transforming brilliant ideas into books at Bloomsbury, HarperCollins & Quadrille.

Overview

I love lifestyle books that offer solutions to modern life, or a fresh perspective readers need to hear, and I can't wait to help you make yours the best it can be - whether you're still shaping an idea, on a first draft, or getting a manuscript or proposal ready for agents and editors.

I'm an editor with 15+ years in UK trade publishing, including as Editorial Director at Bloomsbury and in editorial roles at HarperCollins, Quadrille and Head of Zeus. My specialism is lifestyle non-fiction: memoir, self-help, cookery, wellbeing, beauty and gift books. I've edited Sunday Times bestsellers and award-winning titles, working with authors including Gillian Anderson, Anna Jones, Sali Hughes, Penny Wincer and Hadley Freeman.

I offer developmental editing, proposal development, book coaching, editorial assessments and query letter reviews. Whether you need help sharpening a proposal before it goes out to agents and editors, want a proper structural edit, or just fancy an experienced pair of eyes as your book takes shape, I bring editorial experience and a real feel for the market.

I've spent my career commissioning, editing and championing books, so I know exactly what agents and publishers are looking for.

I'm collaborative, hard-working and genuinely invested in getting the best out of your work. I'm here to give support, encouragement and editorial advice you can trust. Do get in touch and we can talk through what would suit you best.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits Home & Garden Inspirational Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Languages
English (UK)

Work experience

Head of Zeus

Dec, 2025 — Jun, 2026 (7 months)
Commissioned and edited literary fiction, reading widely across submissions to spot standout voices. I work closely with authors through to publication, with a sharp eye for what makes a manuscript ready for market.

Bloomsbury

Apr, 2025 — Present
Supported publication of bestselling, award-winning non-fiction for high-profile authors including Gillian Anderson and Patti Smith. I specialise in structural editing and steering ambitious projects to a tight critical path without losing quality.

Quadrille

Apr, 2020 — Mar, 2025 (almost 5 years)
Built and edited my own list of illustrated and narrative non-fiction, working with authors such as Alice Lascelles, Penny Wincer and Katherine Ormerod from first draft to finished book, and beyond.

4th Estate, HarperCollins

Oct, 2015 — Apr, 2020 (over 4 years)
Edited a wide-ranging list spanning lifestyle, cookery, memoir and literary fiction, working with authors including Nigel Slater, Anna Jones and Sali Hughes. This is where I learned to adapt my editorial eye across very different kinds of books and voices.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
The Cat Lover's A to Z

Faulkner, Clare

Quadrille

Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Query Letter Review Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment Query Letter Review Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment Query Letter Review Book Coaching
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing

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