Shelley Routledge – Editor

I am a British developmental editor specialising in crime, thrillers, psychological suspense and commercial fiction. With more than sixteen years’ professional experience, a literary agency background and over ninety Reedsy reviews, I help writers understand what their novels need and how to approach the next draft.

My authors include Alison Watterson, whose novel Dating App Revenge was acquired by Sandycove in a five-way auction in 2025. alongside Sarah Naughton, June Taylor and Ruth Warburton. I work with established authors and first-time novelists, bringing the same close attention to each manuscript.

My particular strength is story architecture: how structure, character, pacing, point of view and emotional logic work together to keep a reader involved. A beautifully written scene may sit in the wrong place. A revelation may arrive before the reader has begun asking the question. A character’s most important decision may happen just beyond the scene where we need to witness it. I enjoy untangling these problems and explaining the possibilities in plain English.

With a developmental edit, you receive a closely annotated Word manuscript and a substantial, bespoke editorial report. The comments show how individual passages affect the reading experience; the report connects those observations across the novel and sets out clear revision priorities. I explain what is working, where the story needs attention, why it matters and how you might tackle it.

Where useful, I include bespoke charts and scene maps to make patterns in pacing, character presence or the timing of revelations easier to see. Every recommendation grows out of a close reading of your book.

I take both the novel and its writer seriously. My feedback is candid, detailed and constructive, with care for your voice and the story you want to tell. You retain the creative decisions. My job is to give you the understanding and confidence to make them.

I also offer editorial assessments: an in-depth diagnostic report and revision guidance, without manuscript annotations. For writers preparing to approach agents, my separate submission service covers queries, synopses, pitches, positioning and submission strategy.

Alongside my core genres, I welcome horror, women’s fiction and selected literary, young adult and middle-grade novels. I do not take on fantasy or science fiction.

My qualifications include a BA in Classics, an MA in Children’s Literature and a Diploma in Journalism, alongside advanced professional training in developmental and line editing. My interest in literary theory informs my reading; my advice remains practical and accessible.

Based in Normandy, I work full-time with authors internationally. Tell me about your novel, what you hope to achieve and where you feel stuck.