Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams – Editor

Experienced literary agent editing and selling bestselling memoir, crime & thrillers, self-help, nature and travel writing.

Overview

I have over a decade of experience as a literary agent looking to spot incredible talent in my submissions and then working with my authors to create and sell their books to publishers. While my client list is pretty full, I absolutely love working with new and emerging writers to help them craft the best possible opening to their book that is going to get the attention of the right agent for their work.

If you are thinking of submitting your work to an agent and want an editorial assessment or to craft a knockout submission package (query letter, synopsis, first 50 pages) that will get the attention of the right agent for your work, I can help.

I know what makes a query letter stand out (and what gets a submission rejected) and have weekly conversations with editors so I have a good sense of their acquisition meetings and how to get the pitch just right. The first few chapters are the pages that I spend the most time editing with my authors - they have to be unputdownable and I love working to get them just right. Above all, I hope my strength lies in finding the balance between creating a book that will find success in the current market as well as ensuring that the work remains true to the writer.

My areas of speciality are memoir, crime & thriller, contemporary fiction, self-help & development and travel & nature writing. My authors have been bestsellers or shortlisted/won awards in all of these genres and many of them have had their books optioned for film and television.

My authors would probably say that I pay incredible attention to the text, am really approachable and understand that good humour is just as essential as thoughtful consideration of their work.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Nature Self-Help & Self-Improvement Travel
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Psychological Thriller
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Sophie Hicks Agency

Jul, 2014 — Present

I represent a wide range of internationally bestselling authors in both fiction and non-fiction. My authors work in the areas of memoir, reading group fiction, crime and thrillers, literary fiction, self-help and development, travel and nature writing. I run the film and television side of the agency and work with production companies and studios to sell the dramatic rights to our authors' written work.

Ed Victor Ltd

Oct, 2010 — Jun, 2014 (over 3 years)

Portfolio

Under Water: How Holding My Breath Taught Me to Live

Walsh, Claire

Pocket Therapy: Mental Notes for Everyday Happiness, Confidence, and Calm

Crosby, Sarah

The Mystery of Love

Andrew Meehan

CONSTANCE WILDE'S MARRIAGE HAS ENDED. Making a new life in Europe, she reflects on her marriage with Oscar Wilde. Despite her family's warnings, his affairs and his spending, she knows they loved each other in their own way.In this witty and unsentimental reim... read more
The Last Diet

Shahroo Izadi

'No banned foods, no recipes, no fads – psychologist and addiction expert Shahroo Izadi’s weight-loss book is all about changing the way you relate to what you eat.' – The TimesThis is the last diet you'll ever need. Transform your relationship with food and y... read more
The Hidden Wife

Amanda Reynolds

'Tremendous. Tight plotting and strong writing carries the narrative along to a chilling conclusion' HARRIET TYCE, AUTHOR OF BLOOD ORANGEA STUNNING NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, FROM THE AUTHOR OF CLOSE TO ME AND LYING TO YOUEvery marriage has its problems. But ... read more
I Found My Tribe

Ruth Fitzmaurice

‘I Found My Tribe is inspiring, humbling and a picture of what love really looks like’ Marian KeyesAn invocation to all of us to love as hard as we can, and live even harder, I Found My Tribe is an urgent and uplifting letter to a husband, family, friends, the... read more
How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life

Johansen, Signe

Weightless

Sarah Bannan

Adamsville wasn't a place that people came to. It was a place you were from, where you were born, where you were raised, where you stayed...Before Carolyn Lessing arrived, nothing much had ever happened in Adamsville, Alabama. Each week, at dinner tables and i... read more
Close To Me

Amanda Reynolds

*** NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES, STARRING CONNIE NIELSEN AND CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON *** She can't remember the last year. Her husband wants to keep it that way.Dramatic psychological suspense for fans of Liane Moriarty's Apples Never Fall, Gillian McAllister's That N... read more
I Am An Island

Tamsin Calidas

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Memoir of the year' - Vogue'A wondrous, sensuous memoir of salt-stung survival . . . clear-eyed and poetic prose' Sunday Times'A fascinating memoir' - Daily MailWhen Tamsin Calidas first arrives on a remote island in the Scottish He... read more
Things I Learned from Falling

Nelson, Claire

The Kindness Method: The Highly Effective (and extremely enjoyable) Way to Change Your Habits

Izadi, Shahroo

Sarah has 24 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Ashley W.

Ashley W.

Apr, 2024

I received my project a week late, despite multiple nudges to Sarah. It was nice that she read my sample chapters and gave a note on those, but the query letter came back with fewer changes/suggestions than I had hoped for, and none of them particularly substantial.
Jax B.

Jax B.

Mar, 2024

Sarah W's feedback on my query package was equal parts encouraging and insightful. She has a perceptive eye, a gentle delivery and an honest approach. I couldn't have asked for a better assessment process, from beginning to end. I felt assured that, as an active agent, Sarah's input was accurate and up to the minute. I would highly recommend her intelligence and experience to any emerging write...
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Debashish D.

Debashish D.

Mar, 2024

It was wonderful working with Sarah.
Eric M.

Eric M.

Feb, 2024

Sarah provided me exactly what I was looking for--a candid assessment of how my manuscript would fare in the marketplace, and what actions I could take to improve it. It's not easy to hear criticism of your work but Sarah provided it with fairness, highlighting the positives along with the criticism to make the medicine go down. I would work with her again.
Frances R.

Frances R.

Feb, 2024

Sarah brought her expertise into helping me edit my query letter. I enjoyed working with her on this project and value her insights.

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